Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 1:16

"And many of the children of Israel shall be turn unto the Lord their God." — Luke 1:16 (ASV)

The OT prophets were repeatedly concerned with turning the erring people back to God. In this work none was more prominent than Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20–40). Luke does not here identify John as a reincarnated Elijah but qualifies his statement with the words “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (v.17). Moreover Luke uses the language of Mal 4:5–6 (cf. Malachi 3:1) to compare John’s ministry with that of Elijah . “To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children” must be interpreted with reference to both the expanded form in Mal 4:6 and the next phrase in this verse. It probably means that when those who disobey heed wisdom and turn to the Lord, their Jewish ancestors would, if they knew of it, be pleased with them. In their OT context, the words “turn the hearts,” etc., relate to averting divine wrath, a concept certainly basic in the ministry of John. “People” (laos; GK 3295) is a significant word in Luke and usually refers to Israel as the elect nation of God. This suggestion accords with Luke’s interest in Jewish origins of Christianity. The “people prepared for the Lord” ultimately includes, however, not only these initial Jewish hearers but also the Gentiles.