Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 1:14
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
14. gladness ] Rather, exultation, Luk 1:44; Act 2:46; Heb 1:9.
many ] The Pharisees and leading Jews did not accept John’s baptism (Luk 7:30; Mat 21:27), and his influence, except among a few, seems to have been shortlived.
“There burst he forth: ‘All ye whose hopes rely
On God, with me amid these deserts mourn,
Repent, repent, and from old errors turn!’
Who listened to his voice, obeyed his cry?
Only the echoes which he made relent
Rang from their flinty caves Repent! repent!”
Drummond.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Many shall rejoice at his birth – This does not refer so much to the time of his birth as to the subsequent rejoicing. Such will be his character, that he will be an honor to the family, and many will rejoice that he lived: or, in other words, he will be a blessing to mankind.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Luk 1:14
Many shall rejoice at his birth
An ideal child
Could some parents foresee how wicked some of their children would become, instead of rejoicing, they would grieve at their birth; they would wish they had never been born.
John, however, was to be a great comfort and honour to his parents. And many besides of their acquaintances, and of the people at large, were to rejoice when they should see that the circumstance of his birth, and of his early life, prognosticated that he was to become a public blessing. Four leading particulars are mentioned, on account of which men should rejoice.
1. His eminence in wisdom and piety. Great in the sight of the Lord. A holy and devoted servant of God, and preacher of righteousness.
2. His unworldliness. A Nazarite (Num 6:1-27.). Not only the ministers, but all the people of God, should abstain from sin, be temperate in all things, superior to earthly pleasures and cares, and a peculiar people in all respects, distinguished from men of the world.
3. His spiritual-mindedness. Conceived in sin like others, yet filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mothers womb. Argument in favour of infant baptism: born in sin, and capable of regeneration, why should they not be admitted to the sacrament? Happy they who are indeed filled with the Holy Ghost and sanctified from infancy! They never know what it is to have a mind altogether dark, or a heart altogether depraved. They cannot remember the time when there was not in them a prevalent tendency to what is good.
4. His usefulness. Resembling Elijah
(a) in the bent of his mind;
(b) in the success of his ministry. (James Foote, M. A.)
Prophetic description of the Baptist
Here the angel declares to Zachary, what kind of son should be born unto him, even one of eminent endowments, and designed for extraordinary services. The proof of children makes them either the blessings or crosses of their parents. What greater comfort could Zachary desire in a child, than is here promised to him?
1. He hears of a son that should bring joy, to himself and many others; even to all who expected the coming of the Messiah, whose forerunner the Baptist was.
2. That he should be great in the sight of the Lord: that is, a person of great eminence and great usefulness in the Church. A person of great riches and reputation is great in the sight of men; but the man of great ability and usefulness, integrity and serviceableness, is truly great in the sight of the Lord. They are little men in the sight of the Lord, who live in the world to little purpose; who do little service to God, and bring little honour and glory to Him.
3. It is foretold that he should drink neither wine nor strong drink; that is, he should be a very temperate and abstemious person, living after the manner of the Nazarites, though he was not separated by any vow of his own, or his parents, but by the special designation and appointment of God only. It was forbidden the priests under the law to drink either wine or strong drink, upon pain of death, during the time of their ministration Lev 10:9). And the ministers of Christ under the gospel are forbidden to be lovers of wine (1Ti 3:3).
4. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb; that is, he shall be furnished abundantly with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, which shall very early appear to be in him, and upon him.
5. His high and honourable office is declared; that he should go before the Messiah, as His harbinger and forerunner, with the same spirit and zeal and courage against sin, which was found in the old prophet Elias, whom he so nearly resembled.
6. The great success of his ministry is foretold; that he should turn the hearts of the fathers, &c. (W. Burkitt, M. A.)
Social joys
There is a joy which overflows the domestic goblet, and goes out to make strangers glad. Every life ought to be a social bless-rag. The religious man always is so–necessarily, because he does not live unto himself. (Dr. Parker.)
Useful lives
How many I could quote to whose labours we owe the precious discoveries which daily add to our welfare and our comfort! Who has not rejoiced at the birth of him who discovered the art, at once so wonderful, and so easy, of printing. What an agent of progress that man has been, and what treasures of knowledge he has helped to spread all over the world. And which of us, when hurried along at full speed over some of our railways towards those we love, or on a pleasant trip to some beautiful country, has not blessed the memory of Papin, the unlucky inventor of the steam engine, who suffered so much for the sake of science. (A. Decoppel.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. Thou shalt have joy, c.] , He will be joy and gladness to thee. A child of prayer and faith is likely to be a source of comfort to his parents. Were proper attention paid to this point, there would be fewer disobedient children in the world and the number of broken-hearted parents would be lessened. But what can be expected from the majority of matrimonial connections, connections begun without the fear of God, and carried on without his love.
Many shall rejoice at his birth.] He shall be the minister of God for good to multitudes, who shall, through his preaching, be turned from the error of their ways, and converted to God their Saviour.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
None ought to have so mean thoughts of these words of the angel, as to think that they are only expressive of that affection which commonly discovereth itself in us when God giveth us sons, especially after a long barrenness, but of a further joy and gladness his parents should have upon a spiritual account, afterwards expressed.
Many shall rejoice at his birth: they rejoiced in his light, Joh 5:36, the glad tidings of the Messiah being come into the world, which he brought. The papists think they have a ground here for their holy day they keep to his honour, and their apish, carnal rejoicing, which certainly was not so valuable a thing as for an angel to foretell. The angel speaks of the great acceptation with the people (many of them) which Johns doctrine should have, so that, as our Saviour saith, from his days the kingdom of heaven suffered violence, and the violent did take it by force. But he further openeth his meaning in the following verses.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. shall rejoiceso they did(Luk 1:58; Luk 1:66);but the meaning rather is, “shall have cause to rejoice”itwould prove to many a joyful event.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shalt have joy and gladness,…. Not only because of his having a son; but because this his son would be the prophet of the Highest; would go before the Lord, and prepare his ways; give knowledge of salvation to many, and light to them that were in darkness, and guide their feet in the way of peace: all which, and more, he afterwards expresses in his song, whereby this part of the angel’s prediction had its accomplishment:
and many shall rejoice at his birth; as the neighbours and cousins of his parents did; see Lu 1:58 and not only they, but all others, who, afterwards had knowledge of him as prophet, and as the forerunner of the Messiah.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gladness (). Only in the LXX and N.T. so far as known. A word for extreme exultation.
Rejoice (). Second future passive indicative. The coming of a prophet will indeed be an occasion for rejoicing.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Joy and gladness [ ] . The latter word exprsses exultant joy. See on 1Pe 1:6.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And thou shalt have joy and gladness;” (kai estai chara soi kai agalliasis) “And you shall have joy and gladness,” occasion for exultation, exceeding joy, joy in the highest degree, spiritual joy, because through John’s ministry many should be “turned to the Lord,” by him, Luk 1:16.
2) “And many shall rejoice at his birth.” (kai polloi epi te genesei autou charesontai) “And many people will rejoice over his birth,” at the time of birth itself, but especially at his life of service that followed the prophesied will of God, Luk 1:58; Isa 40:1-3; Mat 3:1-3. There was therefore not only joy to the parents but also to those many whom his preaching later blessed, Php_4:4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
14. He shall be to thee joy The angel describes a greater joy than what Zacharias could derive from the recent birth of a child; for he informs him that he would have such a son as he had not even ventured to wish. He even proceeds farther to state that the joy would not be domestic, enjoyed by the parents alone, or confined within private walls, but shared alike by strangers, to whom the advantage of his birth should be made known. It is as if the angel had said that a son would be born not to Zacharias alone, but would be the Teacher and Prophet of the whole people. The Papists have abused this passage for the purpose of introducing a profane custom in celebrating the birth-day of John. I pass over the disorderly scene of a procession accompanied by dancing and leaping, and licentiousness of every description, strangely enough employed in observing a day which they pretend to hold sacred, and even the amusements authorized on that day taken from magical arts and diabolical tricks, closely resembling the mysteries of the goddess Ceres. It is enough for me, at present, to show briefly that they absurdly torture the words of the angel to mean the annual joy of a birth-day, while the angel restricts his commendation to that joy which all godly persons would derive from the advantage of his instruction. They rejoiced that a prophet was born to them, by whose ministry they were led to the hope of salvation,
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) Many shall rejoice.The words point to what had been the priests prayer. He had been seeking the joy of many rather than his own, and now the one was to be fruitful in the other.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”
And through the birth of this son he will have joy and gladness. But that joy and gladness will not be for him alone. It will be for many. For many will rejoice at his birth. And that will be because of what his son will be. For his son will be great in the eyes of the Lord, and will not need to be fortified by wine and strong drink. For from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Thus both for his strength, and for his joy and satisfaction, he will look only to the Holy Spirit of God. He will turn his back on wine and strong drink and rely only on God for his greatness, which will be a greatness as seen in God’s eyes, and from God’s point of view. He will not require the pleasures of life, or the wine that the world takes in order to fortify itself. Instead his heart will be taken up with God.
He will be ‘filled (pimplemi) with the Holy Spirit’ even from before his birth. This phrase has special significance in Luke. ‘Filling (pimplemi) with the Holy Spirit’ is always in Luke’s writings (where it only appears) a filling that produces inspired words. In almost all cases it is a temporary experience. But for John (and later for Paul – Act 9:17) it will be permanent. So John will be a permanently inspired man, right from his very birth. In other words from the very womb he is called to be a prophet of God. (We must distinguish being filled (pimplemi) with the Holy Spirit, from being filled (pleroo) with the Holy Spirit and being full (pleres) of the Holy Spirit. It is the latter two which are for all Christians and have some permanence).
Drinking wine and strong drink has always been the way in which man fortifies himself for what he has to face. By it man dulls his senses. And it was seen as indicating worldly sophistication as against natural purity, and as the main source of man’s happiness. It was the sign of those who dwelt in large houses or cities, or who enjoyed worldly pleasures and aims. Thus John was to abstain from all forms of ‘worldliness’, and from any need to ‘fortify’ himself. He would need neither the one nor the other. God would be both his joy and his strength. To the pure soul who lived in the wilderness, away from the world and alone with God, such things would not be available, nor would they be desired. Rather he would become strong in God.
He was not being called on to be a permanent Nazirite, for no mention is made of growing his hair, but all would recognise that this signified that he was called to a special dedication. Priests on duty were also expected to abstain from wine and strong drink (Lev 10:9). The idea may be that as the son of a priest he was to see himself as always on duty. However, there is nothing about his ministry that suggests that he saw himself as involved in priestly action. Thus he would be distinct both from Nazirites and priests and would be a mixture of the best in both, and he was being paralleled with those who had been set apart by God in the past (Jdg 13:7). To abstain from wine and strong drink was a sign of special separation to holiness (Num 6:3, contrast Amo 2:12).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
Ver. 14. Thou shalt have joy ] This is not every father’s happiness. Many fathers are forced through grief for their untoward children to wish to die, as Elijah did when he sat under the juniper, and as Moses did when wearied out by the people,Num 11:15Num 11:15 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 1:14 . , , a joy, an exultation; joy in higher, highest degree: joy over a son late born, and such a son as he will turn out to be. : a joy not merely to parents as a child, but to many as a man.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
joy and gladness. Figure of speech Hendiadys (App-6) = joy, yea exultant joy.
at = upon[the occasion of]. Greek. epi. App-104., as in Luk 1:29.
birth = bringing forth. Greek gennao, used of the mother. See note on Mat 1:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 1:14. , shall rejoice) Luk 1:58; Luk 1:66.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Luk 1:58, Gen 21:6, Pro 15:20, Pro 23:15, Pro 23:24
Reciprocal: Ecc 3:4 – a time to laugh Jer 20:15 – A man Luk 7:28 – Among
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
Not only was Zacharias to rejoice over this son, but many others would have reason to be glad for his birth because of the great work he was to do in preparing a people for the king of heaven.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 1:14. Many, etc. The promise was not for the father alone; hence the prayer was probably general.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here the angel declares to Zacharias, what kind of son should be born unto him, even one of eminent endowments, and designed for extraordinary services. The proof of children makes them either the blessings or crosses of their parents. What greater comfort could Zacharias desire in a child, than is here promised to him?
1. He hears of a son that should bring joy to himself, and many others; even to all that did expect the coming of the Messias, whose forerunner the Baptist was.
2. That he should be great in the sight of the Lord; that is, a person of great eminency, and great usefulness, in the church.
A person of great riches and reputatuion is great in the sight of men; but the man of great ability and usefulness, the man of great integrity and serviceableness, he is truly great in the sight of the Lord. They are little men in the sight of the Lord, that live in the world to little purposes; who do little service to God, and bring little honour and glory to him. But the man that does all the possible service he can for God, and the utmost good he is capable of doing to all mankind; he is a person great in the sight of the Lord; and such was the holy Baptist.
3. It is foretold, that he should neither drink wine nor strong drink, that is, that he should be a very temperate and abstemious person, living after the manner of the Nazarites, though he was not separated by any vow of his own or his parents; but by the special designation and appointment of God only, it was forbidden the priest, under the law, to drink either wine or strong drink, upon pain of death, during the time of their ministration, Lev 10:9 and the ministers of Christ under the gospel, are forbidden to be lovers of wine. 1Ti 3:3.
4. He shall be filled witt he Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb; that is, he shall be furnished abundantly with the extraordinary gifts and sanctifying graces of the Holy Spirit, which shall very early appear to be in him, and upon him.
5. His high and honourable office is declared, that he shall go before the Messias, as his harbinger and fore-runner, with the same spirit of zeal and courage against sin, which was found in the old prophet Elias, whom he did so nearly resemble.
6. The great success of his ministry is foretold, namely, That he should turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; that is, the hearts of the Jews to the Gentiles, say some; that he should bring men say others, even the most disobedient and rebellious Pharisees and Sadducees, Publicans and sinners, unto repentance, unto the minding of justice and righteousness, and all moral duties; and thus he made ready a people for the Lord, by fitting men to receive Christ upon his own terms and conditions; namely, faith and repentance.
From the whole, note, that those whom Almighty God designs for eminent usefulness in his church, he furnishes with endowments suitable to their employemnt; and when he calls to extraordinary service, comes in with more than ordinary assistance. Here was the holy Baptist extraordinarily called, and as extraordinarily furnished, for his office and ministry.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Luk 1:14-16. Thou shalt have joy and gladness He shall be such a son as thou shalt have reason to rejoice in. As if he had said, Many parents, if they could foresee what their children will prove, instead of rejoicing at their birth, would wish they had never been. But I will tell thee what thy son will be; and then thou wilt not need to rejoice with trembling, as the best must do at the birth of their children, but thou mayest rejoice with triumph. And many shall rejoice with thee All the relations of the family will rejoice on the occasion, and all its well-wishers; yea, and all good people, that are made acquainted with the circumstances of the case, and with the character and office the child shall bear. The word , rendered gladness, properly answers to the word exultation, or leaping for joy See 1Pe 1:8; 1Pe 4:13; Mat 5:12. For he shall be great A person of extraordinary eminence and usefulness, and that not only in the opinion of men, but in the sight of the Lord The sovereign and infallible Judge. Those are great indeed, that are so in Gods sight, not those that are so in the eye of a vain and carnal world. John was to be great in respect of his character, his office, his inspiration, and the success of his ministry, as the angel here explains the expression. And shall drink neither wine nor strong drink As he is to preach repentance, and the crucifixion of all sinful lusts, affections, and dispositions, in order to the remission of sins, he shall show mankind a pattern of that self-denial which he enjoins; wholly avoiding a delicate and self-indulging way of living, and being remarkable for his continued abstinence and mortification. By the word , here rendered strong drink, fermented liquor of every kind seems to be intended. Some would confine the term to a liquor made of dates, the fruit of the palm-tree, a drink much used in the East: but there does not appear to be any sufficient reason for such a limitation of its meaning. The word is originally Hebrew, , shecher, and is rendered by Buxtorf, inebrians potus, inebriating drink. All fermented liquors, therefore, as being capable of producing this effect, must be understood as implied in it. It is distinguished from wine, Lev 10:9; Num 6:3; and elsewhere. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb Shall be influenced by the Spirit of God, even from the instant of his birth, sanctifying his nature, and communicating into him wisdom and piety in an extraordinary measure, to qualify him for the high and important office to which he is designated. In Scripture, to be filled with the Holy Ghost, commonly signifies, that degree of inspiration by which the prophets anciently spake. Accordingly in this chapter it is applied to Elisabeth, to Mary, and to Zacharias, in cases where they all spake by a particular afflatus. When the angel, therefore, told Zacharias that his son should be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb, his meaning (at least in part) was, that he should be very early inspired to teach the doctrines and precepts, of true religion. Nor will this seem strange, when it is remembered, that at the age of twelve years our Lord exercised his prophetical gifts among the doctors in the temple. Macknight. Many of the children of Israel shall he turn By true repentance and unfeigned faith, productive of new obedience; to the Lord their God Whose ways they have so generally forsaken, even while they are professing themselves to be his peculiar people, and boasting in such an extraordinary relation to him. In this way John was to prove his divine mission.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joy would replace fear in Zechariah’s heart and spread to his wife and then to all Israel. The coming of Israel’s predicted Messiah would be a joyous event according to the Old Testament. The theme of joy is prominent in Luke’s Gospel.
The cause of joy would be John’s spiritual greatness. The same angel also announced that Jesus would be great without qualification (Luk 1:32). Thus there was a connection between the roles of John and Jesus. The phrase "in the sight of" the Lord indicates God’s choice and approval. It translates a Greek word, enopion, which only Luke among the synoptic writers used. It appears 35 times in Luke and Acts. [Note: Martin, p. 204.] John used this word once, in Joh 20:30.
"Filling [with the Holy Spirit] is a general Lucan term for presence and enablement." [Note: Bock, "A Theology . . .," p. 98.]
The connection between control by drink and control by the Holy Spirit occurs elsewhere in Scripture (Eph 5:18). It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine if John was to be a Nazirite (Num 6:1-12) or simply devoted to God. The priests were to refrain from strong drink before serving in the sanctuary (Lev 10:1-4; Lev 10:9-11). There are no other specific indications that John was a Nazirite, though he may have been. His ascetic lifestyle was similar to that of many prophets, particularly Elijah (Luk 1:17; 2Ki 1:8; Mat 3:4).
"John’s greatness is not found in his choice of lifestyle, but in the fact that in understanding his calling, he pursues it fully and carries out God’s will faithfully. John’s style will be different from that of Jesus. God does not make all people to minister in the same way. That diversity allows different types of ministry to impact different kinds of people." [Note: Idem, Luke, pp. 53-54.]
The Holy Spirit’s influence in his life was unusual for someone living in Old Testament times. Normally the Holy Spirit empowered people selectively and temporarily then. Luke had a special interest in the Holy Spirit’s enabling ministry that surfaces frequently in his writings (cf. Luk 1:35; Luk 1:41; Luk 1:67; Luk 2:25-27; Luk 3:16; Luk 3:22; Luk 4:1; Luk 4:14; Luk 4:18; Luk 10:21; Luk 11:13; Luk 12:10; Luk 12:12; and many times in Acts).