61 And they said unto her, There | these 3 sayings were noised abroad is none of thy kindred that is called throughout all the hill country of 61. There is none of thy kindred, &c. The jewish tribes and families were kept distinct. To do this, and to avoid confusion in their genealogical tables, they probably gave only those names which were found among their ancestors. Another reason for this, common to all people, is the respect which is felt for honoured parents and ancestors. A 63. He asked. That is, by signs. writing table. The table, denoted by this word, was made of pine, and covered with wax, and was small, perhaps as large as a sheet of paper. The ancients used to write on such tables, as they had not the use of paper. The instrument used for writing was an iron pen or stile, by which they marked on the wax which covered the table. Sometimes the writing table was made entirely of lead. 64. His mouth was opened, &c. That is, he was enabled to speak. For nine months he had been dumb, and it is probable that they supposed him to be afflicted with a paralytic affection, and that he would not recover. Hence their amazement when he spoke. For one act of disbelief, all this calamity had upon him, and it had not come without effect. With true gratitude, he offered praise to God for the birth of a son, and for his restoration to the blessings of speech. come 65. And fear came, &c. The word fear often denotes religious reverence. The remarkable circumstances attending the birth of John, and the fact that Zacharias was suddenly restored to speech, convinced them that God was there, and filled their minds with awe and veneration. 66. What manner of child, &c. Such were the remarkable circumstances of his birth, that they apprehended he would be distinguished as a prophet, or that great events would result from his life. The hand of the Lord was with him. The word hand is used to denote aid, protection, favour. We stretch out the hand to aid those whom we wish to help. The expression then means that God aided him, protected him, or showed him favour. Some think that these words are a part of What the speech of the neighbours ; manner of child shall this be? God is so evidently with him!' 67. Filled with the Holy Ghost. See ver. 15. And prophesied. The word prophesied means, 1. To foretel future events. 2. To celebrate the praises of God, see 1 Sam. x. 5, 6; 1 Kin. xviii. 29; then to teach, or preach the gospel, &c. This song of Zacharias partakes of all. It is principally employed in the praises of God, but it also predicts the future character and preaching of John. 68. Blessed. See Note, Matt. v. 3. ¶ Hath visited. The word here rendered visited means properly to look upon, then to look upon in order to know the state of any one, then to visit for the purpose of aiding those who need aid, or alleviating misery. Compare Matt. xxv. 43. God looked this sense it is used here. upon the world, he saw it miserable, he came to relieve it, and brought salvation. In 69 And hath raised up an horn | of his holy prophets, which have of salvation for us in the house been since the world began: of his servant David; 2 71 That we should be saved 3 70 As he spake by the mouth from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 1 Psa. cxi. 9. ix. 24. 2 Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. Dan. And redeemed. That is, was about to redeem, or had given the pledge that he would redeem. This was spoken under the belief that the Messiah, the Redeemer, was about to appear, and would certainly accomplish his work. The literal translation of this passage is: He hath made redemption, or ransom for his people. A ransom is the price paid to deliver a captive taken in war. A is a prisoner taken in war by B. B has a right to detain him a prisoner by the laws of war, but C offers B a price if he will release A, and suffer him to go at liberty. The price which he pays, and which must be satisfactory to B, that is, be a reason to B why he should release him, is called a price or ransom. Men are sinners. They are bound over to just punishment by the law. The law is holy, and God, as a just governor, must see that the law is honoured, and the wicked punished. But if any thing can be done which will have the same good effect as the punishment of the sinner, or will be an equivalent for it, that is, be of equal value to the universe, God may consistently release him. If he can show the same hatred of sin, and deter others from sinning, and accomplish the purity of the sinner, the sinner may be released. Whatever will accomplish this is called a ransom, because it is in the eye of God a sufficient reason why the sinner should not be punished; it is an equivalent for his sufferings, and God is satisfied. The blood of Jesus, i. e. his death, in the place of sinners, constitutes such a ransom. It is in their stead. It is for them. It is equivalent to their punishment. It is not itself a punishment, for that always supposes personal crime, but it is what God is pleased to accept in the place of eternal sufferings of the sinner. The king of the Locrians made a law that an adulterer should be punished with the loss of his eves. His son was the first offender, and the father decreed that his son should lose one eye, and he himself one also. This was the ransom. He showed his love, his regard for the honour of his law, and the 3 Isa. liv. 7-17. Jer. xxx. 10, 11. determination that the guilty should not escape. So God gave his Son a ransom to show his love, his regard for justice, and his willingness to save men, and his Son, in his death, was the ransom. He is often so called in the New Testament, Matt. xx. 23. Mark x. 45. Heb. ix. 12. Tit. ii. 14. For a fuller view of the nature of a ransom, see Notes on Rom. iii. 24, 25. 69. And hath raised up a horn. A horn is a symbol of strength. The figure is taken from the fact that in horned animals the strength lies in the horn. Particularly the great power of the rhinoceros or unicorn, is manifested by the use of a single horn of great strength, placed on the head, near the end of the nose. When the sacred writers therefore speak of great strength they often use the word horn. Deut. xxxiii. 17. Psa. exlviii. 14. Dan. vii. 7, 8; viii. 21. The word salvation, connected here with the word horn, means that this strength, or this mighty Redeemer, was able to save. It is possible that this whole figure may be taken from the jewish altar. On each of the four corners of the altar there was an eminence, or small projection, called a horn. To this persons might flee for safety, when in danger, and were safe. 1 Kin. i. 50; ii. 28. Comp. Note on ch. i. 11. So the Redeemer may be called the horn of salvation, because those who flee to him are safe. In the house. In the family, or among the descendants of David. 70. His holy prophets, &c. All the prophets are said to have alluded to the Messiah from the beginning of the world. The most striking of these were Jacob, Gen xlix. 10; Moses, Deut. xviii. 15; Isaiah, ch. ix. 6, 7; lüi. Since the world began. This is not to be taken literally, for there were no prophets immediately after the creation. It is merely a general expression, designed to denote that all the prophets had predicted the coming of the Messiah. ness before him, all 5 the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go 6 before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salva tion unto his people 7 by the remission 8 of their sins, 5 Rev. ii. 10. 6 Mal. iii. 1. 1 Or, for. 8 Acts ii. 38; iii. 19; v. 31. Rom. iii. 25; iv. 6, 8. Eph. i. 7. could swear by no greater," Heb. vi. 13, 14, that he would surely bless Abraham and his posterity. That promise was now to be entirely fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah. 74. Might serve him. Might obey, honour, and worship him. This was regarded as a favour. This was what was promised. And for this Zacharias praised God. Without fear. Fear of death, of spiritual enemies, or of any external foes. In the sure hope of God's eternal favour beyond the grave. 75. In holiness, &c. In piety, and strict justice. Before him. In the presence of God. Performed as in his presence, and with the full consciousness that God sees the heart. The holiness was not to be merely external, but spiritual, internal, pure, such as God would see and approve. All the days of our life. To death. True religion increases and expands till death. versary Satan and his angels, that continually seek to destroy him. From these the Messiah came to save us. Compare Gen. iii. 15. Matt. i. 21. The hand. The power, to save us from them. 72. To perform the mercy. To show the mercy promised. The expression in the original is to make mercy with our fathers; i. e., to show kindness to our fathers. And the propriety of it is founded on the fact that mercy to children is regarded as kindness to the parent. Blessing the children was blessing the nation, was fulfilling the promises made to the fathers, and showing that he regarded them in mercy. His holy covenant. The word covenant means compact, or agreement. This is its use among men. It implies equality in the parties; freedom from constraint; freedom from previous obligation to do the thing now covenanted; and freedom from obligation to enter into a compact, unless a man chooses so to do. Such a transaction evidently can never take place between man and God, for they are not equal. Man is not at liberty to decline what God proposes, and he is under obligation to do all that God commands. Prophet of the Highest. When the word covenant, therefore, is used Prophet of God; a prophet appointed by in the Bible, it means sometimes a com- God to declare his will, and to prepare mand, sometimes a promise, sometimes a the way for the coming of the Messiah. regular law, as "the covenant of the day and night" sometimes it means the way in which God dispenses mercy; that is, by the old and new covenants. In the place before us it means the promise made to Abraham, as the following verses clearly show. 73. The oath. This oath is recorded in Gen. xxii. 16, 17. It was an oath in which God swore by himself "because he 76. And thou, child, &c. Zacharias predicts in this and the following verses, the dignity, the employment, and the success of John. He declares what would be the subject of his preaching, and what his success. The face of the Lord. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah that was about to appear. To go before the face of one, is the same as to go immediately before one, or to be immediately followed by another. To prepare his ways. This is taken from Isa. xl. 3. See Note on Matt. iii. 3, and on Isa. xl. 3. 77. Knowledge of salvation. Knowledge of the way of salvation; that it CHAPTER II. 78 Through the tender 1 mercy of our God; whereby the day- Joseph and Mary at Bethlehem, 1—5. spring from on high hath visited us, 3 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. 1 Or, bowels of the mercy. 2 Or, sun-rising; or, branch. Isa. xi. 1. Zech. iii. 8; vi. 12. 3 Ch. ii. 32. Isa. ix. 2; xlix. 9; lx. 1-3. Acts xxvi. 18. 1 Thess. v. 4, 5. 1 John i. 5-7. was provided, and that the author of salvation was about to appear. ¶ By the remission of their sins. The word remission means pardon, forgiveness, or it denotes a treatment of the sinner, as if he had not committed the sin. This implies that the salvation about to be offered was that which was connected with the pardon of sin. There can be no other. God cannot treat men as his friends unless they come to him by repentance and obtain forgiveness. When that is obtained, which he is always disposed to grant, they can be treated with kindness and mercy. 78. Whereby the day-spring, &c. The word day-spring means the morning light, the aurora, the rising of the sun. It is called the day-spring from on high, because the light of the gospel shines forth from heaven. God is its author, and through his mercy it shines on men. There is here, doubtless, a reference to Isa. Ix. 1, 2; indeed, almost the very words of that place are quoted. Compare also Rev. xxii. 16. Jesus born, 6, 7. The shepherds told of his birth, 8-12. The angel's song, 13, 14. The shepherd's visit, 15-20. Mary, with her babe at the temple, 21-24. Simeon and Anna rejoice over the babe, 25-39. Return of Joseph and Mary with the babe to Nazareth, 40-52. AND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should 6 be taxed. 4 Ch. iii. 1. Acts xi. 28; xxv. 11, 21. Phil. iv. 22. 5 Matt. xxiv. 14. Mark xiv. 9. Rom. i. 8. Or, enrolled. That This song of Zacharias is exceedingly beautiful. It expresses with elegance the great points of the plan of redemption, the doings of John, and the mercy of God in providing that plan. mercy was great. It is worthy of praise; of our highest, loftiest songs of thanksgiving; for we were in the shadow of death, sinful, wretched, wandering, and the light arose, the gospel came, and men may rejoice in hope of eternal life. 80. Waxed strong in spirit. That is, in courage, understanding, and purposes of good, fitting him for his future work. The word wax means to increase, to grow. from an old Saxon word. In the deserts. In Hebron, and in the hill country where his father resided. He resided in obscurity, and was not known publicly by the people. Until the day of his showing. Until he entered on his public ministry as recorded in Matt. iii. That is, probably, until he was about thirty years of age. See Luke iii. CHAPTER II. 79. To give light, &c. See Note, Matt. iv. 16. To guide our feet, &c. The 1. In those days. About the time of figure in these verses is taken from tra- the birth of John and of Christ. ¶A vellers, who being overtaken by night decree. A law commanding a thing to be know not what to do, and who wait pa- done. Cæsar Augustus. This was tiently for the morning light, that they the Roman emperor. His first name was may know which way to go. So man Octavianus. He was nephew of Julius wandered. So he became benighted. So Cæsar, and obtained the empire after his he sat in the shadow of death. So he death. He took the name Augustus; knew not which way to go until the Suni. e., august, or honourable, as a compli of righteousness arose, and then the light shone brightly on his way, and the road was open to the promised land of , to heaven. ment to his own greatness; and from him the month August, which was before called Sextilis, received its name. Tha all the world. There has been much 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) difficulty respecting this passage, from the fact that no such taxing of all the world is mentioned by ancient writers. It should have been rendered the whole land; i.e. the whole land of Palestine. The whole land is mentioned to show that it was not Judea only, but that it included also Galilee, the place where Joseph and Mary dwelt. That the passage refers only to the land of Palestine, and not to the whole world, or to all the Roman empire, is clear from the following considerations: 1. The fact that no such taxing is mentioned as pertaining to any other country. 2. The account of Luke is confined to this country only. 3. The words world, and whole world, are not unfrequently used in this limited sense as confined to a single country. See Matt. iv. 8, where Satan is said to have shown to Christ all the kingdoms of the world; that is, of the land of Judea. See also Josh. ii. 3; Luke iv. 25, Greek; Luke xxi. 26; Acts xi. 28. ¶ Should be taxed. Our word tax means to levy and raise money for the use of the government. This is not the meaning of the original word here. It means rather to enrol, or to take a list of the citizens with their employment, the amount of their property, &c., equivalent to what was meant by census. Judea was at this time tributary to Rome. It paid taxes to the Roman emperor; and though Herod was king, yet he held his appointment under the Roman emperor, and was subject in most matters to him. Further, as this enrolment was merely to ascertain the numbers and property of the Jews, it is probable that they were very willing to be enrolled in this manner; and hence we hear that they went willingly, without tumult, contrary to the common way when they were to be taxed. 2. And this taxing was first made, &c. This verse has given as much perplexity, perhaps, as any one in the New Testament. The difficulty has consisted in the fact that Cyrenius, or Quirinius, was not governor of Syria until twelve or fifteen years after the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born during the reign of Herod. At that time Varus was president of Syria. 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. Herod was succeeded by Archelaus, who |