This PREFACE is a model of brevity, simplicity, and modesty, as well as of purity and dignity of style. It does not contain expressions of Hebrew origin, and, like most prefaces, it is formal and highly finished. It differs from the Introduction to the Gospel of John (John 1:1-5), which is more doct... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:1. FORASMUCH AS, a good translation of the full sounding Greek word (found only here in the N. T.). MANY. This cannot refer to the Apocryphal Gospels which were written later; nor to hostile or incorrect accounts, but, as the next verse shows, to such sketches of the great facts of salvation... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:2. THEY DELIVERED THEM, or, ‘handed them down.' The _oral_ instruction of the Apostles is here referred to. From this (see Luke 1:4) the writ-ten accounts of the ‘many ‘were drawn up. Oral tradition came first, but this preface plainly implies its insufficiency. FROM THE BEGINNING, _i.e., f... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:3. TO ME ALSO. He thus places himself in the ranks of the ‘many,' but in what follows indicates his superior qualification for the work. He does not claim, but certainly does not disclaim, inspiration. Some old Latin manuscripts add here: _et spiritui sancto_, ‘and to the Holy Spirit;' but ho... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:4. KNOW, as the result of acquaintance with the accurate account now sent him. THE CERTAINTY. The emphatic word; certainty as the result of positive, accurate statements of truth. From faith to knowledge, from knowledge to still firmer faith. CONCERNING THE THINGS, Greek ‘words,' i.e. _,_... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:5. IN THE DAYS OF HEROD. See on Matthew 2:1. A CERTAIN PRIEST. Not the high-priest ZACHARIAS, _i.e.,_ ‘the Lord remembers.' OF THE COURSE OF ABIJAH. The _eighth_ of the twenty-four classes, into which the descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, were divided (1 Chronicles 2... [ Continue Reading ]
Chaps. 1 and 2 forming the _first part_ of the Gospel, narrate ‘the miraculous birth and normal development of the Son of Man.' Chap. 1 tells of events preceding the birth of Christ, namely, the announcement of the birth of John (Luke 1:5-25); the announcement of the birth of the Messiah (Luke 1:26-... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:6. RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD. Not outwardly, but really, pious. COMMANDMENTS AND ORDINANCES. The former probably refers to special commandments, the latter, as its derivation hints, to that by which God defines what is ‘righteous' for men. BLAMELESS. The full sense may be thus expressed: ‘walk... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:7. WELL STRICKEN IN YEARS (Greek, ‘advanced in their days'). A translation in quaint old English of the Hebrew phrase used in Genesis 18:11. See that passage, which presents the similar case of Abraham and Sarah.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:8. SERVED AS PRIEST, is more simple than the paraphrase of the E. V. The words used here and in Luke 1:9 are not the same. IN THE ORDER OF HIS COURSE, _i.e.,_ during the week his course served in the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:9. ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF THE PRIESTHOOD. To be joined with what follows, not with what precedes. The ‘custom' was to assign by _lot_ for each day the various parts of the service to the priests of the course on duty for the week. The _most honorable_ office, which fell to Zacharias on th... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:10. WERE PRAYING. The smoke of the incense was symbolical of acceptable prayer rising to God; comp. Psalms 141:2; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4. It was the custom to pray WITHOUT, _i.e.:,_ in the courts of the men and women, AT THE HOUR OF INCENSE, _i.e._, while it was burnt. This was prob... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:11. Appeared to him. An actual angelic appearance. The pious priest, engaged in this high duty, alone in the holiest spot into which he could enter, at the most sacred moment, would be in a state of religious susceptibility; but the revelation itself came from without, from a personal spirit... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:12. FEAR FELL UPON HIM. This fear was natural, for angelic revelations had not occurred for centuries.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:13. FOR THY PRAYER IS HEARD. The doubt of Zacharias (Luke 1:18) indicates that he had ceased to pray for a son. The prayer was doubtless a Messianic one, even if he still cherished some hope of a son in his old age. The answer includes both the public and private blessing. The Messiah will ap... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:14. MANY, etc. The promise was not for the father alone; hence the prayer was probably general.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:15. HE SHALL BE GREAT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD. Spiritual, not temporal, greatness is promised. NEITHER WINE NOR STRONG DRINK. ‘Sikera,' the Greek word here used, refers to liquors of an intoxicating character, not prepared from grapes. He was to be a Nazarite (see Numbers 6). Such vows wer... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:16. TO THE LORD THEIR GOD. Not to Christ, but to God. A prediction of John's ministry, as preparatory and reformatory, the baptism of repentance. See on Matthew 3:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:17. BEFORE HIM IN HIS PRESENCE. ‘Go before' implies the coming of the Messiah, but ‘in his presence' refers to ‘the Lord their God.' IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH. An evident allusion to Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5-6. See on Matthew 11:14; Matthew 17:11. TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:18. WHEREBY SHALL I KNOW THIS? What is the sign according to which I may know this. Comp. Abraham's question, Genesis 15:8, but notice that in Abraham's case faith was strong (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:19), while here the unbelief of Zacharias appears in the sign given him and in what follows: F... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:19. I AM GABRIEL; comp. Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21. ‘Man of God.' THAT STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. One of the chief angels (archangels) nearest to God. According to Tob 12:15, there were seven such. Comp. Revelation 8:2. The Rabbins say, that the names of the angels were brought from Babylo... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:20. THOU SHALT BE SILENT. The next clause tells why. AND NOT ABLE TO SPEAK. ‘Dumb' (E. V.) seems equivalent to ‘not able to speak;' but the effect is mentioned first, then the cause. This dumbness was miraculous. BECAUSE THOU DIDST NOT BELIEVE. The sign was also a punishment, and a deserv... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:21. WERE WAITING FOR ZACHARIAS, etc. They would wait, not for him to pronounce the blessing, for this was the office of the other priest, who carried the fire into the holy place (see Luke 1:9); but because it was usual. MARVELLED, etc. Their wonder was both at and during his unusual stay.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:22. THEY PERCEIVED. They probably asked why he had remained so long, and at once found that he was both deaf (Luke 1:62) and dumb, as the word ‘speechless' implies. From this they inferred THAT HE HAD SEEN A VISION IN THE TEMPLE, which was confirmed by Zacharias himself; for he (on his part,... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:23. WHEN THE DAYS OF HIS MINISTRATION WERE FULFILLED. He continued to serve until the week of service expired. He did not feel himself absolved from his duty by his affliction.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:24. AND AFTER THESE DAYS. Probably immediately after. HID HERSELF FIVE MONTHS, _i.e.,_ the first five months of her pregnancy.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:25. THUS HATH THE LORD, etc. This suggests the reason she hid herself. Since God had graciously removed her barrenness, she would leave it to Him to make this mercy manifest to others, and thus to take away her reproach among men. But she doubtless thus sought greater opportunity for devotion... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:26. IN THE SIXTH MONTH. Not of the year, but of Elisabeth's pregnancy. NAZARETH. The home of both Mary and Joseph, before the birth of Jesus. Matthew (Matthew 2:23) speaks of their residence there, after the return from Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
The occurrence here narrated is called the _Annunciation_, ushering in the _Miraculous Conception of Christ._ The account of Matthew presupposes such a miraculous conception (Matthew 1:18-25). There, however, Joseph is the more prominent person; here Mary. Luke may have derived his account from her.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:27. Comp. Matthew 1:18. OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. These words refer to Joseph alone, in this instance; but that Mary was also ‘of the house of David,' seems to be implied in Luke 1:32, and has been the general belief of Christians. Comp, the genealogy in chap. 3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:28. AND HEBREWS, _i.e.,_ the angel, as the later manuscripts (followed in the E. V.) insert. To refer it to any human being, makes sheer non-sense of the account. CAME IN. This was not a dream, ‘but a visit in open day. Although, of course, in a quiet hour of retirement as more befitting an... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:29. GREATLY TROUBLED; not at the sight of the angel, but AT THE SAYING. This is further indicated by the clause: WHAT MANNER OF SALUTATION THIS MIGHT BE. Had she been born without sin, she would have been sufficiently conscious of her fellowship with a holy God, to understand such a salutatio... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:30. FAVOR, or, ‘grace.' This verse also opposes the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:31. See on Matthew 1:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:32. HE SHALL BE GREAT. Not ‘shall become' so. What follows is an explanation to Mary of this greatness, but a full explanation was scarcely possible. SHALL BE CALLED. Shall be, and also, shall one day be publicly recognized as what He really is: THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH, _i.e.,_ God (comp. L... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:33. OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOR EVER, etc. This prediction echoes the Messianic prophecies already mentioned. Mary no doubt understood it literally, in accordance with the national expectations. OF HIS KINGDOM THERE SHALL BE NO END. This, however, hints at the universal spiritual reign of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:34. HOW SHALL THIS BE? Not as Zacharias (Luke 1:18): ‘Whereby shall I know this?' She simply expresses the natural objection of which she was conscious in her pure virgin heart. SEEING I KNOW NOT A MAN. This question implies the exclusion of any human father. The instincts of maidenly purit... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:35. HOLY GHOST, the Third Person of the Trinity. Comp. Matthew 1:18. THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH. The Holy Spirit is here represented as ‘power,' not strictly ‘the power' (as if He were not a Person, but merely the power of God). Some distinguish between the two expressions, but they explain... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:36. THY KINSWOMAN. How close the relationship was does not appear. It does not follow from this that Mary was also of the tribe of Levi, for intermarriage was allowed (comp. Exodus 6:23; Judges 17:7; Numbers 36 refers to the case of heiresses). SHE ALSO. The case of Elisabeth, presenting a... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:37. FOR, indicates that what was told of Elisabeth had occurred through the power of God. NO WORD FROM GOD SHALL BE WITHOUT POWER. This affirms, not only God's almightiness, but even more fully His absolute faithfulness to His promises, the thought most necessary for Mary. The denial of wha... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:38. THE HANDMAID, or, ‘bondmaid.' The humble title she gives herself forms a striking contrast to the fulsome ones given to her by her adorers. Rightly considered, however, this brings out the beauty of her character. BE IT UNTO ME. In humble faith she assents; and so it was unto her accord... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:39. IN THESE DAYS. Mary returned after three months (Luke 1:56), yet _before_ the birth of John (Luke 1:57). Her visit must therefore have been less than a month after the Annunciation. WITH HASTE, implies that she started at the first opportunity. Hence the improbability that her marriage... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE HARMONY with the account in Matthew. Views: 1. That the events recorded in Matthew 1:18-25 took place before the visit to Elisabeth. It is urged that a betrothed virgin would not be permitted to travel alone. Objections: This restriction is doubtful; ‘with haste' (Luke 1:39) gives no time for... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:40. The unnamed city in ‘the hill-country' was the home of ZACHARIAS AND ELISABETH.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:41. THE SALUTATION OF MARY, _i.e.,_ Mary's salutation as she entered. It does not mean the salutation of the angel Gabriel now told to Elisabeth by Mary. THE BABE LEAPED IN HER WOMB. Possibly for the first time. This movement of the babe was evidently regarded by the Evangelist and by Elisa... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:42. BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN. Blessed by God, beyond other women, rather than blessed by other women, although the latter followed as a consequence (chap. Luke 11:27). BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB. Elisabeth had heard nothing of Mary's situation, so far as we know, but speaks of it... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:44. FOR. She recognized Mary as the mother of her Lord, in consequence of the leaping of her own unborn babe, for joy. If the movement of the child was in sympathy with the mother, then Elisabeth gives a proof of the greatness of Mary's unborn child, and a reason for her humble question in Lu... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:45. FOR THERE SHALL BE, or, ‘believed that there shall be,' etc. The former rendering introduces an encouragement for Mary's faith, tells of the blessing of entire fulfilment which will be given to her faith, an idea in keeping with these first dawnings of the New Dispensation. The latter ref... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:46. AND MARY SAID. The influence of the Holy Spirit is not asserted, but assumed in Mary's case. ‘The angel's visit was vouchsafed to Mary later than to Zacharias, yet her song of thanksgiving is uttered long before his: faith is already singing for joy, while unbelief is compelled to be sile... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:47. AND MY SPIRIT HATH REJOICED. The spirit is, according to Luther, ‘the highest, noblest part of man, by which he is enabled to apprehend incomprehensible, invisible, eternal things, and is in short the house, where faith and God's word indwells.' The exultation in spirit came first, and as... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:48. HATH LOOKED UPON; see chap. Luke 9:38. THE LOW ESTATE. Not humility of mind, but humility of station, of external condition. FOR, BEHOLD, FROM HENCEFORTH. In proof that the Lord had thus looked upon her low estate. ALL GENERATIONS SHALL CALL ME BLESSED. Recognize the blessedness bes... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:49. AND HOLY IS HIS NAME. The song now becomes more general in its expressions. This rising from what is personal to general praise, is a characteristic of most of David's Psalms.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:50. This verse forms two lines of the second stanza. And his mercy is unto generations and generations on them that fear him. UNTO GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS. This implies _forever_, but the prominent thought is the continuance of God's mercy. ON THEM THAT FEAR him. The Old Testament de... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:51. HE HATH SHEWED STRENGTH. The past tense in this and the following verses, is used prophetically, according to the common usage of sacred Hebrew poetry. What the Lord has done for her leads her to sing thus of what He will do, as certain and accomplished. IN THE IMAGINATION, or ‘device.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:52. PRINCES FROM THEIR THRONES, heathen usurpers. That Herod was thought of is very probable, but not Herod alone. Here, as in the royal war-songs of David, the singer thinks of all the mighty enemies of God's chosen people.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:53. HE HATH FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS. Neither exclusively temporal, nor exclusively spiritual in its meaning. It is hard to divide the two, and no doubt all God's merciful providing was in the mind of Mary.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:54. HE HATH HOLPEN, i.e., helped, ISRAEL HIS SERVANT. This sums up what had before been described (Luke 1:51-53).... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:55. AS HE SPAKE UNTO OUR FATHERS. This is parenthetical, for the original plainly shows that to ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED, should be joined to the word ‘mercy,' at the close of Luke 1:54. Yet God's remembrance of His mercy is connected with His truthfulness to His promise. The promise: ‘In thy see... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:56. AND RETURNED TO HER OWN HOUSE. This was before the birth of John. On her return, as we suppose, the events narrated in Matthew 1:18-24 took place. (See note at the beginning of this section.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:57. _Fulfilled_. Evidently after Mary's departure.... [ Continue Reading ]
The fulfilment of the angelic promise to Zacharias in the birth of John, the obedience of the parents in calling the child by the appointed name, and the removal of the dumbness of Zacharias at the time specified (Luke 1:20), with his prophetic yet priestly song of thanks-giving. On the _Benedictus_... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:58. KINDRED. The plural of the word used in Luke 1:36 to indicate the relationship between Mary and Elisabeth. THAT THE LORD, etc. Not ‘how;' according to the hopes of Jewish matrons the birth of a son was the preeminent token of God's mercy, and this remarkable case fully justified the exp... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:59. ON THE EIGHTH DAY. The proper time for administering the rite of circumcision (see Genesis 21:4; Luke 2:21; comp. Philippians 3:5). THEY WERE ABOUT TO CALL. The custom of naming a child at circumcision seems to have had its origin in the change of names (Abram, Abraham; Sarai, Sarah) at... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:60. NOT SO. BUT HE SHALL BE CALLED JOHN. Elisabeth may have been informed by Zacharias of the appointed name of the child. But possibly the name had been revealed to her also: (1) if she had known beforehand what the name should be, she would have told of it _before_ the name Zacharias was fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:62. THEY MADE SIGNS TO HIS FATHER. From this it would appear that he was deaf also. Meyer conjectures that they made signs in order to spare the mother, when they referred the case to her husband. But this is a pure assumption. Besides, the punishment inflicted on Zacharias was designed to gi... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:63. A WRITING TABLET. A tablet smeared with wax, on which they wrote with a style _(stylus),_ a sharp instrument adapted for the purpose, the usual mode in those days. SAYING. A Hebrew form of expression as applied to writing, but natural enough. HIS NAME IS JOHN. Not ‘shall be;' the decl... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:64. IMMEDIATELY. According to the prediction (Luke 1:20), the whole prophecy (Luke 1:13), about which Zacharias doubted having now been fulfilled. That this was a miraculous restoration, follows from the character of the entire narrative. The word LOOSED is properly supplied in the E. V. BL... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:65. FEAR. The first effect produced by events which betoken what is supernatural (comp, chap. Luke 1:12; Luke 1:29; Luke 2:9; Luke 5:8; Mark 4:41; Acts 2:43). ALL THESE SAYINGS, _i.e.,_ the story of what had happened at the circumcision of the child, possibly including the whole series of r... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:66. WHAT THEN SHALL THIS CHILD BE? ‘What then,' _i.e.,_ in view of these remarkable circumstances, a connection of thought not fully brought out in the E. V. FOR, or, ‘for indeed.' This is a remark of the Evangelist, justifying what was said. THE HAND, etc. This common Old Testament figur... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:67. WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. The song which follows is thus declared to have been inspired. The time seems to have been the circumcision of the child, and these were the words in which Zacharias was ‘blessing God' (Luke 1:64). PROPHESIED. It was in the fullest sense a prophetic song,... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:68. BLESSED. Latin: _Benedictus_, hence the name. FOR HE HATH VISITED, etc. The past tenses throughout are used because the eye of prophecy regards these certain future events as having already taken place. WROUGHT REDEMPTION. This sums up the benefits bestowed by the Messiah, regarding t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:69. A HORN OF SALVATION FOR US. This well-known figure of the Old Testament (1 Samuel 2:10; Psalms 132:17), alluding to the horns of beasts as their formidable weapon of defence, points out here a strong, powerful defender, to rise IN THE HOUSE OF HIS SERVANT DAVID. An allusion to the horns o... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:71. SALVATION FROM OUR ENEMIES. The word ‘salvation ‘is taken up again from Luke 1:69, the intervening verse being parenthetical (like the first clause of Luke 1:55, which expresses the same thought). That political deliverance was in the mind of Zacharias cannot be doubted, but certainly not... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:72. TO SHOW MERCY TOWARD OUR FATHERS. The word ‘promised' was supplied in the E. V., because of the difficulty involved in the thought of showing mercy to those already dead. But the expression is poetic. The pious Jews of old had wept over the decay of their nation, and even though dead and... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:73. THE OATH. This explains the word ‘covenant' in Luke 1:72. God's covenant of mercy had been sealed by an oath. This ‘oath' is found recorded in Genesis 22:16-18. The Abrahamic covenant becomes prominent as the coming of the Messiah draws near. Comp. Galatians 3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:74. TO GRANT UNTO US. This gives the _purpose_ both of the oath and the approaching fulfilment of it. THAT WE. This introduces _what_ God purposed to grant. BEING DELIVERED FROM THE HAND OF OUR ENEMIES. such as Antiochus Epiphanes and the Romans, who had interfered with the Jews in their... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:75. IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. ‘Holiness' is consecration to God, ‘righteousness' the manifestation of it; without the former, the latter would be unreal; both are necessary to true piety; even the ‘righteousness' has respect to God rather than to men. Since this is the end which Zacharia... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:76. YEA AND THOU, CHILD. in accordance with the great blessing already spoken. Zacharias, as a father, speaks o£ his son, as a prophet he foretells the career of the last and greatest of the prophets; but in a priest, singing of Messianic deliverance, paternal feeling takes a subordinate plac... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:77. KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION. This was the end of the preparation just spoken of. IN THE REMISSION OF THEIR SINS. The main idea is not that salvation consists in remission of sins, but the whole verse means: that they might know that Messianic salvation comes in and through the remission of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:78. BECAUSE OF THE TENDER MERCY OF OUR GOD. This is to be joined closely with Luke 1:77, giving the cause of the ‘remission.' IN WHICH, _i.e.,_ in the exercise of this tender mercy. THE DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH. An allusion to the Messiah and His salvation, as prophesied in Malachi 4:2, the... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:79. TO GIVE LIGHT. The purpose of the visiting. The figure contained in the word ‘day-spring,' is carried out. TO THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH. This describes the condition of Israel, and also of the world at large. They were ‘sitting,' remaining, abiding, ‘in darkness,... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 1:80. AND THE CHILD GREW, etc. A summing up of John's development in body and spirit, during his youth. IN THE DESERTS, i.e., the wilderness of Judah (see Matthew 3:1),which was not far from his home ‘in the hill-country' (Luke 1:39; Luke 1:65). The Essenes, a mystic and ascetic Jewish sect,... [ Continue Reading ]