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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Luke 1:20

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 deserved one. Abraham and Sarah went unpunished in a similar case. But Abraham had faith, and Sarah's subsequent troubles may have been punitive. As the coming of the Messiah drew nigh, the demand for faith was greater; the great condition of the new covenant was thus emphasized. The punishment doubtless became a healing medicine for the soul of Zacharias, thus constrained to silent reflection.

Which shall be, etc. An assertion of the truthfulness of angelic messages in general, and a justification of the punishment of the priest's unbelief when an angel spoke to him in the holy place.

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See also Luke 1:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Luke 1:20. _THOU SHALT BE DUMB_] σιωπων _silent_; this translation is literal; the angel immediately explains it, _thou shalt not be_ _able to speak_. _Dumbness_ ordinarily proceeds from a natu...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BECAUSE THOU BELIEVEST NOT ... - This was both a sign and a judgment - a sign that he had come from God, and that the thing would be fulfilled: and a judgment for not giving credit to what he had said...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    THE GOSPEL OF LUKE Analysis and Annotations I. The Birth and Childhood -- Chapter 1-2:52 CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction. (Luke 1:1)_ 2. Zacharias and Elizabeth; the Vision. (Luke 1:5) 3. John th...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PREDICTION OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. Lk. alone gives the story, which perhaps existed independently. and had been preserved in Baptist circles like that of Acts 19:1. Its Jewish character and...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    AN HISTORIAN'S INTRODUCTION (Luke 1:1-4)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    In the time of Herod, the king of Judaea, there was a priest called Zacharias, who belonged to the section of Abia. His wife was also a direct descendant of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. Both of t...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. THOU SHALT BE DUMB. The finite Verb and Participle denote continuous silence. BE PERFORMED. come to pass. BELIEVEST NOT. didst not believe. App-150. No...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak_ He receives the sign for which he had unfaithfully asked (Matthew 12:38), but it comes in the form of a punishment. This positive and negative way of expres...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΠΛΗΡΩΘΉΣΟΝΤΑΙ. D πλησθήσονται, comp. Luke 5:15. 20. ἸΔΟΎ. The word is used to call attention to something notable or surprising, and is specially frequent in St Matthew and St Luke (הִנֵּה, Isaiah 7:...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BIRTH OF THE FORERUNNER...

  • Catena Aurea Commentary

    Ver 18. And Zacharias said to the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19. And the angel answering said to him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the pr...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

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  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΕΣΗ _fut. ind. med. (dep.) 2 pers. sing. от_ ΕΙΜΊ (G1510) быть, ΣΙΩΠΏΝ _praes. act. part. от_ ΣΙΩΠΆΩ (G4623) молчать. Part, от гл. состояния используется в перифр. обороте (VANT, 317-18; VA, 483). Δ...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THOU SHALT BE DUMB, AND NOT ABLE TO SPEAK,— The affirmation of a thing joined with the denial of its contrary, is an idiom peculiar to the Jewish language, and is the strongest affirmation possible. T...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

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  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    18 Zacharias does not believe the glad news. Hence he is stricken dumb, for unbelief has no right to speak of the things of God. 19 Gabriel gave Daniel the explanation of two of his visions (Dan_8:16...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    1:20 which (k-30) 'Which are such as shall be.' giving the character, not merely a relative pronoun. I have imitated an expression of the Authorized Version, by adding the article, which though somewh...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CONCEPTION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. The rise of Christianity was preceded by a long period of four hundred years, during which prophecy was silent, and the religious guidance of the nation passed to the r...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

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  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    BEHOLD, THOU SHALT BE DUMB. — The question was answered, the demand for a sign granted, but the demand had implied a want of faith, and therefore the sign took the form of a penalty. The vision and th...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 2 THE MUTE PRIEST. Luke 1:5; Luke 1:57. AFTER his personal prelude, our Evangelist goes on to give in detail the pre-Advent revelations, so connecting the thread of his narrative with the br...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

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  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    _Zechariah doubts_. The angel's dazzling promise of a son, and even of a son with such a career, might be but a reflection of Zechariah's own secret desire and hope; yet when his day-dream is objectif...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    _The birth of the Baptist announced_. From the long prefatory sentence, constructed according to the rules of Greek syntax, and with some pretensions to classic purity of style, we pass abruptly to th...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    σιωπῶν καὶ μὴ δ. λ., silent and not able to speak; a temporary dumbness the sign asked, a slight penalty; not arbitrary, however, rather the almost natural effect of his state of mind a kind of prolon...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

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  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    On account of the many signs the angel had given, that what he said was true, the unbelief of Zacharias seemed inexcusable; for the angel appeared in a holy place, in the temple, and during divine ser...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    DOUBT & DUMBNESS ALWAYS CO-EXISTENT 18-20. Here we see that Zacharias evinced his doubt of Gabriel's communication by asking a sign. O how many people now doubt God and wait for signs, instead of taki...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    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...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

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  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    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...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    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 b...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    “ _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 presen...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (5) There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. (6) And they wer...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The preface of Luke's gospel is as instructive as the introduction of either of the two preceding gospels. It is obvious to any serious reader that we enter a totally different province, though all be...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _DUMB, BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF_ ‘And, behold, thou shalt be dumb … because thou believest not my words.’ Luke 1:20 The threatened dumbness was to be a sign and a rebuke. God prevented Zacharias from sp...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    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 i...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Many had undertaken to give an account of that which was historically received among Christians, as related to them by the companions of Jesus; and Luke thought it well having followed these things fr...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND BEHOLD, THOU SHALT BE DUMB, C] OR "SILENT AND NOT ABLE TO SPEAK", IF HE WOULD. SILENCE IS SOMETIMES VOLUNTARY; BUT THIS WAS WHAT HE COULD NOT HELP;\PAR \PAR UNTIL THE DAY THAT THESE THING SHALL BE...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. Ver. 20. _An...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Zacharias said, Whereby shall I know this?_ In how different a spirit did the blessed Virgin say, _How shall this be?_ Zacharias disbelieved the prediction, as appears from Luke 1:20, and therefore w...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The doubts of Zacharias:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

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  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

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  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SEE POOLE ON "LUKE 1:19...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Tertullian On Idolatry , and, passing by his bootless tongue, with the help of his hands dictates from his heart, and without his mouth pronounces the name of his son.[177] Hippolytus Dogmatical and...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Luke 1:20 But G2532 behold G2400 (G5628) be G2071 (G5704) mute G4623 (G5723) and G2532 not...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ZACHARIAS GOES UP TO THE TEMPLE AND IS PROMISED A SON WHO WILL PREPARE THE WAY FOR GOD'S MESSIAH, AND HE IS MADE DUMB IN GOD'S PRESENCE (1:5-25). From this point on until the end of chapter 2 all is w...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    THOU SHALT BE SILENT (εση σιωπων). Volitive future periphrastic.NOT ABLE TO SPEAK (μη δυναμενος λαλησα). Negative repetition of the same statement. His dumbness will continue "until" (αχρ ης ημερ...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Luke 1:20 Unbelief and dumbness are as fountain and stream, cause and effect. It is written, observes Paul in his second letter to the Church at Corinth, "I believed, therefore have I spoken;" we also...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Luke 1:5. _There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

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  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Luke 1:1. _Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things,_ which within a short compass of years have been acted and accomplished among us. In the first age,...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    YOU WILL REMAIN SILENT. He would not be able to utter a sound....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

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  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    LUKE—NOTE ON LUKE 1:5 The Infancy Narrative. The opening (Luke 1:8) and conclusion (Luke 2:21) of this secti

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    S. LUKE'S GOSPEL Third Edition J OHN H ODGES, AGAR STREET, CHARING CROSS, LONDON. 1892. INTRODUCTION. . T HE _Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to S. Luke_, that is, the Holy Evangelical H...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    _And behold thou shall be dumb_, &c. Theophylact and S. Ambrose translated, "thou shalt be deaf," and so make a distinction from what follows, "and not able to speak." For although the Greek word _σιω...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ Luke 1:5. HEROD, THE KING OF JUDÆA.—He also ruled over Galilee, Samaria, and the greater part of Peræa. He was the son of Antipater, an _Edomite_, and had been imposed upon the Jewish...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE origin of the Gospels—the four histories which relate in detail the circumstances of the foundation of Christianity—will ever be an interesting study. Here we shall never know the exact...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Luke, the author of this third gospel, was called by Paul the apostle "the beloved physician." There is some speculation that his patron was a man by the name of Theophilus. In those days physicians w...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Kings 7:19; 2 Kings 7:2; 2 Timothy 2:13; Exodus 4:11; Ezekiel 24:27;

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Thou shalt be silent [ε σ η σ ι ω π ω ν]. Lit., thou shalt be being silent. The finite verb and participle denote continuance. Not able to speak. Showing that the silence would not be voluntary. My w...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

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  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE SEVEN MAGNIFICATS _Selections from Luke 1:1 and Luke 2:1_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS By way of introduction to the seven Magnificats, we will study the annunciation of the birth of Christ, as it was giv...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Thou shalt be dumb — The Greek word signifies deaf, as well as dumb: and it seems plain, that he was as unable to hear, as he was to speak; for his friends were obliged to make signs to him, that he m...

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Old Testament