Luke 1:68-69 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 1:57-80

The birth and development of the Baptist. We now pass from the inspirations of the holy women to the birth of the Baptist. We have before us what one has well denominated "a pious family in their good fortune." £ As this preacher observes, we have here "the mother in her joy, the father with his song of praise, and the little child and his development." We cannot do better than allow our thoughts to group themselves round these three persons in this order. I. CONTEMPLATE THE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 1:59-80

The name-giving, and what followed it. There is a quiet, gentle beauty in the picture of the home life given in Luke 1:58 . The touches of nature in it make us feel our kinship with all the ages. We are told of the flood of congratulations and kind messages which surges towards the happy mother; how the cousins of the priestly families in and around Hebron, and the neighbors scattered over that part of northern Judea, hastened to express their gladness to Zacharias and Elisabeth. The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 1:68-69

He hath visited and redeemed,… and hath raised up. The tenses of the verbs used in these expressions show that in Zacharias's mind, when he uttered the words of his hymn, the Incarnation, and the glorious deliverance commenced in that stupendous act of mercy, belonged to the past. He hath visited; that is, after some four hundred years of silence and absence, the Holy One of Israel had again come to his people. About four centuries had passed since the voice of Malachi, the last of the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Luke 1:68

Blessed - See the notes at Matthew 5:3.Hath visited - The word here rendered “visited” means properly “to look upon;” then to look upon in order “to know the state of anyone;” then to visit for the purpose of “aiding those who need aid,” or alleviating misery. Compare Matthew 25:43. In this sense it is used here. God “looked upon” the world - he saw it miserable - he came to relieve it, and brought salvation.And redeemed - That is, was “about to redeem,” or had given the pledge that he “would... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Luke 1:69

And hath raised up a horn - A horn is a symbol of strength. The figure is taken from the fact that in horned animals the strength lies in the “horn.” Particularly, the great power of the rhinoceros or unicorn is manifested by the use of a single horn of great “strength,” placed on the head near the end of the nose. When the sacred writers, therefore, speak of great strength they often use the word “horn,” Psalms 148:14; Deuteronomy 33:17; Daniel 7:7-8; Daniel 7:21. The word salvation, connected... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Luke 1:68-70

Luke 1:68-70 . Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Who is also the God of the spirits of all flesh: but Zacharias, speaking of the work of redemption calls him only the God of Israel, because to Israel the prophecies, promises, and types of redemption, had hitherto been given, and to them the first offers and proposals of it were now to be made. Israel, as a chosen people, was a type of the people of God to be called out of all nations and ages, whom God had a particular eye to in sending the... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Luke 1:57-80

5. Birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:57-80)Elizabeth’s son was born amid much rejoicing, and eight days later was circumcised in accordance with the law of Israel. Circumcision was a minor surgical operation carried out on all Israelite baby boys, and was the covenant sign that Israel was God’s people. At this ceremony the child was usually given his name (Luke 1:57-60; cf. 2:21; Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus 12:3). When relatives tried to interfere in the naming of the child, Zechariah proved his... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Luke 1:68

Blessed . Hence the name "Benedictus" given to Zacharias's prophecy. God = the God. visited = lookedon. Not the same word as in Luke 1:48 . See App-133 . redeemed = wrought a ransom for. Compare Titus 2:14 . read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Luke 1:69

an horn of salvation. A Hebraism. See Psalms 132:17 . 1 Samuel 2:1 , 1 Samuel 2:10 . Ezekiel 29:21 . His servant David. See Psalms 132:10 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Luke 1:68

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people. And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.Here Zacharias was speaking, not of his own son John, but of Jesus the Christ. The use of the past tense, at a time when Jesus had not yet been born, is prophetic, a tense peculiar to the Holy Scriptures, in which future events are announced in the past tense, implying the certainty of fulfillment. What God promises is... read more