Luke 1:80

[minichibi]

So the child =John, the Baptist] grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. (NKJ version)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. (NIV version)

What is your take on what " he lived in the wilderness" or “deserts” means? My understanding is that since Elizabeth and Zachariah were old he had to be adopted by someone?

 

[annspazz]

RSV -CE -* And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness til the day of his manifestation to Israel.*

Biblia Sacra Vulgata: *puer autem crescebat et confortabatur spiritu

et erat in deserto usque in diem ostensionis suae ad Israhel
*

First it says he grew and became strong in spirit (not that he grew up in the wilderness). There is no mention who raised him.

Second it says he was “in the wilderness” until his mission started. Wilderness meaning outside the public eye?..not living in the woods or desert.

In the Latin version there are no punctuations…just verses separated by “et” (and)

 

[Gorgias]

Second it says he was “in the wilderness” until his mission started. Wilderness meaning outside the public eye?..not living in the woods or desert.

Hmm… that doesn’t seem to be the way that this word (ἔρημος) is used elsewhere in the Gospels; it tends to take the meaning of ‘desolate’ or ‘deserted’ place. Moreover, its use here fits in with the description of Matthew 3 (“John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea” – ‘desert’ here is ἐρήμῳ), as well as the prophecy from Isaiah that the evangelists apply to John.

So, it would seem that ‘wilderness’ (or ‘desert’, depending on how you translate it) is meant to be somewhat literal, rather than figurative: however, as you mention, it doesn’t seem to imply that John was in the desert as a child.

 

[thistle]

So the child =John, the Baptist] grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. (NKJ version)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. (NIV version)

What is your take on what " he lived in the wilderness" or “deserts” means? My understanding is that since Elizabeth and Zachariah were old he had to be adopted by someone?

D-R Bible, Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 80. St. John remained in the desert till the 30th year of his age. The reason why he concealed himself so long was because he feared the cruelty of Herod; for, though he was not under his jurisdiction, not being on the confines of Bethlehem, yet on account of the remarkable events that took place at his birth, by which he was declared the precursor of the Messias, he had reason to dread the cruelty of the jealous and suspicious Herod. Peter of Alexandria, Nicephorus, Baronius, and others, say, that when he was yet in his mother’s arms, he was conveyed into the desert, and there concealed in the caves and fissures of the rocks, where people concealed themselves on the approach of their enemies. Cedrinus adds, that 40 days after their flight, the mother of St. John died; after which, an angel is said to have undertaken the care of the Baptist; but most probably this office was performed by some attendant on St. Elizabeth. (Tirinus) —The Baptist remained in the desert till he began his public ministry, which by a law of the Jews could not be much before he had attained his 30th year. He is styled by antiquity the first hermit. See St. Jerome in Vita Pauli.

 

[jcrichton]

So the child =John, the Baptist] grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. (NKJ version)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. (NIV version)

What is your take on what " he lived in the wilderness" or “deserts” means? My understanding is that since Elizabeth and Zachariah were old he had to be adopted by someone?

Zachariah and Elizabeth were old and infertile; John was to be the Herald of the Lord hence he had to be set apart from regular communal life–the best I can offer is the Old Testament’s practice of separating God’s prophets as young children (2 -4 years of age) as they were brought up by either a prophet or priests in some sort of monastery (Jewish setting, of course) situated away from towns and cities; John is the voice that cries in the desert (God Calls him from the desert–not that he went to preach to sand, plants, and animals), a prophet whose garments are made of camel’s hair and whose nurishment is grasshoppers (locust) and wild honey–not something too apetizing for town-dwellers!

…when John starts his Ministry he speaks of Jesus as someone whom he did not know… this too is a tell about John’s secluded upbringing: desert or outskirts of a small town near wilderness/desert.

Maran atha!

Angel