give light to = shine upon. the shadow of death. A Hebraism. Zalmaveth. Job 10:21 ; Job 38:17 . Psalms 23:4 ; Psalms 107:10 . Isaiah 9:2 .Matthew 4:16 , &c. guide = direct. Wycliffe has "dress", through the O. French dresser = to arrange, still preserved as an English military term. read more
Yea, and thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways.Only the inspiration of the Holy Spirit could have prompted the father of this child of such long hopes and prayers to have deferred any mention of him until near the end of the prophecy. One is reminded of the cows that went lowing away from their calves (1 Samuel 6:7-12).Most High ... See under Luke 1:32.Go before the face of the Lord ... These words are an... read more
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people in the remission of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us.In the remission of their sins ... This is the salvation Jesus came to provide. In this sector only is man powerless to do anything for himself. It is forgiveness that the soul cries for, and it is available nowhere except in Jesus Christ the Saviour. When either churches or individuals lose sight of this, total moral blindness... read more
To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.Darkness and the shadow of death ... Here there is a certain reference to salvation for the Gentiles, as more pointedly stated by Matthew, who explained Jesus' residence in Capernaum as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 9:1,2), as follows:The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people that sat in darknessSaw... read more
Luke 1:76. And thou, child,— Zacharias here either pointed to John, or took him in his arms: the messenger or forerunner in Malachi was to be a prophet; Zacharias says of his son, Thou shalt be called the prophet of the Most High; and our Saviour declares, that John was more than a prophet; that is, he was a great preacher of righteousness, who called aloud unto the people torepent that they might be forgiven, and declared that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. See Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5.... read more
Luke 1:78. The tender mercy— Σπλαγχνα ελεους, the bowels of mercy. These two words are often used in Scripture both jointly and separately. They signify pity, because that passion is commonly attended with a motion in the bowels, especially when the object of it is one we have an interest in. See Isaiah 63:15.Philippians 2:1; Philippians 2:1. Col 3:12 where the bowels of mercy signify the most tender mercy. The phrase used by itself signifies any strong affection whatever. Thus Philemon 1:7.... read more
Luke 1:79. Them that sit in darkness, &c.— These phrases, with peculiar propriety, describe the ignorant and miserable state of the Gentile world, and perhaps the former part of the verse may refer to them. But as Christ's preaching to the Jews in Galilee; (for it was almost entirely to Jews that he preached) is said, Mat 4:14-16 to be an accomplishment of Isa 9:1-2 to which Zacharias here probably refers, we are not to confine the sense to the Gentiles only; for indeed the sad character... read more
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... read more
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; 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. read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Luke 1:78
Through = On account of. Greek dia. App-104 .Luke 1:2 . tender mercy = bowels of compassion. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia ( App-6 ). whereby = in (Greek. en. App-104 .) which. dayspring . Greek. anatole. Hebrew. zemach = branch (see page 1304), is rendered anatole in Jeremiah 23:6 and Zechariah 3:8 , because of its springing up. Both meanings (branch and light) are here combined. Compare Ezekiel 16:7 ; Ezekiel 17:10 . on high. Greek. hupsos. Occurs five more times: Luke 24:49 .... read more