Luke is the only Evangelist who makes a preface to his Gospel, for the purpose of explaining briefly the motive which induced him to write. By addressing a single individual he may appear to have acted foolishly, instead of sounding the trumpet aloud, as was his duty, and inviting all men to believe... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Having carefully examined all things _The old translator has it, _having followed out all things; _(20) and the Greek verb παρακολουθεῖν is taken metaphorically from those who tread in the footsteps of others, that nothing may escape them. So that Luke intended to express his close and laborious... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke very properly begins his Gospel with John the Baptist, just as a person who was going to speak about the daylight would commence with the dawn. For, like the dawn, he went before the Sun of Righteousness, which was shortly to arise. Others also mention him, but they bring him forward as already... [ Continue Reading ]
6._And they were both righteous before God _He awards to them a noble testimony, not only that among men they spent holy and upright lives, but also that they were _righteous before God _This _righteousness _Luke defines briefly by saying that they _walked in all the commandments of God _Both ought... [ Continue Reading ]
7._And they had no child _By an extraordinary purpose of God it was appointed that John should be born out of the common and ordinary course of nature. The same thing happened with Isaac, (Genesis 17:17; Genesis 21:1,) in whom God had determined to give an uncommon and remarkable demonstration of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
9._According to the custom of the priest’s office _The law enjoined that incense should be offered twice every day, that is, every morning and at even, (Exodus 30:7.) The order of courses among the priests had been appointed by David, as we have already explained; and, consequently, what is here sta... [ Continue Reading ]
12._Zacharias was troubled _Though God does not appear to his servants for the purpose of terrifying them, yet it is advantageous and even necessary for them to be struck with awe, (Psalms 33:8,) that, amidst their agitation, they may learn to give to God the glory due unto his name, (Psalms 29:2.)... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Fear not, Zacharias _The glory of God, it ought to be observed, is not so appalling to the saints as to swallow them up entirely with dread, but only to cast them down from a foolish confidence, that they may behold him with humility. As soon, therefore, as God has abased the pride of the flesh... [ Continue Reading ]
14._He shall be to thee joy _The angel describes a greater joy than what Zacharias could derive from the recent birth of a child; for he informs him that he would have such a son as he had not even ventured to wish. He even proceeds farther to state that the joy would not be domestic, enjoyed by the... [ Continue Reading ]
15._For he shall be great _He confirms what he said _about joy, _for John had been selected for a great and extraordinary purpose. These words are not so much intended to extol his eminent virtues as to proclaim his great and glorious office; as Christ, when he declares that _among them that are bor... [ Continue Reading ]
16._And many of the children of Israel shall he bring back _These words show the shamefully dissolute conduct which then prevailed in the Church, for those in whom conversion to God could take place must have been apostates. And certainly corrupt doctrine, depraved morals, and disorderly government,... [ Continue Reading ]
17._And he shall go before him _By these words he points out what would be John’s office, and distinguishes him by this mark from the other prophets, who received a certain and peculiar commission, while John was sent for the sole object of going before Christ, as a herald before a king. Thus also t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Zacharias said to the angel _Next follows the doubt of Zacharias, and the punishment which the Lord inflicted on his unbelief. He had prayed that he might obtain offspring, and now that it is promised, he distrusts, as if he had forgotten his own prayers and faith. It might, at first sight, app... [ Continue Reading ]
19._I am Gabriel _By these words the angel intimates that it was not his veracity, but that of God who sent him, and whose message he brought, that had been questioned; and so he charges Zacharias with having offered an insult to God. To _stand before God _signifies to be ready to yield obedience. I... [ Continue Reading ]
20._And, behold, thou shalt be dumb _It was suitable that this kind of punishment should be inflicted on Zacharias, that, being dumb, he might await the fulfillment of the promise, which, instead of interrupting it by noisy murmurs, he ought to have heard in silence. Faith has its silence to lend an... [ Continue Reading ]
21._And the people were waiting _Luke now relates that the people were witnesses of this vision. Zacharias had tarried in the temple longer than usual. This leads to the supposition that something uncommon has happened to him. When he comes out, he makes known, by looks and gestures, that he has bee... [ Continue Reading ]
23._When the days were fulfilled _ Λειτουργία is employed by Luke to denote a charge or office, which passed, as we have said, to each of them in regular order, (1 Chronicles 24:3.) We are told that, when the time of his office had expired, Zacharias returned home. Hence we conclude that, so long as... [ Continue Reading ]
24._And hid herself _This appears very strange, as if she had been ashamed of the blessing of God. Some think that she did not, venture to appear in public, so long as the matter was uncertain, for fear of exposing herself to ridicule, if her expectation were disappointed. In my opinion, she was so... [ Continue Reading ]
25._Thus hath the Lord done to me _She extols in private the goodness of God, until the time is fully come for making it generally known. There is reason to believe that her husband had informed her by writing of the promised offspring, in consequence of which she affirms with greater certainty and... [ Continue Reading ]
26._Now in the sixth month _It was a wonderful dispensation of the divine purpose, and far removed from the ordinary judgment of men, that God determined to make the beginning of the generation of the herald more illustrious than that of his own Son. The prophecy respecting John was published in the... [ Continue Reading ]
28._Hail, thou who hast obtained favor _The angel’s commission being of an astonishing and almost incredible description, he opens it with a commendation of the grace of God. And certainly, since our limited capacities admit too slender a portion of knowledge for comprehending the vast greatness of... [ Continue Reading ]
29._When she had seen him, she was agitated _Luke does not say that _she was agitated _by the presence of the angel, but _by his address. _Why then does he also mention his presence? (24) The reason, I think, is this. Perceiving in the angel something of heavenly glory, she was seized with sudden dr... [ Continue Reading ]
30._Fear not, Mary _He bids her lay aside fear. Let us always remember—what arises from the weakness of the flesh—that, whenever the feeblest ray of the Divine glory bursts upon us, we cannot avoid being alarmed. When we become aware, in good earnest, of the presence of _God, _we cannot think of it... [ Continue Reading ]
31._Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb _The angel adapts his words, first to Isaiah’s prophecy, (Isaiah 7:14,) and next to other passages of the Prophets, with the view of affecting more powerfully the mind of the virgin: for such prophecies were well known and highly esteemed among the godly.... [ Continue Reading ]
32._He shall be great _The angel had said the same thing about John the Baptist, and yet did not intend to make him equal to Christ. But the Baptist is great in his own class, while the greatness of Christ is immediately explained to be such as raises him above all creatures. For to him alone this b... [ Continue Reading ]
33._And he shall reign over the house of Jacob _As salvation was promised, in a peculiar manner, to the Jews, (the covenant having been made with their father Abraham, Genesis 17:7,) and Christ, as Paul informs us, “was a minister of the circumcision,” (Romans 15:8,) the angel properly fixed his rei... [ Continue Reading ]
34._How shall this be? _The holy virgin appears to confine the power of God within as narrow limits as Zacharias had formerly done; for what is beyond the common order of nature, she concludes to be impossible. She reasons in this manner. _I know not a man: _how then can I believe that what you tell... [ Continue Reading ]
35._The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee _The angel does not explain the manner, so as to satisfy curiosity, which there was no necessity for doing. He only leads the virgin to contemplate the power of the Holy Spirit, and to surrender herself silently and calmly to his guidance. The word ἐπελεύσεται... [ Continue Reading ]
36._And, behold, Elisabeth thy cousin _By an instance taken from her own relatives, the angel encourages the faith of Mary to expect a miracle. If neither the barrenness nor the old age of Elisabeth could prevent God from making her a mother, there was no better reason why Mary should confine her vi... [ Continue Reading ]
37._For no word shall be impossible with God _If we choose to take ῥη̑μα, _word, _in its strict and native sense, the meaning is, that God will do what he hath promised, for no hinderance can resist his power. The argument will be, God hath promised, and therefore he will accomplish it; for we ought... [ Continue Reading ]
38._Behold the handmaid of the Lord _The holy virgin does not allow herself to dispute any farther: and yet many things might unquestionably have obtruded themselves, to repress that faith, and even to draw off her attention from what was said to her by the angel. But she stops the entrance of oppos... [ Continue Reading ]
39._And Mary arising _This departure mentioned by Luke proves that Mary’s faith was not of a transitory nature: for the promise of God does not fade away with the presence of the angel, but is impressed upon her mind. The _haste _indicates a sincere and strong affection. We may infer from it that th... [ Continue Reading ]
41._When Elisabeth heard _It is natural that sudden joy, on the part of a pregnant woman, should cause a motion of the child in her womb; but Luke intended to express an extraordinary occurrence. No good purpose would be served by involving ourselves in intricate questions, if the child was aware of... [ Continue Reading ]
42._Blessed art thou _She seems to put Mary and Christ on an equal footing, which would have been highly improper. But I cheerfully agree with those who think that the second clause assigns the reason; for _and _often signifies _because. _Accordingly, Elisabeth affirms, that her cousin was _blessed... [ Continue Reading ]
43._And whence is this to me? _The happy medium observed by Elisabeth is worthy of notice. She thinks very highly of the favors bestowed by God on Mary, and gives them just commendation, but yet does not praise them more highly than was proper, which would have been a dishonor to God. For such is th... [ Continue Reading ]
45._And blessed is she that believed _It was by a hidden movement of the Spirit, as is evident from a former statement of Luke, that Elisabeth spoke. The same Spirit declares that Mary is _blessed _because she _believed, _and by commending Mary’s faith, informs us generally in what the true happines... [ Continue Reading ]
Now follows a remarkable and interesting song of the holy virgin, which plainly shows how eminent were her attainments in the grace of the Spirit. There are three clauses in this song. First, Mary offers solemn thanksgiving for that mercy of God which she had experienced in her own person. Next, she... [ Continue Reading ]
48._Because he hath looked _She explains the reason why the joy of her heart was founded in God to be, that out of free grace he had looked upon her. By calling herself _low _she disclaims all merit, and ascribes to the undeserved goodness of God every occasion of boasting. For ταπείνωσις, _lowness,... [ Continue Reading ]
49.And _holy is his name _This is the second part of the song, in which the holy virgin celebrates in general terms the power, judgments, and mercy of God. This clause must not be viewed as a part of the preceding one, but must be read separately. Mary had extolled the grace of God, which she had ex... [ Continue Reading ]
51._He hath done might _This means, “he hath wrought powerfully.” The _arm _of God is contrasted with every other aid: as in Isaiah, “I looked, and there was none to help,” (Isaiah 63:5;) _“therefore,” _says he elsewhere, “his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him... [ Continue Reading ]
52._He hath cast down the nobles _This translation has been adopted, for the sake of avoiding ambiguity: for though the Greek word δυνάσται is derived from δύναμις _, power, _it denotes governors and eminent rulers. (58) Many persons think that δυνάστας is a participle. They are said by Mary to be _... [ Continue Reading ]
54._He hath lifted up his servant Israel _In this last clause the general statements are applied by Mary to the present occasion. The meaning is, God has now granted the salvation which he had formerly promised to the holy fathers. And first, the verb ἀντιλαμζάνεσθαι _, to lift up, _contains an eleg... [ Continue Reading ]
55._To Abraham and to his seed _If you read these words in close connection with the close of the former verse, there appears to be an improper change of the case. Instead of τῶ ᾿Αβραὰμ καὶ τῶ σπέρματι, it ought to have been ( πρὸς) τὸν ᾿Αβραὰμ καὶ τὸ σπέρμα, _, as he spake _TO _our fathers, _TO _Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
The amount of this narrative is, that the birth of John was distinguished by various miracles, which gave reason to expect, that something great and remarkable would appear in the child himself at a future period. For the Lord determined to confer upon him from the womb remarkable tokens, that he mi... [ Continue Reading ]
58._And her neighbors and relatives heard _It may admit of doubt, whether the wonderful kindness of God was estimated by those persons from the simple fact of her being blessed with a child, or whether they had previously heard that an angel appeared to Zacharias, and promised to him a son. This was... [ Continue Reading ]
59._And they called him Zacharias, by the name of his father _We know that names were originally given to men, either from some occurrence, or even by prophetic inspiration, to point out some secret work of God. After a long period, when there was such a profusion of names, that it became inconvenie... [ Continue Reading ]
60._And his mother answering said _It is uncertain if Elisabeth spoke this by inspiration. But when Zacharias saw the punishment inflicted on him for being too slow in believing, he probably informed his wife by writing what the angel had enjoined respecting the name, (Luke 1:13,) otherwise he would... [ Continue Reading ]
64._And his mouth was instantly opened _God puts honor on the birth of his prophet by restoring speech to his father: for there can be no doubt that this benefit was delayed till that day with the express object and design of fixing the eyes of men upon John. Zacharias _spake, blessing God _He did s... [ Continue Reading ]
65._And fear fell upon all _This fear mentioned by Luke proceeded from a feeling of the divine power: for the works of God ought to be contemplated by us with such reverence as to affect our minds with seriousness. (66) God does not amuse us with his miracles, but arouses the senses of men, which he... [ Continue Reading ]
67._Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost _We have lately explained this phrase to mean, that the servants of God received more abundantly the grace of the Spirit, of which, at other times, they were not destitute. Thus we read, that the Spirit was given to the prophets: not that on other occasio... [ Continue Reading ]
68._Blessed be the Lord God _Zacharias commences with thanksgiving, and in the raptures of the prophetic spirit describes the fulfillment of the redemption formerly promised in Christ, on which the safety and prosperity of the church depended. The reason why _the Lord, _to whose government the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
69._He hath raised up the horn of salvation _That is, saving power: (71) for, when the throne of David was cast down, and the people scattered, the hope of salvation had to all appearance perished. Zacharias alludes to the predictions of the prophets, which hold out that a sudden revival would take... [ Continue Reading ]
70._As he spake _That the salvation which is said to have been brought by Christ may not be thought doubtful on the score of novelty, he adduces as witnesses all the _Prophets, _who, though they were raised up at different times, yet with one consent teach, that salvation is to be expected from Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
71._Salvation from our enemies _Zacharias explains more clearly the power and office of Christ. And certainly it would be of little or no advantage to learn that Christ was given to us, unless we also knew what he bestows. For this reason he states more fully the purpose for which the _horn of salva... [ Continue Reading ]
72._To perform the mercy _Zacharias again points out the fountain from which redemption flowed, the _mercy _and gracious _covenant _of God. He assigns the reason why God was pleased to save his people. It was because, being mindful of his promise, he displayed his mercy. He is said to have _remembra... [ Continue Reading ]
73._According to the oath _There is no word in the Greek original for the preposition _according to: _but it is a common and well understood principle of language, that when the accusative case is put absolutely, there is a preposition to be understood, by which it is governed. _The oath _is mention... [ Continue Reading ]
74._That being delivered out of the hand of our enemies _His purpose was, that, being redeemed, they might dedicate and consecrate themselves entirely to the Author of their salvation. As the efficient cause of human salvation was the undeserved goodness of God, so its final cause is, that, by a god... [ Continue Reading ]
75._In holiness and righteousness _As the rule of a good life has been reduced by God to two tables, (Exodus 31:18,) so Zacharias here declares, that we serve God in a proper manner, when our life has been framed to _holiness and righteousness. Holiness, _beyond all question, denotes—as even Plato k... [ Continue Reading ]
76._And thou, child _Zacharias again returns to commend the grace of Christ, but does this, as it were, in the person of his son, by describing briefly the office to which he had been appointed as an instructor. Though in a little infant eight days old he does not yet observe prophetical endowments,... [ Continue Reading ]
77._To give knowledge of salvation _Zacharias now touches the principal subject of the gospel, when he says that the _knowledge of salvation _consists in _the forgiveness of sins_. As we are all “by nature the children of wraths” (Ephesians 2:3,) it follows, that we are by nature condemned and ruine... [ Continue Reading ]
78._Through the bowels _(83) _of mercy _In so great a benefit Zacharias justly extols the mercy of God, and not satisfied with merely calling it the salvation which was brought by Christ, he employs more emphatic language, and says that it proceeded from the very _bowels of the mercy _of God. He the... [ Continue Reading ]
79._That he might give light to those who were sitting in darkness _As to _light _and _darkness, _there are similar modes of expression in Isaiah: such as, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shine... [ Continue Reading ]