This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
Matthew 3:3. The yoke of one crying in the wilderness Though this passage of the prophet Isaiah (40:3) ought not to be limited exclusively to John, yet he is one of the number of those to whom it certainly refers. After having spoken of the destruction of the city, and of the awful calamities that would befall the people, he promises a restoration that would follow.
The fulness of time had come for the gospel to dawn. Christ and John both lay hidden in obscurity through their childhood and youth, not recorded, not remarkable, to teach us that God often hides Himself even while He works, and that our faith must look to Christ's office and undertaking, where His power truly shines.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 3:1-6
For this is he that was spoken of,.... These are not the words of the Baptist himself, as in Joh 1:23 but of the Evangelist, who cites and applies to John a passage in the Prophet Isaiah, Isa 40:3 and that very pertinently, since that "chapter" is a prophecy of the Messiah.