Luke

Many people have set out to write an orderly account of the things that have taken place among us, the things we firmly believe.

1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

NoteLuke's first four verses are one long, carefully built sentence in Greek, written in the style used for the preface of a formal history or technical handbook. Such prefaces conventionally named the author's sources, his method, his purpose and the patron the work was dedicated to. "Taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration" means simply "undertaken to compose an account."

2They wrote them down just as they were handed on to us by the people who saw these things from the beginning and who served the message.

2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

Note"Ministers" here carries no church sense. The Greek word means an assistant or under-servant, someone who works for another. "The word" is the message about Jesus. The verse describes people who both witnessed the events and then spent their lives passing the account on.

3So it seemed right to me as well, since I have carefully looked into everything from the very start, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

Note"Most excellent" translates a formal address used for a man of standing; in Acts the same word is used when addressing Roman governors. Theophilus is a Greek name meaning "friend of God" or "loved by God." He is most likely a real patron paying for or receiving the work, though some have read the name as an address to any reader who loves God. "Having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first" means having investigated everything thoroughly from the start, not having understood it perfectly.

4so that you can know for certain that the things you were taught are true.

4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

NoteThe Greek word behind "instructed" refers to teaching given by word of mouth, the kind of oral instruction a new believer received.

5In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, who belonged to the priestly group of Abia. His wife came from the family line of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

NoteHerod the Great ruled Judea as a client king under Rome from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC, which places these events at the very end of his reign. The priests were organized into twenty four divisions or "courses" (listed in 1 Chronicles 24), and Abia, the Greek spelling of Abijah, was the eighth of them. Each division traveled to Jerusalem and served at the temple for about a week, twice a year, plus the major festivals. That Elisabeth was "of the daughters of Aaron" means she too came of a priestly family, Aaron being the brother of Moses and Israel's first priest; a priest marrying a priest's daughter was considered especially fitting.

6Both of them did what was right in God's sight. They followed all the Lord's commands and rules, and no one could find fault with them.

6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7But they had no child, because Elisabeth could not have children, and both of them were quite old by now.

7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

NoteIn this culture a childless marriage was a public misfortune and was widely assumed to be the wife's failing, which is why the text says Elisabeth was barren rather than that the couple had no children.

8One day Zacharias was serving as priest before God, because it was his group's turn of duty.

8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

9Following the usual practice of the priests, he was chosen by lot to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

9According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

NoteIncense was burned on a small altar inside the sanctuary building itself, which ordinary worshipers never entered. Because there were thousands of priests and only two incense offerings a day, the duty was assigned by drawing lots, and a priest who drew it once would normally never be eligible again. For Zacharias this was probably the single greatest moment of his working life.

10At the hour when the incense was burned, the whole crowd of people was outside praying.

10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

NoteThe incense was offered twice daily, at the morning and the evening sacrifice. The crowd praying "without," meaning outside, stood in the open temple courts while the one priest went inside. They waited for him to reappear and pronounce the blessing over them.

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar.

11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

NoteThe altar of incense stood inside the Holy Place, directly in front of the curtain that screened off the innermost room. It is a different object from the large altar out in the courtyard where animals were burned.

12When Zacharias saw him, he was shaken, and fear came over him.

12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisabeth will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

NoteJohn represents the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "the LORD has been gracious." The name matters later, in verses 59 to 63, when the family objects that no relative bears it.

14He will bring you joy and gladness, and many people will be glad that he was born.

14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15He will be great in the Lord's sight. He must never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

Note"Strong drink" translates a word for fermented drink not made from grapes, such as beer or date or palm liquor. Lifelong abstinence from wine and strong drink was the central mark of a person under the Nazirite vow described in Numbers 6, which also involved leaving the hair uncut; Samson and Samuel are the famous examples.

16He will turn many of the people of Israel back to the Lord their God.

16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

Note"The children of Israel" is a standing Hebrew phrase for the whole nation descended from the man Israel, not for young people.

17He will go ahead of the Lord in the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will turn the hearts of fathers toward their children, and turn disobedient people to the good sense of those who do right. He will get a people ready for the Lord."

17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

NoteElias is the Greek spelling of Elijah, a prophet of the ninth century BC who was taken up to heaven rather than dying. The book of Malachi, which closes the Old Testament, promised that Elijah would be sent before the great day of the LORD "to turn the heart of the fathers to the children," and the angel's words here quote that promise directly. First hearers would have caught the reference at once.

18Zacharias said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is quite old too."

18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

NoteZacharias is asking for a guarantee or proof, which is what the angel then gives him, though not of a kind he would have chosen.

19The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in God's presence, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

NoteGabriel is one of only two angels named in the Jewish scriptures, the other being Michael. He appears in the book of Daniel as the interpreter of visions. "I stand in the presence of God" is court language: an attendant who stands before a king is one of his immediate personal servants.

20Now listen: you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words. They will come true at the right time."

20And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Note"Dumb" in 1611 English meant unable to speak, with no suggestion of stupidity; the word only later acquired that sense. "In their season" means at the proper appointed time.

21Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zacharias and wondering why he was taking so long in the temple.

21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

Note"Tarried" means lingered or took a long time. The delay was noticeable because the officiating priest was expected to come straight out and bless the waiting crowd; a long stay inside the sanctuary suggested something had gone wrong.

22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them, and he stayed unable to speak.

22And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

23When his days of temple service were finished, he went home.

23And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

24After that, his wife Elisabeth became pregnant. For five months she kept herself out of sight. She said,

24And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

NoteLuke gives no reason for the seclusion and the Greek offers no hint of one. Readers have suggested modesty, custom, or simply waiting until the pregnancy was beyond doubt, but the text leaves it open.

25"This is what the Lord has done for me. In these days he has looked on me with favor and taken away my shame in front of other people."

25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Note"Reproach" here means public disgrace. A married woman without children was an object of comment and pity, and the shame was hers to carry whatever the actual cause.

26In Elisabeth's sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Note"The sixth month" counts from Elisabeth's conception, not from a point in the calendar. Nazareth was a small farming village in Galilee, the northern district; it is never mentioned in the Jewish scriptures or in any other surviving source of the period.

27to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, who belonged to the family line of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Note"Espoused" describes betrothal, which in this society was far more binding than a modern engagement. The agreement was legally contracted, the couple were already called husband and wife, and it could only be ended by a formal divorce, yet the bride stayed in her father's house and the marriage was not yet consummated. "Of the house of David" means descended from king David.

28The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! God has greatly favored you. The Lord is with you. You are blessed among women."

28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Note"Hail" translates the ordinary Greek greeting, literally "rejoice." "Highly favoured" is a single Greek word, a passive participle meaning "you who have had favor shown to you," that is, one whom God has chosen to treat graciously. Many early manuscripts do not contain the closing words "blessed art thou among women" here; they appear in every manuscript at verse 42.

29When she saw him, his words troubled her, and she wondered what kind of greeting this could be.

29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

Note"Cast in her mind" means turned the thing over in her mind, worked at it. What unsettles her in the Greek is the greeting itself, not the sight of the angel.

30The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for God has shown you his favor.

30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31Listen: you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.

31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

NoteJesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, a shortened form of Joshua, which means "the LORD saves."

32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Note"The Highest" renders "Most High," an ancient title for God. "His father David" means his ancestor, the king who ruled around 1000 BC. Behind the promise of David's throne lies 2 Samuel 7, where God undertakes that David's line will rule permanently.

33and he will rule over the family of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end."

33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Note"The house of Jacob" means the descendants of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham who was renamed Israel. The phrase stands for the nation as a whole.

34Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this happen, since I have never been with a man?"

34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Note"I know not a man" is a Hebrew style idiom in which "know" means to have sexual relations. Mary is stating that she is a virgin, not claiming ignorance.

35The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you like a shadow. So the holy child who is born to you will be called the Son of God.

35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

NoteThe Greek verb behind "overshadow" pictures a cloud spreading over something. The same word is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament for the cloud of God's presence settling on the tent of meeting. The Greek of the last clause can be divided either as "that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" or as "that which is born shall be called holy, the Son of God."

36And look: your relative Elisabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age. People said she could not have children, but she is now in her sixth month.

36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

Note"Cousin" in 1611 English meant a relative of any degree. The Greek says only that the two women were kin, without specifying how. Since Elisabeth was of a priestly family, the link tells us nothing certain about Mary's own tribe.

37For nothing is impossible with God."

37For with God nothing shall be impossible.

NoteThe Greek reads literally "no word from God will be impossible," and the noun means both "word" and "thing" or "matter." So the sentence can be taken as "nothing will be impossible with God" or as "no word God has spoken will fail." Both readings are defensible and translations divide.

38Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it happen to me just as you have said." Then the angel left her.

38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Note"Handmaid" translates the feminine form of the word for a slave. It is a term of complete subordination to a master, used here as Mary's own description of her position.

39In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah.

39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

NoteJuda is Judah, the southern hill country around Jerusalem. Luke does not name the town. The journey from Nazareth was somewhere between eighty and a hundred miles, several days on foot, and an unaccompanied young woman making it in haste is unusual.

40She went into Zacharias's house and greeted Elisabeth.

40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41When Elisabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby jumped inside her, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42She called out in a loud voice, "You are blessed among women, and the child you are carrying is blessed!

42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Note"Blessed" here means declared fortunate, spoken well of, rather than made holy. "The fruit of thy womb" is a Hebrew idiom for a child.

43And why should this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to visit me?

43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Note"Whence is this to me" means "how does this come to happen to me," an expression of being honored beyond one's station.

44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby inside me jumped for joy.

44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45The woman who believed is blessed, because what the Lord told her will come true."

45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Note"Performance" in 1611 English meant carrying out or fulfillment. The Greek can be read two ways: "blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled," or "blessed is she who believed, for what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled."

46And Mary said, "My soul tells how great the Lord is,

46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

Note"Magnify" means to declare great or make much of, not to enlarge. The song that follows, known from its Latin first word as the Magnificat, is built throughout on phrases from the Jewish scriptures, and follows especially closely the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, sung by another woman given an unexpected child.

47and my spirit is full of joy because of God my Savior.

47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48For he has noticed his servant girl in her lowly place. From now on, people in every generation will call me blessed.

48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

Note"Low estate" means a humble, unimportant position, taking in both poverty and social insignificance. "Call me blessed" means count me fortunate.

49For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.

49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

50He shows mercy to those who fear him, in every generation.

50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Note"Them that fear him" is the standard Hebrew expression for those who honor and obey God. The fear meant is reverence, not terror.

51He has shown his strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

Note"With his arm" is an idiom for power put into action, used repeatedly in the Old Testament of the exodus. "The imagination of their hearts" means the thoughts and plans they form inwardly; in Hebrew usage the heart is the seat of thinking and deciding, not of feeling. The Greek verbs from here to verse 55 are past tense, but Hebrew poetry often uses a past tense for what God has resolved to do, so the lines may describe settled acts of the past, what God has just begun, or what he is certain to do.

52He has brought rulers down from their thrones and lifted up people of low position.

52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

Note"Seats" here means thrones. "Them of low degree" means people of humble rank.

53He has filled hungry people with good things, and he has sent rich people away with nothing.

53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful,

54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

Note"Holpen" is the older past participle of "help" and means simply helped. "His servant Israel" uses a word that means both child and servant, echoing the way the prophet Isaiah speaks of Israel as God's servant.

55just as he said to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever."

55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Note"Seed" means offspring or descendants. The Greek phrasing leaves it open whether "for ever" attaches to the promise made to Abraham's descendants or to the speaking of it.

56Mary stayed with Elisabeth about three months, and then she went back to her own home.

56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

57The time came for Elisabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

57Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

58Her neighbors and relatives heard how greatly the Lord had shown mercy to her, and they were glad along with her.

58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

Note"Cousins" again means relatives in general, as in verse 36.

59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zacharias, after his father.

59And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

NoteCircumcision, the cutting away of the foreskin of a male child on the eighth day after birth, was commanded in Genesis 17 as the physical sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. The naming customarily happened on the same occasion, and naming a boy after his father or grandfather was normal practice.

60But his mother said, "No. He will be called John."

60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61They said to her, "No one in your family has that name."

61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62So they made signs to his father, asking what he wanted the child to be called.

62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

NoteThat they made signs rather than speaking to Zacharias suggests he could not hear either. The Greek word used of him in verse 22 covers both deafness and inability to speak.

63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was amazed.

63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

NoteA "writing table" is a writing tablet, a small wooden board coated with wax. Letters were scratched into the wax with a pointed stylus and could be smoothed out so the board could be used again. It was the ordinary equivalent of a notepad.

64Right away his mouth was opened and his tongue was set free, and he began to speak and to praise God.

64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65A sense of fear came over everyone living around them, and people talked about all these things throughout the hill country of Judea.

65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

Note"Fear" here means awe, the reaction to something they took to be more than ordinary. "Noised abroad" means talked about everywhere, spread by word of mouth.

66Everyone who heard about it kept it in mind and asked, "What will this child grow up to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.

66And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Note"Laid them up in their hearts" means stored them away in memory to think about. "The hand of the Lord was with him" is an idiom for God's active power and protection resting on a person.

67His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this message from God:

67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

Note"Prophesied" means spoke a message given by God. It can include prediction but is not limited to it; the primary sense is speaking on God's behalf. What follows, like Mary's song, is a poem stitched together from the language of the Jewish scriptures.

68"Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and set them free.

68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

Note"Visited" in 1611 English means came in person to act, the way a ruler comes to deal with a situation, and it carries no sense of a social call. "Redeemed" comes from the language of buying a slave out of bondage or buying back family property that had been sold, so the image is of a price paid to get someone back.

69He has raised up for us a horn of salvation in the family line of his servant David,

69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

NoteThe horn of a bull or ram was a standard Hebrew image for strength, and "raising up a horn" meant producing a powerful champion or deliverer. The phrase "horn of salvation" comes from Psalm 18. It has nothing to do with a musical instrument.

70just as he said long ago through the mouths of his holy prophets,

70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

Note"Since the world began" translates a Greek phrase meaning "from of old" or "from ages past." It refers to the long line of prophets, not literally to the creation.

71that we would be saved from our enemies and from the power of all who hate us.

71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72He did this to show the mercy he promised to our ancestors, and to remember his holy agreement,

72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

NoteA covenant is a formal, binding agreement with stated obligations, of the kind made between a king and his people or between two parties sealing a treaty. The covenant meant here is the one God made with Abraham and his descendants.

73the promise he made under oath to our father Abraham:

73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

NoteThe oath is the one recorded in Genesis 22, where God swears by himself to bless Abraham and his descendants. "Sware" is the older past tense of "swear." In Greek, verses 72 to 75 run on as a single clause, and it is not fully clear whether "that he would grant unto us" hangs on the oath or on the remembering.

74that he would rescue us from the power of our enemies, so we could serve him without fear,

74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75living holy and right lives in his presence, all the days of our life.

75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go ahead of the Lord to get his ways ready.

76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

Note"Go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways" draws on the practice of sending a herald and a work party ahead of a royal journey to clear and level the road. The image comes from Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3.

77You will make his people know how they are saved: through the forgiveness of their sins.

77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

Note"Remission" means release or cancellation. The word was used for writing off a debt and for letting a prisoner go.

78All this comes from the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,

78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

Note"Dayspring" is an old English word for daybreak, the rising of the sun. The Greek noun behind it means the rising of a heavenly body but was also used in the Greek Old Testament for the "Branch," the promised shoot springing from David's line, so the picture may be either sunrise or a sprouting plant. Manuscripts also divide between "has visited us" and "will visit us."

79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."

79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Note"The shadow of death" is a Hebrew expression for the deepest possible darkness, familiar from Psalm 23 and from Isaiah 9, where people walking in darkness see a great light.

80The child grew and became strong in spirit. He lived in the desert until the day he appeared in public to Israel.

80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Note"Waxed strong" means grew strong. "The deserts" means uninhabited wilderness, the dry rocky scrubland east and south of the settled country, not sand dunes. "His shewing unto Israel" means the day he appeared publicly and began his work.