Luke 1:64

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(64) His tongue loosed.—The verb is supplied by the translators because the one previously used applied strictly only to the mouth.

He spake, and praised God.—Probably, in substance, if not in words, as in the hymn that follows. The insertion of the two verses that follow seems to imply that some interval of time passed before its actual utterance.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:57-66 In these verses we have an account of the birth of John the Baptist, and the great joy among all the relations of the family. He shall be called Johanan, or Gracious, because he shall bring in the gospel of Christ, wherein God's grace shines most bright. Zacharias recovered his speech. Unbelief closed his mouth, and believing opened it again: he believers, therefore he speaks. When God opens our lips, our mouths must show forth his praise; and better be without speech, than not use it in praising God. It is said, The hand of the Lord was working with John. God has ways of working on children in their infancy, which we cannot account for. We should observe the dealings of God, and wait the event.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His mouth was opened ... - That is, he was enabled to speak. For nine months he had been mute, and it is probable that they supposed that he had been afflicted with a paralytic affection, and that he would not recover. Hence, their amazement when he spoke. For one act of disbelief all this calamity had come upon him, and it had not come without effect. With true gratitude he offered praise to God for the birth of a son, and for his restoration to the blessings of speech.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

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

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The angel, Luke 1:20, inflicted the punishment upon him no longer than until what he had said should be performed; now it was performed, God looseth his tongue, and he praiseth God, by the song which we shall by and by meet with.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And his mouth was opened immediately,.... As soon as ever the child was named, and so all things accomplished which the angel had foretold,

and his tongue loosed; the impediments of speech were removed, and the use of his tongue and lips was restored unto him:

and he spake and praised God; for the safe delivery of his wife; for the birth of his son, the forerunner of Christ; for the conception of the Messiah; for God's gracious regards to his church and people, in these instances; and for the restoration of speech and hearing to himself, of which he had been some time deprived for his unbelief.

Geneva Study Bible

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 1:64. Ἀνεῴχθη … γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ] a zeugma; in the case of the tongue ἐλύθη may be mentally supplied; comp., on the other hand, Mark 7:35. This recovery of speech is to be regarded not as the effect of lively emotion (Gell. v. 9; Val. Max. i. 8. 3), or of the deliverance of his soul from the reproach that had oppressed it (Lange), or of his own will (Paulus), but of divine causation (Luke 1:20).

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 1:64. στόμα, γλῶσσα: both connected with ἀνεῴχθη, though the idea of opening is applicable only to the former—a case of zeugma. The return of speech a second marvel or rather a third: (1) a child of old parents; (2) the singular name; (3) the recovery of speech, much marked, and commented on among the denizens of the hill country of Judah (διελαλεῖτο).—φόβος, not terror, but religious awe in presence of the supernatural—characteristic of all simple people.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

64. he spake] Rather, he began to speak (imperfect), the previous verb ‘was opened’ being an aorist.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 1:64. Αὐτοῦ, of him) i.e. Zacharias.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 64. - And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. This, the first hour of his recovered power, was without doubt the occasion of his giving utterance to the inspired hymn (the Benedictus) which is recorded at length a few verses further on (verses 68-79). It. was the outcome, no doubt, of his silent communing with the Spirit during the long months of his affliction. Luke 1:64

Vincent's Word Studies

Immediately (παραχρῆμα)

Occurring nineteen times in the New Testament, and seventeen of these in Luke. Thirteen of the seventeen are in connection with miracles of healing, or the infliction of disease or death. Used in a similar way by medical writers.