Luke 1:17 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And he shall go before him, &c.— That is, before Jesus Christ, here stiled the Lord their God. The son of Zacharias had the spirit of Elijah, equalling if not exceeding him in severity of manners, in courage, and in sustaining persecutions; for he was clad in a garment of camel's hair, fed on locusts and wild honey, rebuked sinners of the highest distinction with great boldness, and was put to death on that account. He had the power also of Elijah; for though he did no miracle, he was honoured with the like success in restoring the lost spirit of true religion among his countrymen. Nay, he even excelled Elijah in that, which is properly the power of a prophet, and to which all his other gifts were subservient,—the power of converting men; being in this more successful without miracles, than Elijah had been with them. By his preaching he made such a general change in the manners of the nation, that he turned the hearts of the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to their children the Jews, from whom they had been alienated, on account of their wickedness; and the hearts of the children to their fathers, by be-getting in them a love of religion and religious characters, and by so doing prepared a people for the coming of the Lord. See the note on Malachi 4:5-6 and on Mark 9:10. Some, however, render the passage, To turn the hearts of the fathers with the children, and the disobedient to a sense of righteousness, &c. Dr. Doddridge translates and paraphrases it thus: "He shall meet with such glorious success in his ministry, as to convert the hearts of the fathers with those of the children; that is, he shall bring many, both of the rising and the declining age, to that real piety towards God, which will be the surest band of their mutual duty towards each other: and many of those who have hitherto been disobedient to the wisdom of the just (that is, insensible of the obligations to real religion, which is the greatest: wisdom,) shall be made ready, as a people prepared for the Lord; their minds being raised to an expectation of the Messiah, and a disposition to welcome him when he shall appear."