GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON CHAP. 1. AND 2. It remains for us to form an estimate of the historical value of the accounts contained in these two Chapter s. I. _Characteristics of the Narrative._ We have already observed that Luke thoroughly believes that he is relating facts, and not giving poetical... [ Continue Reading ]
PROLOGUE, LUKE 1:1-4. THE first of our synoptic Gospels opens with a genealogy. This mode of entering upon the subject transports us into a completely Jewish world. This preamble is, as it were, a continuation of the genealogical registers of Genesis; in the βίβλος γενέσεως of Matthew (Matthew 1:1)... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Since, as is known, many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the events which have been accomplished amongst us_, (2) _in conformity with that which they have handed down to us who were eye-witnesses of them from the beginning, and who became ministers of the word_, (3) _I have thought good... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 3. Tradition emanating from the apostles was the common source, according to Luke 1:2, of all the first written narratives. The general accuracy of these accounts follows from καθώς, _in conformity with that which._ This conjunction can only refer to the principal thought of Luke 1:1, _to compo... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 4. And now, what is the aim of the work thus conceived? To strengthen the faith of Theophilus and his readers in the reality of this extraordinary history. On Theophilus, see the Introduction, see sec. 3. The epithet κράτιστος is applied several times, in the writings of Luke, to high Roman o... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _The trial: Luke 1:5-7_. For 400 years direct communications between the Lord and His people had ceased. To the lengthened seed-time of the patriarchal, Mosaic, and prophetic periods, had succeeded a season of harvest. A fresh seed-time, the second and last phase of divine revelation, was about t... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRST NARRATIVE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, LUKE 1:5-25. The first words of the narrative bring us back from the midst of Greece, whither we were transported by the prologue, into a completely Jewish world. The very style changes its character. From the fifth verse it is so satur... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRST PART: THE NARRATIVES OF THE INFANCY, LUKE 1:5 TO LUKE 2:52 Both the first and the third Gospel open with a cycle of narratives relating to the birth and childhood of Jesus. These narratives do not appear to have formed part of the tradition bequeathed to the Church by the apostles (Luke 1:2).... [ Continue Reading ]
2. _The promise of deliverance: Luke 1:8-22_. This portion comprises: 1. Luke 1:8-17, The promise itself; 2. Luke 1:18-22, The manner in which it was received. 1. The narrative of the promise includes: the appearance (Luke 1:8-12), and the message (Luke 1:13-17), of the angel. The appearance of the... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 11. Here, with the appearance of the angel, begins the marvellous character of the story which lays it open to the suspicion of criticism. And if, indeed, the Christian dispensation were nothing more than the natural development of the human consciousness, advancing by its own laws, we should n... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou sh... [ Continue Reading ]
2. VERS. 18-22 relate the manner in which the promise is received; and first, the objection of Zacharias (Luke 1:18); next, his punishment (Luke 1:19-20); lastly, the effect produced upon the people by this latter circumstance.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 21 AND 22. According to the Talmud, the high priest did not remain long in the Holy of Holies on the great day of atonement. Much more would this be true of the priest officiating daily in the Holy Place. The analytical form ᾖν προσδοκῶν depicts the lengthened expectation and uneasiness which... [ Continue Reading ]
3. _The accomplishment of the promise: Luke 1:23-25_. The subject of ἐγένετο, _it came to pass_, is all that follows to the end of Luke 1:25. Comp. a similar ἐγένετο, Acts 9:3. The active form περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτήν, literally, _she kept herself concealed_, expresses a more energetic action than that de... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _The appearance of the angel: Luke 1:26-29_. From the temple the narrative transports us to the house of a young Israelitish woman. We leave the sphere of official station to enter into the seclusion of private life. Mary probably was in prayer. Her chamber is a sanctuary; such, henceforth, will... [ Continue Reading ]
SECOND NARRATIVE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS, LUKE 1:26-38 The birth of John the Baptist, like that of Isaac, was due to a higher power; but it did not certainly transcend the limits of the natural order. It is otherwise with the birth of Jesus; it has the character of a creative act. In im... [ Continue Reading ]
2. _The message of the angel: Luke 1:30-33_. “ _And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God._ 31. _And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus._ 32. _He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the High... [ Continue Reading ]
3. _The manner in which the message was received: Luke 1:34-38_. 34. “ _Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?_ 35. _And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also t... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _The arrival of Mary: Luke 1:39-41_. The terms _arose_ and _with haste_ express a lively eagerness. This visit met what was in fact a deep need of Mary's soul. Since the message of the angel, Elizabeth had become for her what a mother is for her daughter in the most important moment of her life.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRD NARRATIVE: MARY'S VISIT TO ELIZABETH, LUKE 1:39-56. This narrative is, as it were, the synthesis of the two preceding. These two divinely favoured women meet and pour forth their hearts. 1. Arrival of Mary (Luke 1:39-41); 2. Elizabeth's salutation (Luke 1:42-45); 3. Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-5... [ Continue Reading ]
2. _The salutation of Elizabeth: Luke 1:42-45_. “ _And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb._ 43. _And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?_ 44. _For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation so... [ Continue Reading ]
_a._ The contrast between the tone of this canticle and Elizabeth's discourse forbids the admission of the reading of some Latin authorities which puts it in the mouth of the latter. It is, indeed, Mary's reply to the congratulations of Elizabeth. Luke does not say that Mary was filled with the Spir... [ Continue Reading ]
3. _The song of Mary: Luke 1:46-56_. Elizabeth's salutation was full of excitement (_she spake out with a loud voice_), but Mary's hymn breathes a sentiment of deep inward repose. The greater happiness is, the calmer it is. So Luke says simply, εἶπε, _she said._ A majesty truly regal reigns througho... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 48B-50. The greatness of her happiness appears in the renown which it will bring her; hence the γάρ, _for._ The word _behold_ refers to the unexpected character of this dealing. Mary ascribes to God, as its author, the fact which she celebrates, and glorifies the three divine perfections displ... [ Continue Reading ]
A much more strongly marked poetical parallelism characterizes this strophe. Mary here describes with a thrill of emotion, of which even her language partakes, the great Messianic revolution, the commencement of which she was beholding at that very time. In the choice God had made of two persons of... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 52. From the moral contrast between the proud and the faithful, Mary passes to a contrast of their social position, _the mighty_ and those of _low degree._ The former are those who reign without that spirit of humility which is inspired by the fear of Jehovah. The third antithesis (Luke 1:53),... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:54-55. Mary celebrates in this last strophe the faithfulness of God. That, in fact, is the foundation of the whole Messianic work. If the preceding strophe unveils to us the future developments of this work, this sends us back to its beginning in the remote past. Παῖς signifies here _servant_... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 56 is a historical conclusion. Did the departure of Mary take place before the birth of John the Baptist? We might suppose so from the particle δέ and the aorist ἐπλήσθη (Luke 1:57), which very naturally imply a historical succession. But, on the other hand, it would be hardly natural that Mar... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _Birth of John: Luke 1:57-58_. These verses are like a pleasing picture of Jewish home-life. We see the neighbours and relations arriving one after the other, the former first, because they live nearest. Elizabeth, the happy mother, is the central figure of the scene; every one comes up to her i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOURTH NARRATIVE: BIRTH AND CIRCUMCISION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, LUKE 1:57-80. Here opens the second cycle of the narratives of the infancy. This first narration comprises 1. The birth of John (Luke 1:57-58); 2. The circumcision of the child (Luke 1:59-66); 3. The song of Zacharias, with a short histo... [ Continue Reading ]
2. _Circumcision of John: Luke 1:59-66_. As an Israelitish child by its birth became a member of the human family, so by circumcision, on the corresponding day of the following week, he was incorporated into the covenant (Genesis 17); and it was the custom on this occasion to give him his name. The... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying_, 68. _Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people_, 69. _And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David;_ 70. _As He spake by the mouth of His holy... [ Continue Reading ]
3. _The song of Zacharias: Luke 1:67-80_. It might be supposed that Zacharias composed this song in view of the religious and moral progress of the child, or on the occasion of some special event in which the divine power within him was displayed during the course of his childhood. We are led, howev... [ Continue Reading ]
2 _d. Luke 1:76-77_. From the height to which he has just attained, Zacharias allows his glance to fall upon the little child at rest before him, and he assigns him his part in the work which has begun. Luke 1:76 refers to him personally, Luke 1:77 to his mission. Vers. 76 and 77. “ _And thou, chi... [ Continue Reading ]
3 _d. Luke 1:78-79_. After this episode, Zacharias returns to the principal subject of his song, and, in an admirable closing picture, describes the glory of Messiah's appearing, and of the salvation which He brings. Vers. 78 and 79. “ _Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring f... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 80. The historical conclusion, Luke 1:80, corresponds with that in Luke 1:66. As the latter sketches with a stroke of the pen the childhood of John, so this gives a picture of his youth, and carries us forward to the time when he began his ministry. The term _he grew_ refers to his physical dev... [ Continue Reading ]