Luke 1:67-79 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,… One can't help thinking that the mind and heart of Zacharias during all those nine months had been filling with this song. And now it bursts forth at once — as a flower suddenly bursts out where there was but a green-sheathed bull yesterday. This song is as spontaneous as that of a lark, and as lyrical. As David found a prayer in his heart (2 Samuel 7:27), so Zacharias found a song in his. (A. B. Grosart, D. D.)It is a wonderful scene in the house of the old priest Zacharias that we are permitted to witness. The priest's lips had long been sealed. In silence he had awaited the fulfilment of the Divine promise. His tongue was not to be loosed till the word of the Lord had been fulfilled, that his first utterance might be praise to God for His wonderful works. It was manifest that a new era was beginning — the era of the long-expected redemption of Israel. This is the strain of Zacharias' hymn of praise. Just as a mountain stream, which, after being long hemmed in, finds at last an outlet, leaps along in tumultuous gladness, so does the long pent-up emotion of Zacharias' heart flow forth in a rapture of praise, "Blessed be the Lord," &c. We feel that this is not the expression simply of his own personal, fatherly gladness. It is the rejoicing song of all who looked for redemption in Israel, thus finding utterance through him. We observe that it was — I. A Tree OF FULFILMENT (vers. 67-70), and — II. A TIME OF SALVATION (vers. 71-79). (Professor Luthardt.) Parallel Verses KJV: And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,WEB: His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, |
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