The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptist.

  69 And hath raised up a horn

  70 (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old) [ Genesis 3:15 ; 22:18 ; 49:10 ; Numbers 24:17 ; 2 Peter 1:21 ; Hebrews 1:1 ],

  71 Salvation from our enemies [not only Rome, the enemy of Israelitish prosperity, but also those evil agencies which wage ceaseless warfare against the souls of men-- Ephesians 6:12 ], and from the hand of all that hate us;

  72 To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant

[contract or agreement];

  72 To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant

  73 The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father [see Genesis 12:3 ; 17:4 ; Genesis 22:16 Genesis 22:17 ],

  74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear,

  75 In holiness and righteousness

[holiness is good conduct toward God, righteousness is good conduct toward men] before him all our days.

  76 Yea and thou, child

[the rest of the psalm is addressed to the infant John], shalt be called the prophet [see Matthew 11:9 ; Luke 20:6 ] of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord [the Lord Jesus Christ] to make ready his ways [ Isaiah 40:3 ; Matthew 3:3 ];

  75 In holiness and righteousness

  76 Yea and thou, child

  77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people [Israel had a false idea that the Messiah's salvation would be from political evil. John was needed to tell them that it was from sin that God proposed to deliver them. Perdition does not consist in political wrongs, but in divine condemnation] In the remission of their sins [through Christ's work-- Acts 5:31 ],

  78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high [One of the many names for Jesus or his kingdom. The prophets loved to picture Messiah's advent as a sunrise ( Isaiah 9:2 ; 60:1-3 ; Malachi 4:2 ; Matthew 4:16 ; John 1:4 John 1:5 ). Christ's coming was the dawn of a new day for Israel and for mankind] shall visit us,

  79 To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.

[Travelers in the Judæan mountains often waited patiently for the morning light, lest they should lose their lives by a false step taken in the darkness-- Isaiah 59:8 .]

  79 To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.

  80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit [ 1 Samuel 2:26 ; Luke 2:40 Luke 2:52 ] and was in the deserts [The thinly settled region west of the Dead Sea. In 1 Samuel 23:19 it is called Jeshimon, or "the Horror"] till the day of his showing unto Israel. [The day when he commenced his ministry and declared his commission as Messiah's forerunner.]