Luke 1

37. For, &c.--referring to what was said by the angel to Abraham in like case ( Genesis 18:14 ), to strengthen her faith.

38. Marvellous faith in such circumstances!

Luke 1:39-56 . VISIT OF MARY TO ELISABETH.

39. hill country--the mountainous tract running along the middle of Judea, from north to south [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].
with haste--transported with the announcement to herself and with the tidings, now first made known to her, of Elisabeth's condition.
a city of Juda--probably Hebron (see Joshua 20:7 , 21:11 ).

40. saluted Elisabeth--now returned from her seclusion ( Luke 1:24 ).

41. babe leaped--From Luke 1:44 it is plain that this maternal sensation was something extraordinary--a sympathetic emotion of the unconscious babe, at the presence of the mother of his Lord.

42-44. What beautiful superiority to envy have we here! High as was the distinction conferred upon herself, Elisabeth loses sight of it altogether, in presence of one more honored still; upon whom, with her unborn Babe, in an ecstasy of inspiration, she pronounces a benediction, feeling it to be a wonder unaccountable that "the mother of her Lord should come to her." "Turn this as we will, we shall never be able to see the propriety of calling an unborn child "Lord," but by supposing Elisabeth, like the prophets of old, enlightened to perceive the Messiah's Divine nature" [OLSHAUSEN].

43. "The mother of my Lord"--but not "My Lady" (compare Luke 20:42 , John 20:28 )" [BENGEL].

45. An additional benediction on the Virgin for her implicit faith, in tacit and delicate contrast with her own husband.
for--rather, as in the Margin, "that."

46-55. A magnificent canticle, in which the strain of Hannah's ancient song, in like circumstances, is caught up, and just slightly modified and sublimed. Is it unnatural to suppose that the spirit of the blessed Virgin had been drawn beforehand into mysterious sympathy with the ideas and the tone of this hymn, so that when the life and fire of inspiration penetrated her whole soul it spontaneously swept the chorus of this song, enriching the Hymnal of the Church with that spirit-stirring canticle which has resounded ever since from its temple walls? In both songs, those holy women, filled with wonder to behold "the proud, the mighty, the rich," passed by, and, in their persons the lowliest chosen to usher in the greatest events, sing of this as no capricious movement, but a great law of the kingdom of God, by which He delights to "put down the mighty from their seats and exalt them of low degree." In both songs the strain dies away on CHRIST; in Hannah's under the name of "Jehovah's King"--to whom, through all His line, from David onwards to Himself, He will "give strength"; His "Anointed," whose horn He will exalt ( 1 Samuel 2:10 ); in the Virgin's song, it is as the "Help" promised to Israel by all the prophets.
My soul . . . my spirit--"all that is within me" ( Psalms 103:1 ).

47. my Saviour--Mary, poor heart, never dreamt, we see, of her own "immaculate conception"--in the offensive language of the Romanists--any more than of her own immaculate life.

54. holpen--Compare Psalms 89:19 , "I have laid help on One that is mighty."

55. As he spake to our fathers--The sense requires this clause to be read as a parenthesis. (Compare Micah 7:20 , Psalms 98:3 ).
for ever--the perpetuity of Messiah's kingdom, as expressly promised by the angel ( Luke 1:33 ).

56. abode with her about three months--What an honored roof was that which, for such a period, overarched these cousins! and yet not a trace of it is now to be seen, while the progeny of those two women--the one but the honored pioneer of the other--have made the world new.
returned to her own house--at Nazareth, after which took place what is recorded in Matthew 1:18-25 .

Luke 1:57-80 . BIRTH AND CIRCUMCISION OF JOHN--SONG OF ZACHARIAS AND PROGRESS OF THE CHILD.

59. eighth day--The law ( Genesis 17:12 ) was observed, even though the eighth day after birth should be a sabbath ( John 7:23 ; and see Philippians 3:5 ).
called him--literally, "were calling"--that is, (as we should say) "were for calling." The naming of children at baptism has its origin in the Jewish custom at circumcision ( Genesis 21:3 Genesis 21:4 ); and the names of Abram and Sarai were changed at its first performance ( Genesis 17:5 Genesis 17:15 ).

62. made signs--showing he was deaf, as well as dumb.

63. marvelled all--at his giving the same name, not knowing of any communication between them on the subject.

64. mouth opened immediately--on thus palpably showing his full faith in the vision, for disbelieving which he had been struck dumb ( Luke 1:13 Luke 1:20 ).

65. fear--religious awe; under the impression that God's hand was specially in these events (compare Luke 5:26 , 7:16 , 8:37 ).

66. hand of the Lord was with him--by special tokens marking him out as one destined to some great work ( 1 Kings 18:46 , 2 Kings 3:15 , Acts 11:21 ).

68-79. There is not a word in this noble burst of divine song about his own child; like Elisabeth losing sight entirely of self, in the glory of a Greater than both.
Lord God of Israel--the ancient covenant God of the peculiar people.
visited and redeemed--that is, in order to redeem: returned after long absence, and broken His long silence (see Matthew 15:31 ). In the Old Testament, God is said to "visit" chiefly for judgment, in the New Testament for mercy. Zacharias would, as yet, have but imperfect views of such "visiting and redeeming," "saving from and delivering out of the hand of enemies" ( Luke 1:71 Luke 1:74 ). But this Old Testament phraseology, used at first with a lower reference, is, when viewed in the light of a loftier and more comprehensive kingdom of God, equally adapted to express the most spiritual conceptions of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

69. horn of salvation--that is "strength of salvation," or "mighty Salvation," meaning the Saviour Himself, whom Simeon calls "Thy Salvation" ( Luke 2:30 ). The metaphor is taken from those animals whose strength is in their horns ( Psalms 18:2 , 75:10 , 132:17 ).
house of . . . David--This shows that Mary must have been known to be of the royal line, independent of Joseph; of whom Zacharias, if he knew anything, could not know that after this he would recognize Mary.

70. since the world began--or, "from the earliest period."

72. the mercy promised . . . his holy covenant . . .

73. the oath . . . to . . . Abraham--The whole work and kingdom of Messiah is represented as a mercy pledged on oath to Abraham and his seed, to be realized at an appointed period; and at length, in "the fulness of the time," gloriously made good. Hence, not only "grace," or the thing promised; but "truth," or fidelity to the promise, are said to "come by Jesus Christ" ( John 1:17 ).

74, 75. That he would grant us, &c.--How comprehensive is the view here given! (1) The purpose of all redemption--"that we should serve Him"--that is, "the Lord God of Israel" ( Luke 1:68 ). The word signifies religious service distinctively--"the priesthood of the New Testament" [BENGEL]. (2) The nature of this service--"in holiness and righteousness before Him" ( Luke 1:75 )--or, as in His presence (compare Psalms 56:13 ). (3) Its freedom--"being delivered out of the hand of our enemies." (4) Its fearlessness--"might serve Him without fear." (5) Its duration--"all the days of our life."

76-79. Here are the dying echoes of this song; and very beautiful are these closing notes--like the setting sun, shorn indeed of its noontide radiance, but skirting the horizon with a wavy and quivering light--as of molten gold--on which the eye delights to gaze, till it disappears from the view. The song passes not here from Christ to John, but only from Christ direct to Christ as heralded by His forerunner.
thou child--not "my son"--this child's relation to himself being lost in his relation to a Greater than either.
prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before him--that is, "the Highest." As "the Most High" is an epithet in Scripture only. of the supreme God, it is inconceivable that inspiration should apply this term, as here undeniably, to Christ, unless He were "God over all blessed for ever" ( Romans 9:5 ).

77. to give knowledge of salvation--To sound the note of a needed and provided "salvation" was the noble office of John, above all that preceded him; as it is that of all subsequent ministers of Christ; but infinitely loftier was it to be the "Salvation" itself ( Luke 1:69 and Luke 2:30 ).
by the remission of . . . sins--This stamps at once the spiritual nature of the salvation here intended, and explains Luke 1:71 Luke 1:74 .

78. Through the tender mercy of our God--the sole spring, necessarily, of all salvation for sinners.
dayspring from on high--either Christ Himself, as the "Sun of righteousness" ( Malachi 4:2 ), arising on a dark world [BEZA, GROTIUS, CALVIN, DE WETTE, OLSHAUSEN, &c.], or the light which He sheds. The sense, of course, is one.

79. (Compare Isaiah 9:2 , Matthew 4:13-17 ). "That St. Luke, of all the Evangelists, should have obtained and recorded these inspired utterances of Zacharias and Mary--is in accordance with his character and habits, as indicated in Luke 1:1-4 " [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].

80. And the child, &c.--"a concluding paragraph, indicating, in strokes full of grandeur, the bodily and mental development of the Baptist; and bringing his life up to the period of his public appearance" [OLSHAUSEN].
in the deserts--probably "the wilderness of Judea" ( Matthew 3:1 ), whither he had retired early in life, in the Nazarite spirit, and where, free from rabbinical influences and alone with God, his spirit would be educated, like Moses in the desert, for his future high vocation.
his showing unto Israel--the presentation of himself before his nation, as Messiah's forerunner.