Sorry, I didn’t reply sooner, Rufus, but I have been taking care of end-of-year stuff, doctors, etc.
In rereading Luke 1:76 and 1:77, another possible interpretation slightly different than the above jumped out at me, but not sure which is correct, so I thought I'd ask for your opinion, and the opinions of any other non-FWers, who would care to join in. I know this may initially not seem correct nor easy to see (unless you’re looking for it), but basically, it is that instead of John being the one who would "give knowledge of salvation, " that possibly it might be Jesus who would actually do so, with John just preparing His ways, by heralding Him (through John’s introduction of Jesus, water baptisms, and preaching), although, I can see either being possible, and go back and forth between them. It seems to me, though, that ultimately it is Jesus, at least in a spiritual sense, who truly gives that knowledge to everyone who becomes saved, not John, but again, not sure which one was intended.
IOW, it might be read as: " go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways to give the knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sin". I don't think a semi-colon or a comma was in the original text.
[Luk 1:76-77 KJV]
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
