Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 1:68
Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
68. Blessed ] This hymn of praise is hence called the Benedictus. It has been in use in Christian worship perhaps as far back as the days of St Benedict in the sixth century, and it was early recognised that it is the last Prophecy of the Old Dispensation, and the first of the New, and furnishes a kind of key to the evangelical interpretation of all prophecies. It is also a continual acknowledgment of the Communion of Saints under the two dispensations; for it praises God for the salvation which has been raised up for all ages out of the house of His servant David, and according to the ancient covenant which He made with Abraham (see Rom 4:11; Gal 3:29). Blunt, Annotated Prayer Book, p. 16.
the Lord God ] Rather, the Lord, the God.
redeemed ] Literally, “ made a ransom for.” Tit 2:14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blessed – See the notes at Mat 5:3.
Hath visited – The word here rendered visited means properly to look upon; then to look upon in order to know the state of anyone; then to visit for the purpose of aiding those who need aid, or alleviating misery. Compare Mat 25:43. In this sense it is used here. God looked upon the world – he saw it miserable – he came to relieve it, and brought salvation.
And redeemed – That is, was about to redeem, or had given the pledge that he would redeem. This was spoken under the belief that the Messiah, the Redeemer, was about to appear, and would certainly accomplish his work. The literal translation of this passage is, He hath made a ransom for his people. A ransom was the price paid to deliver a captive taken in war. A is a prisoner taken in war by B. B has a right to detain him as a prisoner by the laws of war, but C offers B a price if he will release A and suffer him to go at liberty. The price which he pays, and which must be satisfactory to B – that is, be a reason to B why he should release him is called a price or ransom. Men are sinners. They are bound over to just punishment by the law. The law is holy, and God, as a just governor, must see that the law is honored and the wicked punished; but if anything can be done which will have the same good effect as the punishment of the sinner, or which will be an equivalent for it – that is, be of equal value to the universe – God may consistently release him.
If he can show the same hatred of sin, and deter others from sinning, and secure the purity of the sinner, the sinner may be released. Whatever will accomplish this is called a ransom, because it is, in the eye of God, a sufficient reason why the sinner should not be punished; it is an equivalent for his sufferings, and God is satisfied. The blood of Jesus – that is, his death in the place of sinners constitutes such a ransom. It is in their stead. It is for them. It is equivalent to their punishment. It is not itself a punishment, for that always supposes personal crime, but it is what God is pleased to accept in the place of the eternal sufferings of the sinner. The king of the Locrians made a law that an adulterer should be punished with the loss of his eyes. His son was the first offender, and the father decreed that his son should lose one eye, and he himself one also. This was the ransom. He showed his love, his regard for the honor of his law, and the determination that the guilty should not escape. So God gave his Son a ransom to show his love, his regard to justice, and his willingness to save people; and his Son, in his death, was a ransom. He is often so called in the New Testament, Mat 20:28; Mar 10:45; Tit 2:14; Heb 9:12. For a fuller view of the nature of a ransom, see the notes at Rom 3:24-25.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Luk 1:68
Visited and redeemed His people
Visited
1.
To visit is the work of one that comes to do a charitable office to a sick person, according to that place (Mat 25:1-46.), I was sick and ye visited Me. So Christ came into this world because it languished of a sore disease.
2. To give a visit to another is a voluntary courtesy, an act of kindness that hath no compulsion or unwillingness in it: for he that visits any place or persons, if he did not like them he might keep away; but you cannot imagine more promptness and readiness in any one than there was in our Saviour, to be humbled to that baseness to take our nature upon him.
3. There is not only willingness, but friendliness in the appellation: no man visits another but in the profession of a friend; therefore St. Paul says upon the Incarnation (Tit 3:4), the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. (Bishop Hacket.)
Redeemed
1. Now captivity must be presupposed on our part, because we did await and expect redemption.
2. As his goodness is amplified from our captivity, so the redemption is the more valuable, because none else could have plucked us out of those fetters but the Holy One, our Lord and Master.
3. And let it make a third animadversion, that the manner of our redemption doth greatly exaggerate the most meritorious compassion of the Redeemer; there hath been redemption wrought by force and victory, so Moses brought the Israelites with an high hand out of the slavery of Egypt: there is a redemption which is wrought by intercession and supplication; so Nehemiah prevailed with King Cyrus, to dismiss the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity: or thirdly, either gold, or silver, or somewhat more precious is laid down to buy out the freedom of that which is in thraldom; thats the most costly and estimable way when value for value is paid; or fourthly, the body of one is surrendered up for the ransom of another, life for life, blood for blood; and greater charity cannot be shown than to bring redemption to pass by such a compensation. So St. Peter extols that act in our Saviour; says he, Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the blood of Christ, as a lamb undefiled. So out of His own mouth (Mat 20:28).
4. As all mankind that is flesh and blood in every man and woman is honoured by His visitation, so all without exceptions are beholden to His redemption. Zachary the priest with all his innocency, who is said to have been blameless and righteous before God, yet he blesseth God that he was redeemed. Having thus spoken of the benefits of visitation and redemption, I should leave my treatise very imperfect if I should not speak of the receivers; very briefly therefore concerning them upon whom all was conferred, He hath visited and redeemed His people. It is certain that the generations of mankind are meant by this word, the sons and daughters of Adam, and none others. (Bishop Hacket.)
Difficulty of defining redemption
If you should expect from me a discourse in which I should explain redemption, I must follow the example of that philosopher of ancient times who, when some asked a definition of God, said I must first ask for a week to prepare my reply; after that week is passed I must ask a second, and again a third, and so on till I had at last declared that I never could end my demand for time. For the more that philosopher meditated on God, the less was he able to give a definition; and the more I meditate on redemption, the less can I explain it. (Adolphe Monod.)
Realizing redemption
Dean Stanley tells us that Dr. Arnold used to make his boys say, Christ died for me, instead of the more general phrase, Christ died for us. He appeared to me, says one whose intercourse with him never extended beyond these lessons. to be remarkable for his habit of realizing everything that we are told in Scripture. (Life of Dr. Arnold.)
Gods great redemption
John Frederick Oberlin put off all earthly comfort to redeem a barren district of France from poverty and ignorance, with his own pick axe beginning the building of a high road from Ban de la Roche up to the city of Strasburg. But here was a highway to be constructed from the squalor of earth to the heights of heaven. Clarkson pleaded before the English Parliament, and the Russian Emperor, against the slave trade. But here was the question of deliverance for a hundred thousand millions of bondmen. Aye! it was the pounding off of an iron chain from the neck of a captive world. I think it was the greatest and most absorbing thought of Gods lifetime. I do not think that there was anything in all the ages of the past, or that there will be in all the ages of the future, anything to equal it, The masterpiece of eternity I There were so many difficulties to be overcome! There were such infinite consequences to be considered! There were such gulfs to bridge, and such heights to scale, and such immensities to compass! If God had been less than omnipotent, He would not have been strong enough; or less than omniscient, I do not think He would have been wise enough; or less loving, would have been sympathetic enough. There might have been a God strong enough to create a universe, and yet too weak to do this. To create the worlds, only a word was necessary; but to do this work required more than a word. It required more than ordinary effort of a God. It required the dying anguish of an Only Son. (Dr. Talmage.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for, c.] Zacharias praises God for two grand benefits which he had granted to his people. 1. He has visited them. 2. He has ransomed them.
1. He speaks by the spirit of prophecy, which calls things that are not, as though they were because they are absolutely determined by the Most High, and shall be all fulfilled in their season. God visits his people in the incarnation of Jesus Christ; therefore this Christ is called by him, , Jehovah the God of Israel. Here the highest and most glorious character of the Supreme Being is given to Christ.
2. This God redeems his people: it is for this end that he visits them. His soul is about to be made a sacrifice for sin: he becomes flesh, that he may suffer and die for the sin of the world. God, by taking upon him the nature of man, has redeemed that nature from eternal ruin.
He hath-redeemed] , he hath made a ransom – laid down the ransom price. signifies particularly to ransom a captive from the enemy, by paying a price. The following remarkable passage from Josephus, Ant. b. xiv. c. 14, sect. 1, fully illustrates this meaning of the original. “Herod, not knowing what had happened to his brother, hastened , to ransom him from the enemy, and was willing to pay , a ransom for him, to the amount of three hundred talents.” Sinners are fallen into the hands of their enemies, and are captives to sin and death. Jesus ransoms them by his own blood, and restores them to life, liberty, and happiness. this truth the whole Bible teaches: this truth God has shown in certain measures, even to those nations who have not been favoured with the light of his written word: for Christ is that true light, which enlightens every man that cometh into the world.
How astonishing is the following invocation of the Supreme Being, (translated from the original Sanscreet by Dr. C. WILKINS,) still existing on a stone, in a cave near she ancient city of Gya, in the East Indies!
“The Deity, who is the Lord, the possessor of all, appeared in this ocean of natural beings, at the beginning of the Kalee Yoog (the age of contention and baseness.) He who is omnipresent and everlastingly to be contemplated, the Supreme Being, the Eternal One, the Divinity worthy to be adored-APPEARED here with a PORTION of his DIVINE NATURE. Reverence be unto thee in the form of (a) Bood-dha! Reverence be unto the Lord of the earth! Reverence be unto thee, an INCARNATION of the Deity, and the Eternal One! Reverence be unto thee, O God, in the form of the God of mercy; the dispeller of pain and trouble, the Lord of all things, the Deity who overcometh the sins of the Kalee Yoog; the guardian of the universe, the emblem of mercy toward those who serve thee – (b) O’M! the possessor of all things in VITAL FORM! Thou art (c) Brahma, Veeshnoo, and Mahesa! Thou art Lord of the universe! Thou art under the form of all things, movable and immovable, the possessor of the whole! and thus I adore thee. Reverence be unto the BESTOWER OF SALVATION, and the Ruler of the faculties! Reverence be unto thee, the DESTROYER of the EVIL SPIRIT! O Damordara, (d) show me favour! I adore thee, who art celebrated by a thousand names, and under various forms, in the shape of Bood-dha, the God of MERCY! Be propitious, O Most High God!”-ASIATIC RESEARCHES, vol. i. pp. 284, 285.
(a) Bood-dha. The name of the Deity, as author of happiness.
(b) O’M. A mystic emblem of the Deity, forbidden to be pronounced but in silence. It is a syllable formed of the Sanscreet letters a, o o, which in composition coalesce, and make o, and the nasal consonant m. The first letter stands for the Creator, the second for the Preserver and the third for the Destroyer. It is the same among the Hindoos as Yehovah is among the Hebrews.
(c) Brahma, the Deity in his creative quality. Veeshnoo, he who filleth all space, the Deity in his preserving quality. Mahesa, the Deity in his destroying quality. This is properly the Hindoo Trinity: for these three names belong to the same Being. See the notes to the Bhagvat Geeta.
(d) Damordara, or Darmadeve, the Indian God of Virtue.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
God is not the God of Israel only, but of all the nations of the earth also; but he is peculiarly called
the God of Israel, both here and in many other places, Psa 41:13; 72:18; Psa 106:48, &c., in regard of the covenant which he had specially made with them, and the special advantages they had, mentioned by the apostle; to them were committed the oracles of God, Rom 3:2; and to them pertained the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, Rom 9:4. Zacharias pronounces God blessed, and desires that he may be blessed, that is, honoured, and celebrated, and spoken well of, for that he had
visited and redeemed his people. The word may be extended to all Gods deliverances of Israel, but it seemeth to be here more specially restrained by what followeth to the redemption by Christ.
And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us. An horn of salvation signifies a mighty, powerful salvation, by a metaphor taken from beasts, which much exert their power by their horns. The beasts ten horns, Dan 7:7, are expounded to be ten kings, Luk 1:24; so Psa 75:10, where David saith he will cut off all the horns of the wicked; so Lam 2:3, where God is said to have cut off all the horn of Israel. In the house of his servant David. This agreeth to the prophecy, Jer 30:9, where Christ is called David; They shall serve the Lord their God, and David their King, whom I will rise up unto them; who is also called a righteous Branch raised unto David, Jer 23:5. God is said to have raised up this horn of salvation in the house of David. The house of David was now down, lapsed and decayed. God promises to raise up to the Israelites a mighty salvation from the house of David. This was fulfilled in Christ.
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began. All the prophets, or many of them at least, prophesied of Christ as the Son of David, and of a great salvation to be raised up to Israel from his house.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
68-79. There is not a word inthis noble burst of divine song about his own child; like Elisabethlosing sight entirely of self, in the glory of a Greater than both.
Lord God of Israeltheancient covenant God of the peculiar people.
visited and redeemedthatis, in order to redeem: returned after long absence, and broken Hislong silence (see Mt 15:31).In the Old Testament, God is said to “visit” chiefly forjudgment, in the New Testament for mercy. Zachariaswould, as yet, have but imperfect views of such “visiting andredeeming,” “saving from and delivering out of the hand ofenemies” (Luk 1:71; Luk 1:74).But this Old Testament phraseology, used at first with a lowerreference, is, when viewed in the light of a loftier and morecomprehensive kingdom of God, equally adapted to express the mostspiritual conceptions of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,…. This was a form of blessing of long standing, Ps 72:18 and very likely was in use, more or less, ever since Israel was distinguished from other nations, became a body politic, and were settled in the land of Canaan, in the enjoyment of peculiar privileges, both civil and religious; see other forms before it in Ge 9:26 and now, this was very near being antiquated, and out of date; for upon the birth of Christ, the Son of God manifest in the flesh, the New Testament form of blessing runs, as in 2Co 1:3 The reason of its being now made use of might be, because the Messiah, the principal subject of this song, was peculiarly promised unto Israel, was raised up for them, and sent unto them. To bless God, is not to invoke a blessing on him; for there is none greater than he to ask one of; nor does he stand in need of any, being the Creator, who is blessed for ever in himself, and is the fountain of blessedness to his creatures: and therefore, also, cannot signify to confer a blessing on him, but to praise and glorify him, on account of the perfections of his nature, and the works of his hands; and to give thanks unto him for all mercies, spiritual and temporal; and especially for Jesus Christ, his mission, incarnation, and salvation by him, which are the things the God of Israel is blessed for in this song:
for he hath visited, and redeemed his people; as he did Israel of old, Ex 3:16 when the Lord looked upon them, and delivered them out of the bondage of Egypt, and which was a type and resemblance of redemption by Christ; and to which reference here seems to be had. The “people” here said to be visited, and redeemed, design all the elect of God, not only among the Jews, but Gentiles also; all those whom God has chosen to be his people, and has in his covenant taken and declared to be such; whom he has given to Christ, as his people and portion; for whose sins he was stricken, and made reconciliation, and whom he saves from their sins. The act of “visiting” them, as previous to redemption, may include God’s look of love upon them from everlasting; his choice of them in Christ unto salvation; the appointment and provision of a Saviour for them; the covenant of grace made with them in Christ, the foundation and security of their salvation; and particularly the mission of Christ in human nature, in consequence of the council, covenant, and promise of God: or it designs his incarnation, for he was now actually conceived in the womb of the virgin: so that God had visited, and looked upon his people, and remembered his love and mercy, his covenant and promise to them: and the “redemption” of them, which was now said to be made, or done, because Christ was now sent to do it, and because it was as sure, as if it was done, intends the spiritual and eternal redemption of them by the price of his blood, from the slavery of sin, the bondage of the law, and curse of it, and the captivity of Satan, and a deliverance out of the hands of every enemy; a redemption which reaches both to soul and body, and secures from all condemnation and wrath to come; and includes every blessing in it, as justification, forgiveness of sins, adoption, sanctification, and eternal life; and is a plenteous, full, complete, and everlasting one.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Hath visited (). An old Greek word with a Hebraic colouring to look into with a view to help. The papyri have plenty of examples of the verb in the sense of inspecting, examining.
Redemption () here originally referred to political redemption, but with a moral and spiritual basis (verses Luke 1:75; Luke 1:77).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;” (eulogetos kurios ho theos tou Israel) “Blessed be (exists) the Lord God of Israel,” the Jehovah of Israel, the one who was to come, Psa 106:48. No word of praise is to himself, Elizabeth, or the child, but to Jesus Christ who was to come. He praises the covenant God for visualized fulfillment of His ancient promise, Gen 17:7.
2) “For he hath visited and redeemed his people,” (hot! epeskepsato kai epoiesen lutrosin to lao autou) “Because he has visited and brought redemption to his people.” He has graciously visited Israel, His chosen people, in fulfillment of His promises, Gen 49:10; Isa 53:1-12. It was so real to Zacharias that, like Isaiah, he spoke in past tense, as if it had already come to pass, Gal 4:4-5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
68. Blessed be the Lord God Zacharias commences with thanksgiving, and in the raptures of the prophetic spirit describes the fulfillment of the redemption formerly promised in Christ, on which the safety and prosperity of the church depended. The reason why the Lord, to whose government the whole world is subject, is here called the God of Israel, will more fully appear from what follows, that to the seed of Abraham, in a peculiar manner, the Redeemer had been promised. Since, therefore, God had deposited with one nation only his covenant, of which Zacharias was about to speak, he properly mentions the name of that nation, for which the grace of salvation was especially, or at all events in the first instance, designed.
The word ἐπεσκέψατο , he hath visited, contains an implied contrast: for the face of God had been turned away for a time from the unhappy children of Abraham. To such a depth of calamity had they sunk, and with such a mass of distresses were they overwhelmed, that no one entertained the thought that the eye of God was upon them. This visitation of God, which Zacharias mentions, is declared to be the cause and origin of redemption. The statement may be resolved in this manner. God looked upon ( ἐπεσκέψατο ) his people, that he might redeem them Now, as those whom God redeems must be prisoners, and as this redemption is spiritual in its nature, we conclude from this passage, that even the holy fathers were made free from the yoke of sin and the tyranny of death, only through the grace of Christ; for it is said that Christ was sent as a Redeemer to the holy and elect people of God. But it will be objected, if redemption was brought by Christ at that time when he appeared clothed in flesh, it follows, that those believers who died before he came into the world were “all their lifetime” slaves of sin and death: which would be highly absurd. I reply, the power and efficacy of that redemption, which was once exhibited in Christ, have been the same in all ages.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(68) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.The whole hymn is, like the Magnificat, pre-eminently Hebrew in character, almost every phrase having its counterpart in Psalm or Prophet; and, like it, has come to take a prominent place in the devotions of the western Churches. Its first appearance, as so used, is in Gaul, under Csarius of Aries.
Visited.Better, looked upon, regarded. The four centuries that had passed since the last of the prophets are thought of as a time during which the face of the Lord had been turned away from Israel. Now He looked on it again, not to visit them (as we more commonly use the word) for their offences, but to deliver.
Redeemed his people.Better, wrought redemption for His people. The noun is formed from that which is translated ransom in Mat. 20:28, where see Note. Its occurrence here is noticeable as showing how large an element the thought of deliverance through a ransom was in all the Messianic expectations of the time. (Comp. Luk. 2:38.) The past tense (in the Greek the aorist) is used by Zacharias as, in the joy of prophetic foresight, seeing the end of what had been begun. The next verse shows that he looked for this redemption as coming not through the child that had been born to him, but through the Son, as yet unborn, of Mary.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
68-79. The Benedictus, or hymn of Zacharias.
I. Luk 1:68-75. Power and safety of Messiah’s kingdom.
68. Redeemed his people Namely, the theocracy, that is, the kingdom of God, whether the Jewish Church under the old dispensation, or the Christian Church under the new.
‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,’
Zacharias’ prophecy begins with a blessing, as regularly among the Jews (Psa 41:13; Psa 72:18; Psa 106:48). He sees in what is happening the God of Israel visiting His people and ‘working redemption’ on their behalf. He is coming to them as their Deliverer and Saviour. As always in Scripture this would include both external deliverance and the hearts of the people themselves turning to Him. He would save to the uttermost. For the idea of redemption here compare Psa 111:9 where He is seen as ‘sending redemption to His people’.
Luk 1:68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; “Let all honour and glory be ascribed to the Possessor and Governor of the world, the God of Israel, because he hath visited and redeemed his people.” For God to visit his people, is a metaphorical expression, signifying to shew them great favour: it is taken from the custom of princes, who commonly visit the provinces of their kingdom, in order to redress grievances, and to confer benefits. The great benefits accruing to the people of God from the visitation which this holy man speaks of here, is their redemption or deliverance from all their spiritual enemies, by the coming of the Messiah, the horn of salvation; that is to say, the power which works or brings salvation. See on Psa 18:2. &c. &c.
Luk 1:68 f. Zacharias’ hymn of praise concerns the great rause , which his new-born son is to serve the Messianic deliverance and blessing of the people, which he now at once looks upon as already accomplished , for in his new-born son there has, in fact, already appeared the preparer of the way for the Messiah (Luk 1:16 f.). Comp. on Luk 1:51 . The entire hymn bears the priestly character, which even the apostrophe to the infant, Luk 1:76 , does not efface.
. . .] sc. Comp. Psa 40:14 ; Psa 72:18 ; Psa 106:48 .
(comp. Luk 2:38 ) applies primarily to the Messianic deliverance under its political aspect Comp. Luk 1:71 ; Luk 1:51 ff.; Plut. Arat. 11 : . . With this, however, Zacharias knew (comp. also Luk 1:16 f.) that the religious and moral regeneration of the people was inseparably combined, so as to form the one Messianic work, Luk 1:75 ; Luk 1:77 ; Luk 1:79 . [32] The . is absolute, as in Sir 32:17 : he has looked to , he has made an inspection. Comp. Act 15:14 .
] still dependent upon .
] a horn of deliverance (genitive of apposition), i.e. a strong, mighty deliverance , according to the figurative use of the Hebrew , 1Sa 2:10 ; Psa 18:3 ; Psa 89:18 ; Psa 132:16 f., Psa 148:14 ; Sir 47:5 ; Sir 47:7 ; Sir 47:11 , al. ; Gesenius, Thes. III. p. 1238; Grimm on 1Ma 2:48 . See Rabbinical passages in Schttgen, Hor. p. 258 f. , , Suidas. Comp. the Latin cornua addere, cornua sumere , and the like. It is true that Jensius ( Ferc. lit. p. 34), Fischer ( de vit. Lex. p. 214), and Paulus find the reference in the horns of the altar of burnt-offering which served as an asylum ( 1Ki 1:50 ; 1Ki 2:28 ff.; Bhr, Symbol. I p. 473 f.; Knobel on Exo 27:2 ). But apart from the inappropriate relation to the frequent use of the O. T. figure elsewhere, how inadequate for the due and distinct expression of the Messianic idea would be the conception of the mere protection, which was afforded by the laying hold of the horns of the altar!
] excitavit, i.e. according to the context, he has made to grow up ( , Psa 132:17 ).
] Act 4:25 .
[32] Hofmann appropriately remarks, Weissag. u. Erfll. II. p. 253 (in opposition to Olshausen), that the purity of the Messianic views of Zacharias consists in the unadulterated reproduction of Old Testament knowledge.
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Ver. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel ] This is Hymnus Evangelicissimus, say both Bucer and Pellican. A most evangelical canticle.
Redeemed his people ] From the wrath of God over them; the guilt and power of sin within them; from Satan and the punishment of sin without them.
68 79. ] This Hymn of thanksgiving appears to have been uttered at the time of the circumcision of the child (in which case the matters related in Luk 1:65-66 are parenthetical and anticipatory) and, as the Magnificat, under the immediate influence of inspiration of the Holy Ghost. It is entirely Hebrew in its cast and idioms, and might be rendered in that language almost word for word. It serves, besides its own immediate interest to every Christian, to shew to us the exact religious view under which John was educated by his father. “It may be well for the student to read the beginning of this and the following chapter in Hebrew, in which they have been published in translations of the N.T. and in the Book of Common Prayer rendered into that language.” Wordsw.
68. ] After (for Hebraistic sense of which see reff.) must be understood, as an object, , contained in the following dative.
Luk 1:68 . , visited graciously ( vide on Mat 25:36 ), occasionally used in Sept [14] in the sense of judicial visitation (Psa 89:33 ). Note the use of the aorist there, which runs through Luk 1:68-75 , in Luk 1:76-79 futures occur. The object of is latent in ( , cf. Luk 7:16 ; applied to Israel as the chosen people, to the other nations).
[14] Septuagint.
Blessed. Hence the name “Benedictus” given to Zacharias’s prophecy.
God = the God.
visited = lookedon. Not the same word as in Luk 1:48. See App-133.
redeemed = wrought a ransom for. Compare Tit 2:14.
68-79.] This Hymn of thanksgiving appears to have been uttered at the time of the circumcision of the child (in which case the matters related in Luk 1:65-66 are parenthetical and anticipatory)-and, as the Magnificat, under the immediate influence of inspiration of the Holy Ghost. It is entirely Hebrew in its cast and idioms, and might be rendered in that language almost word for word. It serves, besides its own immediate interest to every Christian, to shew to us the exact religious view under which John was educated by his father. It may be well for the student to read the beginning of this and the following chapter in Hebrew, in which they have been published in translations of the N.T. and in the Book of Common Prayer rendered into that language. Wordsw.
Luk 1:68. , because [for]) Zacharias is especially speaking of Christ, Luk 1:69 : and of John only as it were incidentally: see Luk 1:76.-, …, He hath visited and made redemption) i.e. He hath visited so as to make redemption, etc. The same verb occurs in Luk 1:78.-[, redemption) However earnestly desired by Zacharias John was, yet the former speaks first concerning Christ, and that, in an especial manner and most fully: he speaks of John only as it were in passing, Luk 1:76.-V. g.]
redeemed
(See Scofield “Rom 3:24”)
Blessed: Gen 9:26, Gen 14:20, 1Ki 1:48, 1Ch 29:10, 1Ch 29:20, Psa 41:13, Psa 72:17-19, Psa 106:48, Eph 1:3, 1Pe 1:3
he: Luk 7:16, Luk 19:44, Exo 3:16, Exo 3:17, Exo 4:31, Psa 111:9, Eph 1:7
Reciprocal: Gen 21:1 – visited Gen 22:17 – thy seed Gen 24:27 – Blessed Exo 18:10 – General Jdg 5:1 – Sang Deborah Rth 1:6 – visited 1Sa 2:21 – visited 1Sa 25:32 – General 1Ki 8:15 – Blessed 1Ki 8:25 – keep with thy 2Ch 2:12 – Huram 2Ch 6:4 – Blessed 2Ch 20:26 – blessed Psa 8:4 – visitest Psa 72:14 – he shall Psa 107:2 – Let the Psa 136:24 – General Psa 138:2 – and praise Isa 29:22 – who redeemed Zep 2:7 – shall visit Zec 10:3 – visited Luk 2:28 – and Luk 24:21 – General Joh 1:17 – grace Act 13:32 – how Act 15:14 – declared Rom 11:28 – are beloved 2Co 1:20 – all Gal 3:17 – the covenant Gal 4:5 – redeem Heb 2:6 – visitest 1Pe 2:12 – the day
8
This was said in view of the work of John in reforming the Jewish people, preparing them for the work of Christ (See Mal 4:6).
Luk 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 them from the priestly point of view. It is very unlikely, that a priest would apply such a word to political deliverance alone.
His people. Comp, the previous clause: the God of Israel.
Luk 1:68-70. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Who is also the God of the spirits of all flesh: but Zacharias, speaking of the work of redemption calls him only the God of Israel, because to Israel the prophecies, promises, and types of redemption, had hitherto been given, and to them the first offers and proposals of it were now to be made. Israel, as a chosen people, was a type of the people of God to be called out of all nations and ages, whom God had a particular eye to in sending the Saviour. For he hath visited, &c., his people In sending the Messiah, God made a gracious visit to his people, whom, for many ages, he had seemed to neglect, and be estranged from. He is said to have visited his people in bondage, when he delivered them, Exo 3:16; to have visited them in famine, when he gave them bread, Rth 1:6. He had often sent to them by his prophets, and had kept up a correspondence with them, but now he himself made them a visit, for Christ was Immanuel, God with us, God manifest in the flesh. And redeemed his people . He hath wrought out redemption for his people, complete and illustrious redemption. This was the errand on which Christ came into the world, to redeem those that were sold for sin and sold under sin; even Gods own people, his Israel, need to be redeemed, and are undone if they be not. Christ redeems them by price out of the hands of Gods justice, and redeems them by power out of the hands of Satans tyranny, as Israel out of Egypt. And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us That is, a mighty, victorious, and glorious Saviour, who saves his people with an abundant salvation. The expression is metaphorical, taken from beasts, whose strength, defence, and victory over other animals, lies chiefly in their horns, as also the beauty and glory of several of them; the property likewise of the ancients consisting chiefly in their flocks and herds. Accordingly, the word horn is used in Scripture emblematically, to denote strength or power, Lam 2:3; Lam 2:17; Psa 75:10; also honour and triumph, as, when the horn is exalted, Psa 89:24. From the union of these, it signifies the power of a king or kingdom, Rev 13:1. This is the chief import of the word in this place, the house of David being the regal family, and the word Saviour, implying deliverer, protector, and ruler; the horn of salvation in the house of David denotes the kingdom of Christ. As he spake That is, as he promised; by his holy prophets, which have been since the world began , from the beginning of ages, the promise being made to Adam, Gen 3:15, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head; and to Abraham and the other patriarchs, that in their seed all nations of the earth should be blessed. It cannot, however, as Dr. Doddridge justly observes, certainly be inferred from hence, as some have argued, that there was from the beginning of the world a series of prophets, or that every individual prophet spoke of the Messiah, which can never be proved without doing great violence to the remaining writings of some of them. The words of Zacharias only amount to this, that the generality of prophecies in all ages refer to this great event. See Act 10:43.
ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
68-75. Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, because he hath interposed and wrought redemption for His people, and raised up a horn of salvation to His people in the house of David His son, as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning, and from the hand of all who hate us, to extend mercy with our father, and remember His holy covenant, which He swore unto Abraham our father: to grant unto us, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, to serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, in His presence, all the days of our life. The Abrahamic covenant is primary in the movement of Gods mercy in behalf of fallen humanity, and fundamental in the redemptive scheme. This follows a logical sequence, from its identity with the covenant which God made with Christ to redeem the world by His expiatory death. (Gal 3:16.) Hence the covenant with Abraham was no de novo transaction, but a simple reiteration of the covenant of redemption entered into, in the councils of the Uncreated Three, before sin ever entered into this world; as God, forseeing the catastrophe, provided the remedy. It was pertinent, in order to its recognition and appropriation by the human race, that this covenant should be reiterated with Abraham, or some other suitable representative of the human race. In this peculiar representative sense, Abraham is the father of all the faithful, from the simple fact that there is no salvation outside the redemption covenant, of which he is the representative, participant, human defender, and exponent; i.e., Abraham is honored by the Almighty as the recipient of the great covenant of human redemption by His Son, and also the paternal representative of this covenant to the whole human race. Therefore, all who have true faith, in all ages and nations, are honored with a place in the Abrahamic paternity. (Gal 3:7.) Now if we can ascertain the condition of membership in this covenant, we certainly have found out the sure way of salvation. Those conditions and promises are clearly and unmistakably specified in the above Scriptures. Pursuant to this covenant, God promises that, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies [i.e., all spiritual foes, men and devils without, and evil tempers, unholy passions, vicious appetites, and all the debris of the carnal mind within i.e., being truly sanctified wholly] we shall serve Him in righteousness and holiness all our days. Whereas sanctification is the work of the Spirit, by which we are made holy, holiness is the state which supervenes in the heart and life as the result of sanctification. Hence, you see that the only stipulation of the Abrahamic covenant, by which the world is to be saved, is, that we get sanctified wholly, and abide in the same throughout probationary life. The prerequisite of admission into heaven is a state of holiness, resulting from the utter eradication of all sin, actual and original, God positively assuring us that we shall never see His face without this gracious attainment. (Heb 12:14.) Hence, we find perfect harmony throughout the Bible, setting forth holiness as the one condition indispensable to admission into heaven. Life in this world is probationary, giving us all time and opportunity to become sanctified, by the blessed and direct office of the Holy Spirit, applying the redeeming blood and washing away all unrighteousness from our spiritual natures, thus rendering our hearts pure and holy. We see here that this is clearly and unequivocally promised in the Abrahamic covenant. Not only the grace of perfect deliverances i.e., entire sanctification but grace to serve Him, in holiness and righteousness, in His presence, all our days; i.e., His wonderful keeping power, by His Word, Spirit, and providence, enabling us to keep this holy covenant amid the temptations of this wicked world, thus illustrating to men, angels, and devils our adaptation to the heavenly state, and congeniality to angels unfallen and spirits redeemed. This we are to do here, in His presence; i.e., God Himself is our Judge, His omniscient eye seeing all of our thoughts, inclinations, and intentions, His infallible ear hearing all the inaudible utterances of our spirit. What a wonderful responsibility is involved in probationary life! Yet the illimitable resources of Omnipotent Grace are abundantly sufficient to qualify all true hearts for these momentous ordeals; and thus fortified by His precious and infallible Word, illuminated and guided by His blessed Holy Spirit, and environed by His merciful providence, like a wall of fire around us by day and by night, there is a blessed possibility that we may live on earth as safe as in heaven. Glory to God for His unspeakable mercies and superabounding grace!
76-79. And thou shalt be called the prophet of the Highest. Things in the Divine order are called what they are. John is not only a prophet, but the greatest of all the prophets, and even the honored harbinger of Jesus: Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. The burden of Johns preaching was repentance, which is fundamental in the plan of salvation. The reason why people are not saved is because they do not receive Jesus; the reason they can not receive Jesus is because they do not repent. John cried constantly, with stentorian Voice, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The King had the kingdom, into which none could enter unless he came by the only door i.e., repentance; in order to give a knowledge of salvation to His people through the remission of their sins, through the bowels of the mercy of our God. The Jews were the people of God His by election to the progenitorship of Christ. To them, first, experimental salvation was offered. Many of the Gentiles are the elect of grace, foreknown of God. To them, in the second place, salvation was offered. God knows His own, whether Jews or Gentiles, and reveals to them a knowledge of their own salvation through the remission of sins, in which the day-spring from on high has looked down upon us. The wonderful mercy of God in Christ is a day-spring from heaven: To appear unto those sitting down in darkness and the shadow of death. The whole world down, easy, careless, and unconcerned, in spiritual darkness, and in the shadow of that dismal night of hopeless, eternal doom, while hell-hounds, bloodthirsty, are on their track, roaring for their prey. In order to direct our feet in the way of peace: Instead of sitting down in a careless attitude, we should be up and running for life. The glorious grace of God is here contrasted with the terrible bloody wars raging in the unregenerate heart, and destined to dump us amid the merciless devastations of infuriated devils through all eternity, unless, amid the fleeting opportunities of probationary grace, we may happily exchange the horrific fears of sin and devils for the peace of God in Christ, which is heaven begun in the soul.
80. The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and is in the wilderness unto the day of his showing unto Israel. As a rule, children grow in sin as they increase in physical power. As John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his infancy, his spiritual growth and development kept pace with the physical. Jutta, the place of his birth, is not far from the wilderness of Judea. During the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, Zacharias and Elizabeth migrated into this wilderness, in order to protect their son from the cruelties of Herod. They return no more to Jutta, but abode in the wilderness the thirty years of Johns minority, and doubtless to the end of their lives; consequently, John enjoyed the signal blessing of an humble, retired home with the poor people of the wilderness. If you have an intimation from the Lord that there is a child of peculiar promise in your home, you should, by all means, get away from the hon tons of society, find a sequested retreat among the poor, where you can bring up your children uncontaminated with the popular and fashionable vices and follies. The Essenes i.e., the holiness people of the Jewish Church who are generally poor, abode in the desert; hence, John was fortunate to enjoy their influence during the thirty years of his childhood and youth. Thus he studied in Gods theological college i.e., the sandy desert where Moses spent forty years preparatory for the leadership of Israel, winding up with the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, as revealed in the burning bush. Brush College sends out brighter and better graduates than all of the metropolitan universities.
1:68 Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath {g} visited and {h} redeemed his people,
(g) That he has shown himself mindful of his people, to the extent that he came down from heaven himself to visit us in person, and to redeem us.
(h) Has paid the ransom, that is to say, the price of our redemption.
Earlier Mary rejoiced that she was blessed (Luk 1:48). Now Zechariah blessed Yahweh, the God of Israel. When God is the person blessed (Gr. eulogetos), this word has the virtual meaning of "praise." Zechariah first praised God for visiting His people Israel (Gen 21:1; Exo 4:31; Zec 10:3; cf. Act 15:14). He had done this most recently by sending Messiah’s forerunner. Second, Zechariah praised God for redeeming His people. The great historical demonstration of this had been the Exodus, but now God was moving again to provide ultimate redemption nationally and personally through Messiah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)