Lukas 1:76

1:76 And you, child, ¹  will be called the prophet ²  of the Most High. ³ 

For you will go before ⁴  the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁵ 

Lukas 3:9

3:9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, ⁶  and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be ⁷  cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Lukas 7:27

7:27 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, ⁸  who will prepare your way before you.’ ⁹ 

Lukas 9:52

9:52 He ¹⁰  sent messengers on ahead of him. ¹¹  As they went along, ¹²  they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance ¹³  for him,

Lukas 17:8

17:8 Won’t ¹⁴  the master ¹⁵  instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready ¹⁶  to serve me while ¹⁷  I eat and drink. Then ¹⁸  you may eat and drink’?

[1:76]  ¹ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ² tn Or “a prophet”; but since Greek nouns can be definite without the article, and since in context this is a reference to the eschatological forerunner of the Messiah (cf. John 1:17), the concept is better conveyed to the English reader by the use of the definite article “the.”

[1:76]  ³ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ⁴ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro proswpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (Ì⁴ א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

[1:76]  ⁵ tn This term is often translated in the singular, looking specifically to the forerunner role, but the plural suggests the many elements in that salvation.

[1:76]  sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3-5 and Luke 3:1-6.

[3:9]  ⁶ sn Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees. The imagery of an “ax already laid at the root of the trees” is vivid, connoting sudden and catastrophic judgment for the unrepentant and unfruitful. The image of “fire” serves to further heighten the intensity of the judgment referred to. It is John’s way of summoning all people to return to God with all their heart and avoid his unquenchable wrath soon to be poured out. John’s language and imagery is probably ultimately drawn from the OT where Israel is referred to as a fruitless vine (Hos 10:1-2; Jer 2:21-22) and the image of an “ax” is used to indicate God’s judgment (Ps 74:5-6; Jer 46:22).

[3:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “is”; the present tense (ἐκκόπτεται, ekkoptetai) has futuristic force here.

[7:27]  ⁸ tn Grk “before your face” (an idiom).

[7:27]  ⁹ sn The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.

[9:52]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:52]  ¹¹ tn Grk “sent messengers before his face,” an idiom.

[9:52]  ¹² tn Grk “And going along, they entered.” The aorist passive participle πορευθέντες (poreuqente") has been taken temporally. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:52]  ¹³ tn Or “to prepare (things) for him.”

[17:8]  ¹⁴ tn The question includes a Greek particle, οὐχί (ouci), that expects a positive reply. The slave is expected to prepare a meal before eating himself.

[17:8]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:8]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “and gird yourself” (with an apron or towel, in preparation for service).

[17:8]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 2.b, “to denote contemporaneousness as long as, while… w. subjunctive… Lk 17:8.”

[17:8]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “after these things.”