Luke 1:59-66

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 subject of ἦλθον, came, is that of the preceding verse. It has been maintained that the text suggests something miraculous in the agreement of Elizabeth and Zacharias; as if, during the nine months which had just passed away, the father had not made to the mother a hundred times over the communication which he presently makes to all present (Luke 1:63)! How many times already, especially during Mary's stay in their house, must the names of John and Jesus have been mentioned!

It has been inferred from the words, they made signs to him (Luke 1:62), that Zacharias became deaf as well as dumb. But the case of Zacharias cannot be assimilated to that of deaf mutes from their birth, in whom dumbness ordinarily results from deafness. The whole scene, on the contrary, implies that Zacharias had heard everything. The use of the language of signs proceeds simply from this, that we instinctively adopt this means of communication towards those who can speak in no other way:

Ver. 63. The word λέγων added to ἔγραψεν is a Hebraism (וַיִּכְתֹּבלֵאמֹר, 2 Kings 10:6), the meaning of which is, “deciding the question.”

The expression, his name is, points to a higher authority which has so determined it; and it is this circumstance, rather than the agreement between the father and mother a fact so easily explained which astonishes the persons present. Every one recalls on this occasion the strange events which had preceded the birth of the child.

Ver. 64. Zacharias, thus obedient, recovers his speech, of which his want of faith had deprived him. The verb ἀνεῴχθη, was opened, does not agree with the second subject, the tongue, for which the verb was loosed, taken from the preceding verb, must be supplied.

In the words, he spake and praised God, naturally it is on the word spake that the emphasis rests, in opposition to his previous dumbness. The last words are only an appendix, serving to introduce the song which follows. We must therefore refrain from translating, with Ostervald, “He spake by praising God.”

Ver. 65. At the sight of this miracle, surprise changes into fear. And this impression spreads abroad, with the report of these facts, throughout all the country. That is more especially the sense of the reading of א, which, however, from a critical point of view, it is impossible to adopt.

Ver. 66. They not merely told, they laid to heart; these were the first emotions of the Messianic era.

The Alex. reading, καὶ γάρ, for also the hand of the Lord was with him, although adopted by Tischendorf, appears to us untenable. Whether, in fact, this for be put in the mouth of the narrator, or be assigned to the persons who ask the preceding question, in either case these words, the hand of the Lord was with him, must refer to all the circumstances which have just been narrated, while, according to the natural sense of the imperfect ἦν, was, they apply to the entire childhood of John the Baptist. This for has been wrongly added, with a view of making this reflection the motive of the preceding question. The T. R. is supported by not only the majority of the Mjj., but more especially by the agreement of the Alexandrinus and of the Peschito, which is always a criterion worthy of attention.

The development of this child was effected with the marked concurrence of divine power. The hand, here as usually, is the emblem of force.

These last words form the first of those resting-points which we shall often meet with in the course of our Gospel, and which occur in the book of the Acts. It is a picture, drawn with a single stroke of the pen, of the entire childhood of John the Baptist. Comp. Luke 1:80, which describes, by a corresponding formula, his youth.