The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
- BSB And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.
- NKJV So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
- NASB Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
- NLT John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John grew strong in spirit and lived in the wilderness until his public ministry began. It matters because God quietly prepared His forerunner for his appointed mission.
Overview
The narrative summarizes John's hidden years of growth and spiritual strengthening in the desert. This wilderness preparation suited the prophet who would later preach there. God often works unseen, readying His servants over long seasons before their public calling, as He did with John before he announced the Messiah.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Luke 2:40The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
- Mark 1:3–4the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”
- Luke 2:52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
- 1 Sam 3:19–20Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.
- Matt 3:1In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
- John 1:31I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.”
- Judg 13:24–25The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
- Matt 11:7As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
- Luke 1:15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 1:80 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.