Righteousness shall go before him
The incarnate Saviour, the increase of our land, and fruit of the virgin's womb; and righteousness may be put for a righteous person, as Aben Ezra interprets it; and may design John the Baptist, a holy and just man, ( Mark 6:20 ) , who was the forerunner and harbinger of Christ, went before him, and prepared the way for him, ( Luke 1:76 ) ( Isaiah 40:3 )
and shall set us in the way of his steps;
the business of John the Baptist being not only to prepare the way of Christ by his doctrine and baptism, but to guide the feet of his people into the way of peace; or to direct them to believe in Christ, and to be followers of him, the Lamb of God, whithersoever he went; who has left an example of grace and duty, that we should tread in his steps, ( Luke 1:79 ) , the Targum renders it, "in the good way"; and such a way John taught men to walk in.