Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 1:9
According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
9. his lot was to burn incense ] Rather, he obtained by lot the duty of entering and burning incense. This was the loftiest and most coveted of priestly functions, Exo 30:1-10; Num 16:1-40. King Uzziah was smitten with leprosy for trying to usurp it (2Ch 26:18). Incense was a symbol of prayer (Psa 141:2; Heb 9:4; Rev 8:3-4), and Philo tells us that it was offered twice a day, before the morning and after the evening sacrifice of a lamb.
into the temple ] Rather, shrine or Holy Place. The golden altar of incense stood before the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exo 30:6). The priest entered in white robes and with unsandalled feet with two attendants who retired when they had made everything ready. The people waited outside in the Court of Israel praying in deep silence till the priest who was sacrificing the evening lamb at the great altar of Burnt Offering in the Court gave a signal to his colleague in the shrine, perhaps by the tinkling of a bell (Exo 30:1-10; Psa 141:2; Mal 1:11). He then threw the incense on the fire of the golden altar, and its fragrant smoke rose with the prayers of the people. It was while performing this solemn function that John Hyrcanus also had received a divine intimation (Jos. Antt. xiii. 103).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
According to the custom of the priests office, his lot was. – The Jewish writers inform us that it was customary for the priests to divide their daily task by lot.
To burn incense – Incense is an aromatic or white rosin procured from trees, chiefly in Arabia. It is obtained by making incisions in the tree, and the gum flows out. It is distinguished for an especially pleasant smell when burned, and was therefore used in ancient worship. It was burned by the priest twice a day Exo 30:7, and it seems to have been emblematic of prayer and praise, or of the grateful offerings of the heart wafted toward heaven. The incense used in the temple was made of stacte, onycha, and galbanum Exo 30:34, with pure frankincense, and it was not lawful for this compound to be used elsewhere than in the house of God.
Into the temple – See the notes at Mat 21:12. The part of the temple where incense was burned was the holy place.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. His lot was, &c.] We are informed in the Talmud, that it was the custom of the priests to divide the different functions of the sacerdotal office among themselves by lot: and, in this case, the decision of the lot was, that Zacharias should at that time burn the incense before the Lord, in the holy place.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
9. his lot was to burn incenseThepart assigned to each priest in his week of service was decided bylot. Three were employed at the offering of incenseto remove theashes of the former service; to bring in and place on the goldenaltar the pan filled with hot burning coals taken from the altar ofburnt offering; and to sprinkle the incense on the hot coals; and,while the smoke of it ascended, to make intercession for the people.This was the most distinguished part of the service (Re8:3), and this was what fell to the lot of Zacharias at this time[LIGHTFOOT].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
According to the custom of the priest’s office,…. In which, every man took his part in the execution of it by lot; and which was not an original settled law of God; but a custom, which, in process of time, through the number of the priests, took place, and prevailed: the occasion of it was this;
“at first, whoever would, might sweep the altar, or cleanse it—-it happened that two alike ran, and came up to the ascent of the altar, and one thrust down the other, and he fell, and his leg was broke; and when the sanhedrim saw that they came into danger, they ordered that they should not cleanse the altar, but by lot d.”
And so likewise all other sorts of service were settled by lot:
his lot was to burn incense, when he went into the temple of the Lord; where was the altar of incense, and which was burnt upon it morning and evening; see Ex 30:1, and was typical of the continual intercession of Jesus Christ; and this part of service was assigned him by lot. The priests used to cast lots, what part they should take in the service of the temple, in the order of the course, to which they belonged e.
“There were four lots there, and this was the first lot (i.e. to cleanse the altar); the second lot was, who should slay (the sacrifice,) who should sprinkle (the blood), who should remove the ashes from the innermost altar, who should cleanse the candlestick, who should bring the members (or parts of the sacrifice) to the ascent of the altar—-the third lot was, ye new ones, to the incense come, , and “cast lots”; and the fourth, ye new ones, with the old ones, who shall bring up the parts from the ascent of the altar to the altar.”
And this was not only the case on the day of atonement, to which these rules belong; but every day in the daily service and sacrifice, when the same rules were observed, as appears from the rubric of the daily sacrifice: f
“the president said unto them (the priests), come and cast lots who shall slay, who shall sprinkle, who shall remove the ashes from the innermost altar, who shall remove the ashes from the candlestick, who shall bring up the parts to the ascent of the altar, c.”
Again, g,
“he says to them, O ye new ones, to the incense come, and cast lots and they cast lots, and he is worthy, whom he accounts worthy–and he that is accounted worthy of the incense, takes a vessel, and the vessel is like to a large golden bushel, that holds three kabs, and a bowl in the middle of it, full and heaped up with incense, with a cover, and a sort of a linen cloth put over it.”
And it is afterwards said h,
“he that is worthy of the incense, takes the bowl out of the vessel, and gives it to his friend, or he that is near to him; and if it is scattered from it, in the midst of it, he puts it into his fist; and they teach him, “saying”, take care that thou dost not begin before thy face, that thou art not burnt: when he begins, he spreads it and goes out; and he that burns incense, may not do it, until the president says, burn incense.”
The account Maimonides gives i of this matter, is as follows;
“all the services that they do every day, they do, , by lot; and how do they do it? All the priests of the houses of the fathers, of the day, go into the paved chamber, after the pillar of the morning has ascended, and clothe themselves with the priestly garments; and the president who is over the lots is with them, and they stand in a circle; and the president takes a mitre from off the head of one of them, and goes round with it, and the man from whom he begins to number, and they cast lots, as has been explained—-how do they cast lots? they stand in a circle, and agree upon a number, eighty, a hundred, or a thousand, or whatsoever number they may agree upon; and the president says to them, put out your fingers, and they put out their fingers, one, or two; and if one puts out three, they number him three; and they do not put out the thumb in the sanctuary, because of deceivers; for the thumb is short, and easy to be put out, and to bend; and he that puts out the thumb, they do not number for him: and the president begins to number from the man that is known, whose mitre he took off first, and he numbers by their fingers, and returns in the round, until he has perfected the number they agreed upon; and the man that completes the number with his finger, he is he that goes out by the first lot to service: and why does he number the number they agree upon, by their fingers that they put out, and does not number them by the men themselves? Because it is forbidden to number Israel, but by means of another thing; as it is said, 1Sa 15:4 “And numbered them in Telaim”. There were four lots they cast every day in the morning; the first lot; was, who should cleanse the altar: they cast lots, and he was worthy that was accounted worthy to cleanse it; and he sets the row in order, and brings up the two pieces of wood to the altar, and he brings in the censer full of fire, from the outer altar, to the golden altar, to burn incense upon it: and the second lot, thirteen were worthy of it, according to the order of their standing; how? the president says to them, put out your fingers, and he numbers in the way that has been explained; and he that goes out by the first lot, is he that slays the daily sacrifice of the morning; and the second that stands by his side, is he that receives the blood of the daily sacrifice, and sprinkles it; and the third that is next to the second, receives the ashes from the innermost altar, which is the altar of incense; and the fourth, that is by his side, cleanses the candlestick, and trims the lamps; and the fifth brings up the head of the daily sacrifice, and its leg to the ascent of the altar: and the sixth brings up the two shoulders; and the seventh brings up the extreme part of the backbone, and the other leg; and the eighth brings up the breast and the gullet; and the ninth brings up the two sides; and the tenth brings up the inwards; and the eleventh brings up the fine flour, and the drink offerings; and the twelfth brings up the things that were fried; and the thirteenth brings up the wine of the drink offerings: the third lot, the president says to them, “even” to all the men of the house of the father of that day, whoever has never burnt incense, let him come and “cast lots”; and they gather together to the president, and cast lots; and he that goes out by the lot first, he is he that is worthy to burn incense; the fourth lot, they all gather together, and cast lots to know who shall bring up the parts from the ascent of the altar, to the altar; they cast lots, and he is worthy who is accounted worthy: the daily evening sacrifice, they do not cast another lot for it; but every priest that is worthy of any service of the services of the morning, is worthy of the evening, except that of the incense; for they cast another lot for that in the evening; and every one may come, who has never burnt incense of the men of that house of the fathers, and cast lots for it; but if they have all of them burnt incense already, they all of them cast lots, in the morning, at the third lot; and he that is worthy of it in the morning, burns incense in the evening.”
Hence it appears, that the burning of incense, as other parts of the priest’s service, was by lot; and that they were new priests, or such who had never burnt incense, that cast lots for it: for it is a tradition k, that no man ever burnt incense twice; the reason assigned for it is, because it makes a man rich; and therefore that every one might partake of the blessing in their turns, new ones were called unto it: whether Zacharias had ever burnt incense before, and whether he now did it in the morning or evening, is not certain.
d Misn. Yoma, c. 2. sect. 1, 2. e Ib. sect. 2, 3, 4. f Misn. Tamid. c. 3. sect. 1. g Ib. c. 5. sect. 2. 4. h Misn. Tamid. c. 6. sect. 3. i Hilchot Tamidin, c. 4. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 25. 1. & Gloss in fol. 22. 1. & Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Yoma, c. 2. sect. 1. k T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 26. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
His lot was (). Literally,
he obtained the lot . Second aorist active indicative of , to obtain by lot, a very old verb from Homer on. It is used either with the genitive as here, or the accusative as in Acts 1:17; 2Pet 1:1. Papyri show examples with the accusative. It was only once in a lifetime that a priest obtained the lot of going (, here nominative aorist active participle agreeing with the subject of ) into the sanctuary ( , not , the outer courts) and burning incense on the golden altar. “It was the great moment of Zacharias’s life, and his heart was no doubt alert for the supernatural” (Ragg). The fortunate lot was “a white stone” to which Re 2:17 may refer.
Burn incense ( ). Here only in the N.T. Occurs on inscriptions. Hobart finds it used by medical writers for fumigating herbs. “Ascending the steps to the Holy Place, the priests spread the coals on the golden altar, and arranged the incense, and the chief operating priest was then left alone within the Holy Place to await the signal of the president to burn the incense. It was probably at this time that the angel appeared to Zacharias” (Vincent).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
His lot was [] . Four lots were drawn to determine the order of the ministry of the day : the first, before daybreak, to designate the priests who were to cleanse the altar and prepare its fires; the second for the priest who was to offer the sacrifice and cleanse the candlestick and the altar of incense; the third for the priest who should burn incense; and the fourth appointing those who were to lay the sacrifice and meat offering on the altar, and pour out the drink offering. There are said to have been twenty thousand priests in Christ ‘s time, so that no priest would ever offer incense more than once.
Temple [] . The sanctuary. See on Mt 4:5.
Burn incense [] . Only here in New Testament. The incensing priest and his assistans went first to the altar of burnt offering, and filled a golden censer with incense, and placed burning coals from the altar in a golden bowl. As they passed into the court from the Holy Place they struck a large instrument called the Magrephah, which summoned all the ministers to their places. Ascending the steps to the holy place, the priests spread the coals on the golden altar, and arranged the incense, and the chief officiating priest was then left alone within the Holy Place to await the signal of the president to burn the incense. It was probably at this time that the angel appeared to Zacharias. When the signal was given, the whole multitude withdrew from the inner court, and fell down before the Lord. Silence pervaded the temple, while within, the clouds of incense rose up before Jehovah. (For a more detailed account see Edersheim, “The Temple, its Ministry,” etc.).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “According to the custom of the priest’s office,” (kata to ethos tes hierateias) “in harmony with the custom or ethical practice of the priesthood,” on one day of his weekly ministration of priestly service. The custom was to burn a morning and evening sacrifice upon the altar of sacrifice, Exo 30:7-8.
2) “His lot was to burn incense,” (elache tou thumasai) “His lot or turn was to burn incense;” The part of priest was assigned by lot. Three were employed at the altar for the offering of incense, to make intercession for the people. This was the most distinguished part of the services.
3) “When he went into the temple of the Lord.” (eiselthon eis ton naon tou kuriou) “Upon entering into the shrine or temple proper, of the Lord.” Each of these three priests performed four duties in connection with the incense offering service:
a) They removed the ashes of the former service.
b) They brought a pan of hot, burning coals in from the altar of burnt offering to place on the golden altar of incense.
c) They sprinkled the incense upon the hot coals.
d) While the incense smoke arose they interceded to God for the people of Israel, Rev 8:3-4.
Zacharias was thus engaged when an angel of God appeared to him, Luk 1:11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
9. According to the custom of the priest’s office The law enjoined that incense should be offered twice every day, that is, every morning and at even, (Exo 30:7.) The order of courses among the priests had been appointed by David, as we have already explained; and, consequently, what is here stated as to incense was expressly enjoined by the law of God. The other matters had been arranged by David, (1Ch 24:3,) that each family might have its own turn, though David ordained nothing which was not prescribed by the law: he only pointed out a plan by which they might individually perform the service which God had commanded.
The word temple ( νὰος) is here put for the holy place; which deserves attention, for it sometimes includes the outer court. Now, Zacharias is spoken of as going into the temple, which none but priests were permitted to enter. And so Luke says that the people stood without, there being a great distance between them and the altar of incense; for the altar on which the sacrifices were offered intervened. It ought to be observed also that Luke says before God: for whenever the priest entered into the holy place, he went, as it were, into the presence of God, that he might be a mediator between him and the people. For it was the will of the Lord to have this impressed upon his people, that no mortal is allowed to have access to heaven, without a priest going before; nay that, so long as men live on the earth, they do not approach the heavenly throne, so as to find favor there, but in the person of the Mediator. Now, as there were many priests, there were not two of them permitted to discharge, at the same time, the solemn office of intercession for the people; but they were so arranged in classes, that only one entered the Holy Place, and thus there was but one priest at a time. The design of the incense was to remind believers that the sweet savor of their prayers does not ascend to heaven except through the sacrifice of the Mediator; and in what manner those figures apply to us must be learned from the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9)His lot was to burn incense.The order of the courses was, as has been said, one of rotation. The distribution of functions during the week was determined by lot. That of offering incense, symbolising, as it did, the priestly work of presenting the prayers of the people, and joining his own with them (Psa. 141:2; Rev. 5:8), was of all priestly acts the most distinctive (2Ch. 26:18). At such a moment all the hopes of one who looked for the Christ as the consolation of Israel would gather themselves into one great intercession.
Into the temple of the Lordi.e., the Holy Place, into which none but the priests might enter.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. To burn the incense The composition of the sacred incense for the altar ( which the Jews were forbidden to make for private use) is given in Exo 30:34-38. It was in the performance of the service placed in a vase or cup, called the censer, upon the Golden Altar in the Holy Place, with burning coals beneath, producing by its smoke a powerful perfume, filling the Temple with its fragrance. As it was within the MOST HOLY, on the Sacred Ark, between the Cherubim, that God the King of Israel dwelt, whose house the Temple was, so the bread, the candlestick, and the incense were all, symbolically, furnishings for him.
Some have incorrectly supposed that Zacharias was High Priest. But that pontiff’s duty was to enter the MOST HOLY once a year to make expiation for the people; namely, on the great day of atonement.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Luk 1:9. His lot Because some parts of the sacred service were more honourable than others, both the priests and Levites divided the whole among them by lot. The Jews tell us, that there were three priests employed about the service of the incense; one carried away the ashes left on the altar at the preceding service; another brought a pan of burning coals from the altar of sacrifice, and, having placed it on the golden altar, departed; a thirdwent in with the incense, sprinkled it on the burning coals, and, while the smoke ascended, made intercession for the people. This was the part that fell to Zacharias, and the most honourable in the whole service. Dr. Heylin renders this verse, According to the custom of distributing the sacerdotal functions, the lot fell upon him to enter into the sanctuary, and offer incense.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
Ver. 9. To burn incense ] In the incense of prayer, how many sweet spices are burned together, by the fire of faith, as humility, love, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9, 10. (not )] This was the most honourable office which was allotted among the priests each day, and the same person could not serve it more than once. On the manner of casting the lots, see Lightfoot in loc.
. = to go in and to burn incense. The gen. is in government after the verb : see Winer, 44. 4. a . This verb commonly governs an accusative, but now and then a genitive: see Khner, 521: and cf. Il. . 76.
] the holy place: see Heb 9:1-6 , and Exo 30:7 .
An account of John Hyrcanus the high-priest having a vision at the time of offering incense occurs Jos. Antt. xiii. 10. 3: , , , . . Here also we have the people outside (in the courts of the men and women): their prayers were offered while the incense was burnt , as the smoke was symbolical of the ascent of prayer, Rev 8:3-4 .
It appears, from the allotment having been just mentioned, to have been the morning incense burning. So Meyer. Theophylact and others understand the whole as describing the entry into the Holy of holies on the great day of Atonement, Lev 16 . But this is manifestly an error: for it would necessitate Zacharias having been high-priest, which he never was; and in this case there would have been no casting of lots.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 1:9 . is to be connected with : casting lots, the customary manner of settling who was to have the honour. is to be connected with , not with . The meaning is that entering the sanctuary was the necessary preliminary to offering incense: in one sense a superfluous remark (Hahn), yet worth making in view of the sacredness of the place. A great affair to get entrance into the .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
According to. Greek. kata. App-104.
his lot was = it fell to him by lot.
to burn incense. Greek. thumiao. Occurs only here in N.T. incense. The first recorded use of incense by man began in disobedience (Num 16:6), and the last ended in unbelief (Luk 1:20),
when he went = going.
into. Greek eis. App-104.
the Temple = The Naos, or Shrine; i.e. “the Holy Place”. Not
hieron (the Temple courts). See note on Mat 23:1, Mat 23:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9, 10. (not )] This was the most honourable office which was allotted among the priests each day, and the same person could not serve it more than once. On the manner of casting the lots, see Lightfoot in loc.
. = to go in and to burn incense. The gen. is in government after the verb : see Winer, 44. 4. a. This verb commonly governs an accusative, but now and then a genitive: see Khner, 521: and cf. Il. . 76.
] the holy place: see Heb 9:1-6, and Exo 30:7.
An account of John Hyrcanus the high-priest having a vision at the time of offering incense occurs Jos. Antt. xiii. 10. 3: , , , . . Here also we have the people outside (in the courts of the men and women):-their prayers were offered while the incense was burnt, as the smoke was symbolical of the ascent of prayer, Rev 8:3-4.
It appears, from the allotment having been just mentioned, to have been the morning incense burning. So Meyer. Theophylact and others understand the whole as describing the entry into the Holy of holies on the great day of Atonement, Leviticus 16. But this is manifestly an error: for it would necessitate Zacharias having been high-priest, which he never was; and in this case there would have been no casting of lots.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 1:9. , he was allotted the office) The functions of the priests were distributed by lot.[5]- , of burning incense) Exo 30:1, etc.
[5] This was so, according to S. R. D. Crusius, Hypomn. P. I., p. 41, partly for the sake of order, partly to avoid contentions. Comp. 1Ch 24:4-5.-E. B.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
his: Exo 30:7, Exo 30:8, Exo 37:25-29, Num 16:40, 1Sa 2:28, 1Ch 6:49, 1Ch 23:13, 2Ch 26:16, 2Ch 29:11, Heb 9:6
Reciprocal: Lev 2:1 – frankincense Lev 10:1 – put incense Deu 33:10 – they shall put incense 2Ki 11:5 – that enter 2Ch 13:11 – sweet incense 2Ch 23:4 – entering Psa 141:2 – as incense Son 4:6 – the mountain Luk 18:10 – into Heb 10:11 – daily
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
This custom of the priest’s office is described in Exo 30:7-10.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
[According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was, etc.] “The ruler of the Temple saith, Come ye, and cast your lots [that it may be determined] who shall kill the sacrifice, who sprinkle the blood, who sweep the inner altar; who cleanse the candlestick, who carry the parts [of the sacrifice] to the ascent of the altar; the head, the leg, the two shoulders, the tail of the back bone, the other leg, the breast, the gullet, the two sides, the entrails, the flour, the two loaves, and the wine. He hath it, to whom it happens by lot.”
“The room Gazith [in which the lots were cast] was in the form of a large hall: the casting of the lots was on the east side of it, some elder sitting on the west [Gloss: Some elder of the Sanhedrim, that instructed them in the custom and manner of casting the lot.] the priests stood about in circle; and the ruler coming, snatched off a cap from the head of this or that person, and by that they understood where the lot was to begin.”
“They stood in a circle; and the ruler, coming, snatches off a cap from the head of this or that man: from him the lot begins to be reckoned, every one lifting up his finger at each number. The ruler also saith, ‘In whomsoever the number ends, he obtains this or that office by lot: and he declares the number’; e.g., there is, it may be, the number one hundred, or threescore, according to the multitude of the priests standing round. He begins to reckon from the person whose cap he snatched off, and numbers round till the whole number is run out. Now, in whomsoever the number terminates, he obtains that office about which the lot was concerned. And so it is in all the lots.”
I will not inquire at present whether this casting of lots was every day, or whether for the whole week, wherein such or such a course performed its attendance. It seems that at this time the number, whatever it was, for the choice of one to burn incense, ended in our Zacharias: whose work and business in this office, let it not be thought tedious to the reader to take an account of in these following passages:
[To burn incense.] “He whose lot it was to burn incense took a vessel containing the quantity of three cabs; in the midst of which there was a censer full and heaped up with incense; over which there was a cover.”
“He to whom the lot fell of the vessel wherein the coals were to be taken up; takes it and goes up to the top of the altar; and there, stirring the fire about, takes out some of the hottest coals, and, going down, pours them into a golden vessel.”
“When they had come from hence to the space between the altar and the porch of the Temple, one of them tinkles a little bell; by which, if any of the priests be without doors, he knows that his brethren the priests are about to worship: so that he makes all speed, and enters in. The Levite knows his brethren the Levites are beginning to sing, so he makes haste, and enters in too. Then the chief head or ruler of the course for that time sets all the unclean in the east gate of the court, that they may be sprinkled with blood.”
“When they were about to go up the steps of the porch, those whose lot it was to sweep off the ashes from the inner altar and the candlestick went up first; he that was to sweep the altar went in first, takes the vessel, worships, and goes out.”
“He who, by lot, had the vessel for gathering up the coals, placeth them upon the inner altar, lays them all about to the brim of the vessel, then worships and goes out.”
“He who was to burn the incense takes the censer from the midst of the vessel wherein it was, and gives it to one standing by. If any incense had been scattered in the vessel, he gives it him into his hand; scatters the incense upon the coals, and goes out. He does not burn the incense till the ruler bids him do it.”
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Luk 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 this occasion, was allotted to the same person but once, i.e., for one day during the week of service.
To enter into the temple of the Lord, i.e., the holy place. Beyond this only the high-priest could go.
And burn incense. At the time of the morning and of the evening sacrifice. The sacrifice was offered on the great altar of burnt-offering, which stood outside in the court of the priests. One priest took fire from this altar to the altar of incense, and then left the priest, whose duty it was to bum incense, alone in the holy place; the latter (Zacharias in this case), at a signal from the priest presiding at the sacrifice, kindled the incense.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luk 1:9. His lot was to burn incense Because some parts of the sacred service were more honourable than others, both the priests and Levites divided the whole among them by lot. The Jews tell us, that there were three priests employed about the service of the incense; one who carried away the ashes left on the altar at the preceding service; another who brought a pan of burning coals from the altar of sacrifice, and, having placed it on the golden altar, departed; a third, who went in with the incense, sprinkled it on the burning coals, and, while the smoke ascended, made intercession for the people. This was the part that fell to Zacharias, and the most honourable in the whole service. Macknight. When he went into the temple of the Lord As the original word here is not , but , it ought to have been rendered, the house, or sanctuary. The former word, properly signifying the temple, comprehended the whole edifice, with all its enclosures, piazzas, and other buildings; the latter included only what is termed, by way of eminence, the house, consisting of the vestibule, the holy place or sanctuary, and the most holy. The altar of incense, on which the perfumes were burned, was in the sanctuary; the people who were praying without, were in the temple, , in the court of Israel, though not in what was strictly called the house of God. See note on Mat 21:12.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 9
The description of the altar of incense, and of the institution of the rite, is contained in Exodus 30:1-8. Burning the incense in the temple was a duty of the highest interest and solemnity. The number of priests was so large that the falling of the lot to any individual was an important event in his life. He was to go alone into one of the most magnificent apartments in the world, and one which was connected, in the mind of every Jew, with associations of the deepest religious veneration and awe. There he was to perform a most solemn ceremony,–to burn incense, in the very antechamber, and almost in the presence of Jehovah, while thousands were waiting without in silence and solemnity. Thus this first announcement of the approach of the Messiah was made at a time and in a place in keeping with the moral grandeur of the events involved in the annunciation.
Luke 1:11,12. There is something mysterious in the strange, unearthly terror, with which the idea of any communication from the world of spirits is associated in the minds of men, in all ages of the world, and under every variety of circumstance. What had Zacharias to fear?
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
1:9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the {n} temple of the Lord.
(n) The temple was one, and the court another, for Zacharias went out of the court (or outward room) where all the people were (and therefore they are said to be without) and into the temple.