Luke 1:5-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 1:5-25

The two preceding evangelists had agreed to begin the gospel with the baptism of John and his ministry, which commenced about six months before our Saviour's public ministry (and now, things being near a crisis, six months was a deal of time, which before was but a little), and therefore this evangelist, designing to give a more particular account than had been given of our Saviour's conception and birth, determines to do so of John Baptist, who in both was his harbinger and forerunner, the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 1:5-25

1:5-25 In the time of Herod, the king of Judaea, there was a priest called Zacharias, who belonged to the section of Abia. His wife was also a direct descendant of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were good people before God, for they walked blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. They had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both of them were far advanced in years. When he was acting as priest before God, when his section was on duty, in accordance... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:5

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea ,.... This was Herod, the son of Antipater, sometimes called Herod the Great, and is rightly here said to be the king of Judea; for, by deputation from the Roman emperor, he had the government of all Judea, which upon his death was divided among his sons. The phrase, "in the days of", is an eastern way, of speaking; see Genesis 14:1 ; and intends the time of his reign; in which there was a certain priest named Zacharias : a name famous... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:6

And they were both righteous before God ,.... Not as the Pharisees, only righteous before men, but in the sight of God, who sees the heart, and whose judgment is according to truth; and therefore were not justified by the deeds of the law; for by them no man can be justified in the sight of God; but were made righteous through the righteousness of Christ, by which the saints were made righteous before the coming of Christ, as those after it: see Acts 15:11 . God beheld them in his Son, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:7

And they had no child ,.... Son or daughter: and which was accounted a great infelicity: but this was not owing to the judgment of God upon them for any sins they had been guilty of, as the above character of them shows: and it had been the case of some righteous pairs before them for a great while, as Abraham and Sarah, Manoah, and his wile, Elkanah and Hannah: because that Elizabeth was barren ; so that it was peculiarly her case, and not Zacharias's: and though God had promised the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:8

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office ,.... To which he was called and ordained, even to offer gifts and sacrifices for men; whilst he was in the way of his duty, when oftentimes God appears to, and in favour of his people; whilst he was performing it, before God ; in the temple, where was the symbol of the divine presence, before the altar of the Lord; and as having the fear of God before his eyes; considering himself as in the sight of God, and doing his work... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:9

According to the custom of the priest's office ,.... In which, every man took his part in the execution of it by lot; and which was not an original settled law of God; but a custom, which, in process of time, through the number of the priests, took place, and prevailed: the occasion of it was this, "at first, whoever would, might sweep the altar, or cleanse it----it happened that two alike ran, and came up to the ascent of the altar, and one thrust down the other, and he fell, and his leg... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:10

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without ,.... In the court of the Israelites, whilst Zacharias was in the holy place; though not in the holy of holies, where only the high priest entered: it looks, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, as if this was on a sabbath day, since there was such a multitude of people together; for on the weekday, there were only the priests and Levites of the course, and the stationary men, which represented the Israelites, and some of the more devout... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:11

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord ,.... Gabriel, as seem's manifest from Luke 1:19 the same angel that had appeared to Daniel, about the time of the evening oblation, near five hundred years before, and gave him an account of the time of the Messiah's coming, Daniel 9:21 . The Jews sometimes speak of divine and wonderful appearances to their priests, at such times, and in such places: "it is a tradition that R. Ishmael ben Elishah should say, one time I went in, להקטיר ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 1:12

And when Zacharias saw him ,.... The angel; he was troubled, and fear fell upon him; for such appearances of angels were not now so common as formerly: and when they were more usual, generally had such effects on the minds, even of good men; see Judges 6:22 . read more

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