Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 1:80

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

The Evangelists having done with Zacharias his Prophetical Song, now cometh to tell us, what became of Iohn. He saith, the Child grew, and waxed strong in Spirit. He did not only grow in his bodily dimensions, but in the endowments of his Mind▪ and was in the deserts, that is in places very thinly inhabited, (some will have this to have been the deserts of Ziph and Maon) till the day of his shewing to Israel. That is (in all probability) till he was about thirty years of age, when he came forth, as a Publick Preacher to those parts of Israel, where he spent the small remaining part of his Life, of which we shall hear more hereafter.

Marginal references: Chap. 2.4[illegible: 1 letter].; Matth. 3.1.