Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 1:77
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
77. knowledge of salvation ] A clear proof that these prophecies had not the local and limited sense of national prosperity which some have supposed.
By the remission ] Rather, In remission. Comp. Act 5:31, “to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To give knowledge of salvation – Knowledge of the way of salvation: that it was provided, and that the author of salvation was about to appear.
By the remission of their sins – The word remission means pardon or forgiveness. It implies that God will treat the sinner as if he had not committed the sin. The idea here is, that the salvation about to be offered was that which was connected with the pardon of sin. There can be no other. God cannot treat people as his friends unless they come to him by repentance and obtain forgiveness. When that is obtained, which he is always disposed to grant, they can be treated with kindness and mercy.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Luk 1:77
To give knowledge of salvation
Source of salvation
All great rivers, unlike some great men who have begun life in lowly circumstances, boast a lofty descent.
It is after the Alpine traveller has left smiling valleys beneath him, and toiling along rugged glens and through deep mountain gorges, reaches at length the shores of an icy sea, that he stands at the source of the river, which, cold as the snows that feed it, and a full-grown torrent at its birth, rushes out from the cavern of the hollowed glacier. Yet such a river, in the loftiness of its birth-place, is but an humble image of salvation. How high its source! He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (T. Guthrie, D. D.)
God a great forgiver
Mr. Fleming, in his Fulfilling of the Scriptures, relates the case of a man who was a very great sinner, and for his horrible wickedness was put to death in the town of Ayr. This man had been so stupid and brutish a fellow, that all who knew him thought him beyond the reach of all ordinary means of grace; but while the man was in prison the Lord wonderfully wrought on his heart, and in such a measure discovered to him his sinfulness, that, after much serious exercise and sore wrestling, a most kindly work of repentance followed, with great assurance of mercy, insomuch that when he came to the place of execution he could not cease crying out to the people, under the sense of pardon and the comforts of the presence and favour of God, Oh, He is a great forgiver! He is a great forgiver! And he added the following words: Now hath perfect love cast out fear. I know God hath nothing to lay against me, for Jesus Christ hath paid all; and those are free whom the Son makes free. (Arvine.)
Nature silent concerning salvation.
On one occasion the late Dr. Newton was travelling in a railway carriage, when he found himself in the presence of an infidel, who soon began to obtrude his opinions upon his fellow passengers, declaring his contempt for the Bible, adding that he did not need it; the book of nature affording him all the information that he required on religious and moral subjects. Dr. Newton, observing a young man in the company who might receive some injury from these remarks, deemed it his duty to interfere. Looking at the infidel, he said, The book of nature, sir, that you have mentioned, is a large volume, and he is a very learned man that is acquainted with all its contents. Yet there is one subject on which I think it gives no information. Indeed, said the infidel, what is that? What is that, rejoined Dr. Newton, it is salvation. Salvation! exclaimed the infidel. Aye, salvation, rejoined the Doctor. Every man is sensible from what passes in his own conscience that he has done wrong, and that that which all people confess to be morally wrong, everywhere meets our sight. To do wrong renders us liable to punishment, and therefore we need salvation. But where do you find anything about salvation in the book of nature? Do you find it in the grass of the fields, either when it grows or when it fades away? Do you find it in the ever-varying surface of the sea? or in the clouds as they pass over your head? The book which you too exclusively admire was written too soon for the purpose of instructing men with respect to the nature and method of salvation. It was written before there was sin in the world, and therefore before salvation was needed. The infidel stood aghast, and said not a word.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
To preach the doctrine of repentance to men, that they may obtain remission of sins. But it seems more natural, To teach people that the only way by which they can attain salvation, is not by any righteousness of their own, but by obtaining the free pardon and remission of their sins by Christ and his righteousness, Psa 32:1, which is in short to preach the gospel, which is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, Rom 1:16,17.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
77. to give knowledge ofsalvationTo sound the note of a needed and provided“salvation” was the noble office of John, above all thatpreceded him; as it is that of all subsequent ministers of Christ;but infinitely loftier was it to be the “Salvation” itself(Luk 1:69; Luk 2:30).
by the remission of . . .sinsThis stamps at once the spiritual nature of thesalvation here intended, and explains Luk 1:71;Luk 1:74.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
To give knowledge of salvation,…. This is still said of John, and belongs to his work and office; though the Syriac and Arabic versions read, “that he may give”; as if it was spoken of the Lord, before whose face John was to go, and whose ways he was to prepare: by “salvation” is meant, not a temporal salvation, or a deliverance from the Roman yoke, the Jews were expecting, for John gave no intimation of any such salvation; but of a spiritual and eternal salvation, and of Christ himself, the author of it; who is often called Salvation, because he was appointed to this business, was fitted for it, and has effected it; and there is salvation in him, and in no other, the “knowledge” of this is not merely, notional and speculative, but experimental, approbative, fiducial, appropriating, sure, and certain; and is more excellent, than any other kind of knowledge whatever: and this is a “gift”; it is not what is attained unto, and acquired by application, diligence, and industry, as other sort of knowledge; but is a gift of God, though in the use of means, and through the ministry of the word: and so John is said to give it ministerially, he being an instrument in the hand of God, whereby souls came to the knowledge of salvation by Christ, and believed in him: it was communicated by God through his ministry,
unto his people: meaning not the people of John the Baptist, the Jews, though it was true of God’s elect among them; but the people of Christ, and that not all mankind, who are his by creation; but a special people, whom the Father has given him, and he has purchased by his blood; whom he conquers by his grace, and makes a willing people, in the day of his power: to these, and only these, is the knowledge of salvation by Christ given; for none else are appointed to it, and for no other is it wrought out. It follows,
by the remission of their sins; the sense of which is, either that salvation is by the forgiveness of sin, and lies in it, that being a principal part of it; see Eph 1:7. Sins are debts; forgiving them is a remitting these debts, a loosing them, or the obligation to payment, which is done freely and fully, for Christ’s sake, and through his blood; and herein lies the blessedness and salvation of men; see Ro 4:6. Or else that the knowledge of salvation was conveyed through the ministry of John, not by preaching the works of the law, but the doctrine of remission of sins, by Christ; Mr 1:4 and which is the sum and substance of the Gospel, as it was ordered to be preached by Christ, and was preached by his apostles. The Alexandrian copy reads, “our sins”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Knowledge of salvation ( ). “This is the aim and end of the work of the Forerunner” (Plummer).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Knowledge of salvation. Wyc. has the science of health.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “To give knowledge of salvation,” (tou dounai gnosin solterias) “To give a knowledge (information) of salvation,” to sound the cry of a needed and provided salvation for the remission of their sins, even now at their door, Mat 3:1-11.
2) “Unto his people,” (to lao autou) “Directly to his people,” to the Jewish people, to Israel, to the chosen race of Israel, the racial family of both John and Jesus.
3) “By the remission of their sins.” (en aphesei hamartion auton) “In forgiveness or pardon of their sins,” in securing remittance of their sins, release from dominion and consequence of sin, Mat 3:2; Mat 3:8; Act 5:31.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
77. To give knowledge of salvation Zacharias now touches the principal subject of the gospel, when he says that the knowledge of salvation consists in the forgiveness of sins. As we are all “by nature the children of wraths” (Eph 2:3,) it follows, that we are by nature condemned and ruined: and the ground of our condemnation is, that we are chargeable with unrighteousness. There is, therefore, no other provision for escaping eternal death (81) but by God
“
reconciling us unto himself, not imputing our trespasses unto us,” (2Co 5:19.)
That this is the only righteousness which remains to us before God, may be easily gathered from the words of Zacharias. For whence comes salvation, but from righteousness? But if the children of God have no other way of obtaining the knowledge of salvation except through the forgiveness of sins, it follows, that righteousness must not be sought in any other quarter. Proud men attempt to forge and manufacture a righteousness out of the merits of good works. True righteousness is nothing else than the imputation of righteousness, when God, out of free grace, acquits us from guilt. Besides, it ought to be observed that Zacharias is not speaking of “ strangers from the covenants of promise,” (Eph 2:12) but of the people of God. Hence it follows, that not only does the commencement of righteousness depend on the forgiveness of sins, but it is by imputation (82) that believers are righteous before God to the very end: for they cannot appear before his tribunal in any other way than by betaking themselves daily to a free reconciliation.
(81) “ Mortis ;” — “ La mort mortelle.”
(82) “ Imputative, ut italoquar.” — “ Par imputation, c’est a dire, d’autant que la justice de Christ laur est imputee.” — “By imputation, that is to say, in so far as the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to them”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(77) To give knowledge of salvation.This, as the form of the Greek verb shows, was to be the object of the Baptists mission. Men had lost sight of the true nature of salvation. They were wrapt in dreams of deliverance from outward enemies, and needed to be taught that it consisted in forgiveness for the sins of the past, and power to overcome sins in the future.
The remission of their sins.Historically, this was the first utterance of the words in the Gospel records, and we may well think of it as having helped to determine the form which the work of the Baptist eventually took. It is interesting to compare it with our Lords words at the Last Supper (Mat. 26:28), and so to think of it as being the key-note of the whole work from the beginning to the end. Different in outward form as were the ministries of the Baptist and our Lord, they agreed in this.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
II. Luk 1:76-79 . The prediction addressed to his son, the infant Baptist, in regard to his office.
77. Salvation by remission of sins On condition of repentance in faith on an approaching Messiah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins,’
God’s purpose for John was for him to be a revealer of the way of salvation that men might become aware of their sins and find forgiveness from them. That is why his baptism will be called ‘a baptism of repentance (change of mind and heart) for the forgiveness of sins’ (Luk 3:3). He is to make ready the way of the Lord by turning men’s hearts to God in repentance and faith (compare Luk 1:16-17) so that they will come within God’s offered sphere of salvation.
For the giving of the knowledge of salvation see Psa 98:2. The giving of knowledge of salvation in the forgiveness of sins reflects Exo 34:7; Num 14:18; Isa 43:25; Isa 44:22. It was the prayer for Israel of the scion of the Davidic house (1Ki 8:36; 1Ki 8:50).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Ver. 77. To give knowledge ] Not by infusion, Dan 1:17 , but by instruction. See the dignity and duty of ministers.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
77. ] , in remission , the element in which the former blessing was to be conferred. The remission of sin is the first opening for the : see ch. Luk 3:7 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 1:77 . , the infinitive of purpose, to be connected with in Luk 1:76 = John will go before the Lord (Jehovah), with the view of giving the knowledge of salvation in the forgiveness of sins. This is a very general description of John’s ministry, hardly differentiating it from that of Christ. The knowledge of salvation in forgiveness is salvation = Christ’s gift.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
knowledge. Greek. gnosis. App-132.
by = for. Greek. en. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
77.] , in remission, the element in which the former blessing was to be conferred. The remission of sin is the first opening for the : see ch. Luk 3:7.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 1:77. -, knowledge-in [by] the remission) Heb 8:11-12; Jer 9:23.-, in [Engl. Vers. by]) Construe in with salvation [- ].-, remission) which is the Foundation of Salvation.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
sins
Sin. (See Scofield “Rom 3:23”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
give: Luk 3:3, Luk 3:6, Mar 1:3, Mar 1:4, Joh 1:7-9, Joh 1:15-17, Joh 1:29, Joh 1:34, Joh 3:27-36, Act 19:4
by: or, for
the: Luk 7:47-50, Act 2:38, Act 3:19, Act 5:31, Act 10:43, Act 13:38, Act 13:39, Rom 3:25, Rom 4:6-8, Eph 1:7
Reciprocal: Exo 15:2 – my salvation Psa 119:130 – entrance Isa 40:3 – Prepare Luk 19:42 – the things Joh 5:35 – was Act 13:26 – to you Act 16:17 – the way Act 26:18 – that they 1Ti 2:4 – the knowledge
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
Knowledge of salvation means to let the people know what would be necessary for salvation. It was to be the remission of sins upon repentance and baptism (Mat 3:11). This was preached by Jesus also (Mar 1:15).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 1:77. Knowledge of salvation. This was the end of the preparation just spoken of.
In the remission of their sins. The main idea is not that salvation consists in remission of sins, but the whole verse means: that they might know that Messianic salvation comes in and through the remission of their sins. John led to this knowledge by his preaching of repentance, awakening the consciousness of sin, and of needed remission.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
1:77 To {n} give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the {o} remission of their sins,
(n) Open the way.
(o) Forgiveness of sins is the means by which God saves us; Rom 4:7 .