Luke 3 4

Luke 3:4 kjv

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luke 3:4 nkjv

as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.

Luke 3:4 niv

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.

Luke 3:4 esv

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luke 3:4 nlt

Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming!
Clear the road for him!

Luke 3 verses

Luke 3 4 Meaning

Luke 3:4 explains that John the Baptist’s ministry fulfills a prophecy from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. His role was to announce and prepare the way for the Lord (God Himself, in the person of Jesus), a spiritual preparation that involved calling people to repentance and moral transformation. This preparation was not for a physical road but for the spiritual readiness of hearts to receive God's coming.

Luke 3 4 Context

Luke 3:4 appears at the very beginning of John the Baptist's public ministry, immediately after Luke establishes the precise historical and political setting for this significant spiritual event (Lk 3:1-2). Luke carefully places John within verifiable secular history, emphasizing the certainty and reality of God's intervention in time. The verse quotes the ancient prophet Isaiah, thereby validating John's unique and divinely appointed role not just as a prophet, but specifically as the one prophesied to precede the Lord's coming. This quotation frames John's ministry not as an independent movement, but as the direct fulfillment of God's eternal plan to redeem His people. Historically, the period preceding John was marked by centuries of prophetic silence, making the appearance of a prophet, let alone the promised forerunner, profoundly significant for a Jewish audience yearning for the Messiah. The imagery of road building for a dignitary was well-understood in the ancient world, signifying a grand arrival. Indirectly, John's wilderness ministry and his call to repentance were a polemic against the formalistic and often hypocritical religious practices of the day, asserting that true readiness for God required an inner, moral transformation, not mere adherence to external rituals.

Luke 3 4 Word analysis

• As (ὡς - hōs): Signifies a direct quotation or an exact manner, highlighting the precision of prophetic fulfillment.
• it is written (γέγραπται - gegraptai): A perfect passive participle, indicating a completed action with continuing results. This phrase emphasizes the divine authority and established truth of Scripture. What God "has written" stands eternally true and is now being fulfilled.
• in the book (βίβλῳ - biblō): Refers to a scroll or volume, specifically the written prophetic scriptures.
• of the words (λόγων - logōn): Signifies not just individual words, but the collected utterances, the divine message or prophecies of God.
• of Isaiah (Ἠσαΐου - Ēsaiou): Identifies the specific prophet whose prophecy is being fulfilled. Isaiah is a major Old Testament prophet, known for extensive prophecies about the Messiah.
• the prophet (προφήτου - prophētou): Denotes one who speaks on behalf of God, conveying His message. John is firmly identified within this esteemed lineage.
• The voice (Φωνὴ - Phōnē): Often used for an authoritative pronouncement or a divine utterance (e.g., God's voice from heaven). Here, it personifies the message and the messenger, John.
• of one crying (βοῶντος - boōntos): Indicates a loud, urgent, public proclamation. It’s a powerful call, not a gentle whisper.
• in the wilderness (ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ - en tē erēmō): A significant location in Israelite history, symbolizing divine encounters, testing, and new beginnings (Exodus, Elijah, John the Baptist). It represents a desolate or uninhabited area, a spiritual barrenness where God often speaks most clearly, apart from the corruptions of settled society.
• Prepare (Ἑτοιμάσατε - Hetoimasate): A strong command (aorist imperative), urging immediate and decisive action. It implies making ready or putting things in order.
• the way (τὴν ὁδὸν - tēn hodon): Literally a road or path, but metaphorically represents a course of conduct, a path of life, or a manner of approach. In the context of the Lord, it means removing obstacles for His spiritual arrival.
• of the Lord (Κυρίου - Kyriou): The Greek translation of the Hebrew Yahweh (YHWH), God's covenant name. This directly identifies the one coming as God Himself, a profound statement that anticipates Jesus' divinity.
• Make straight (εὐθείας ποιήσατε - eutheias poiēsate): A command meaning to make level, to straighten, to remove crookedness or obstacles. It calls for moral rectification.
• His paths (τρίβους αὐτοῦ - tribous autou): Parallel to "the way," referring to tracks or beaten paths. Reinforces the idea of clearing the way for God's purposes and presence. "His" further attributes the divine identity to the one coming.

Words-group analysis

• "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet": This phrase underlines the continuity of God's redemptive plan through history and the authority of divine prophecy. It affirms that John's appearance and message are not random but part of an ancient, divinely orchestrated unfolding.
• "The voice of one crying in the wilderness": This imagery defines John the Baptist's unique prophetic identity and setting. He is a prophetic voice isolated from conventional religious institutions, operating in a raw, primal spiritual space, echoing Israel's formative experiences with God in the desert. His message cuts through societal noise and corruption.
• "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths": This double injunction constitutes the essence of John's message. It's a call to profound repentance, not just outward actions, but inward transformation that removes moral obstacles, crookedness, and inequalities that hinder God's presence and work in one's life. This "preparation" is spiritual and ethical, not literal road construction.

Luke 3 4 Bonus section

• The theme of preparation echoes throughout scripture, particularly in the coming of God's chosen deliverers. Before a great act of God, there is often a preceding period of clearing, purifying, and waiting.
• The transition from the wilderness to the arrival of the "Lord's glory" (as promised in Isaiah 40:5, often quoted alongside verse 3) highlights a key paradox: God's ultimate revelation begins not in a temple or city, but in a desolate place.
• Luke, more than the other Gospel writers, emphasizes the universal scope of salvation ("all flesh will see God's salvation," Isa 40:5). John's message of preparing the way was therefore intended to prepare a way for God to come to all people, not just a select few.
• The imperative nature of "Prepare" and "Make straight" conveys the urgency of the moment and the active responsibility of humanity to respond to God's initiative. This is not a passive waiting but an active repentance.
• This verse sets the theological framework for understanding John's baptism: it was not merely a ritual, but an outward sign of an inward readiness for the kingdom that was at hand.

Luke 3 4 Commentary

Luke 3:4 succinctly captures the profound theological significance of John the Baptist's ministry by grounding it firmly in ancient prophecy, specifically Isaiah 40:3. This verse functions as the biblical validation for John’s role, portraying him not merely as another prophet, but as the divinely appointed herald who emerges from centuries of prophetic silence. The imagery of "preparing the way" is borrowed from the ancient custom of clearing and leveling roads for an approaching king or dignitary. Spiritually, John’s command was for people to clear their moral and spiritual "paths" of sin and unrighteousness through repentance and genuine conversion, making their hearts ready to receive the advent of the "Lord"—a clear reference to the anticipated arrival of God Himself, who would ultimately be revealed in Jesus. John’s wilderness location further emphasizes his separateness from corrupt religious systems, signifying a call back to a primal, direct relationship with God. The fulfillment of this prophecy in John's ministry underscores the faithfulness of God and the divine authority of His unfolding plan for salvation.