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An angel appears, and foretells the birth of John.

now well striken in years.

111.

31

Elizabeth was barren, as Zacharias was, would not, on any terms, think SECT. and they both were of taking another wife while she lived; and indeed there was no human prospect that their family would ever be built up, because they were both very far advanced in years.

8 And it came to

pass, that, while he office before God, in the order of his course, 9 According to the ofice, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple

executed the priest's

custom of the priest's

of the Lord.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense.

11 And there ap

incense.

Luke

I. 7.

And it came to pass, that when he was at Je-s rusalem, performing the priest's office before God, in the order of his course, or of the class to which he belonged, According to the custom of assign-9 ing the respective offices of the priesthood to particular persons then in waiting, which was done by lot, it so happened, that his lot was then to perform the most honourable service of daily ministration, that is, to burn incense on the golden altar which was before the Lord, contiguous to the holy of holies. (Exod. xxx. 7. xl. 5-26.) This be accordingly did, when he went into the temple of the Lord, either at the time of morning or evening sacrifice. And the whole multitude 10 of pious Jews assembled for divine worship (according to the usual custom of the people at that time), were praying without in the courts of the temple at the time of incense, to declare their concurrence with the priest in that intercession which he was making to God on their account. Compare Rev. viii. 3, 4.

And, while Zacharias was in the midst of his 11 peared unto him an devotions, on a sudden there appeared to him a angel of the Lord, standing on the right person, whom, by the form and manner of his side of the altar of appearance, he immediately knew to be an angel of the Lord; and he was standing at the right hand of the altar of incense, before which he was then ministering. And Zacharias, seeing [him], though 12 he was a man of such remarkable and experienced piety, was greatly discomposed, and an unusual terror fell upon him.

12 And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled, and fear fell

upon him.

Taking another wife while she lived.] Polygamy as well as divorce were, for the hardness of their hearts, tolerated among the Jews; but they seem both to have been, in this age at least, disapproved by persons of the best character. Compare Mal. ii. 14-16, and 1 Tim. iii. 2.

e Were praying without at the time of inceuse.] This was the foundation of that elegant figure by which prayer is so often compared to incense; (see Psal. exli. 2. Mal. i. 11. Rev. viii. 3, 4.) and perhaps one reason of ordaining incense might be to intimate the acceptableness of those pious prayers which were to accompany it. And indeed burning fragrant perfumes was, and in the easteru nations still is, so

But

important a part of the entertainment of
illustrious families, that one might well
expect it in the house of God. It is so
plain that this was only an office of daily
ministration, and that Zacharias was one
of the ordinary priests, that one cannot but
be surprized that any should ever conclude
from this circumstance of the story that
Zacharias was sagau, or assistant to the
high-priest, and was now performing his
grand office on the day of atonement, and
so on this foundation should calculate the
birth of John the Baptist and of Christ,
and all the other feasts which depend upon
them yet this is done in the calendars
both of the Roman and Greek church.

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SECT.

iii.

Luke

The design of John's coming declared by the angel.

said unto him, Fear

and thou shalt call, his

14. And thou shalt

have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.

But the angel immediately scattered his fears, 13. But the angel and said unto him, with great gentleness of aspect not, Zacharias; for thy and voice, Fear not, Zacharias; for I come prayer is heard, and 1. 13. unto thee with no message of terror, but, on the thy wife Elizabeth contrary, I am sent to assure thee that thy fre- shall bear thee a son, quently repeated prayer for the redemption of name John. Israel, as well as that which thou hast formerly offered for a blessing on thine own family, is at Jength heard: and in proof of it, I add, that Elizabeth thy wife shall ere long bear thee a son to comfort thee in this thy declining age; and, in token of the gracious regard of God to him, thou shalt call his name John, that is, the grace and favour of God, to intimate that the Divine Grace shall, in a very eminent manner, be upon 14 him. And this intimation shall be abundantly answered: for he shall be a person of so distinguished a character, that thou shalt have joy and transport in him; and many others shall also have reason to rejoice with thee on occasion of his 15 birth. For he shall be great, not in circumstances of outward dignity and splendor, but what great in the sight of is infinitely more important, in the sight of the drink neither wine nor Lord, even Jehovah his God, whose approbation strong drink; and he is the highest glory and, in token of his being shall be filled with the in a peculiar manner separated to his service, his mother's womb. like the ancient Nazarites, Numb. vi. 3.) he shall drink neither wine nor any other sort of intoxicating liquor; and he shall be so early remarkable for wisdom and piety, that he shall appear to be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his 16 mother's womb. And, thus trained up and animated for service, he shall, when he appears under a public character, turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; whose ways they

d Thy prayer is heard.] No doubt he had often prayed for children; but, as he seems now to have given up all expectations of that kind, it is reasonable to conclude that these words chiefly relate to his prayers for the deliverance of Israel by the Messiah, whose appearance was then expected by pious persons conversant in the sacred writings (Luke ii. 25, 38. xix. 11. xxiii. 51,) and the more earnestly desired just at this time, as they suffered so many grievous things by the oppression of the Romans and the tyranny of Herod, which toward the close of his reign grew more and more insupportable.

e Thou shalt call his name John.] It was the office of the father to name the child. Compare verse 62. It is well known that

have

15. For he shall be

the Lord, and shall

Holy Ghost, even from

16. And many of the children of Israel

shall he turn to the Lord their God.

this name, in Hebrew JOHANAN, (which
occurs near thirty times in the Old Testa-
ment, though the English reader is not
aware that it is the same,) is derived from
JEHOVAH and CHEN, and properly signifies
the grace and favour of the Lord. Elhanan,
aud
many of the other proper names among
the Hebrews, had such a kind of signi-
fication, and probably were given in token
of their good wishes to the infant that re-
ceived them.

f Joy and transport.] Ayarλiasis properly answers to the word exultation, or leaping for joy, and is far more expressive than gladness. Compare 1 Pet. i. 8. iv. 13. and Mat. v. 12.. in which last places we render it by being exceeding glad.

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Zacharias should be dumb till the birth of his son.

rit and power of Elias,

dient to the wisdom of

the Lord.

iii.

33

have so generally forsaken, even while they are SECT. professing themselves to be his peculiar people and boasting in such an extraordinary relation to Luke 17. And he shall go him. And, to prepare them to receive the Lord 1. 17. before him in the spi- their God appearing in the person of the Mesto turn the hearts of siah, he shall go before him, as an illustrious harthe fathers to the chil- binger, in the spirit and power of Elijah; that is, dren, and the disobe- animated by the same sanctity, courage and the just, to make ready zeal for reformation, which appeared so remarka people prepared for able in that celebrated prophet; and, according to that prediction of Malachi, (with which the sacred canon concludes, Mal. iv. 6.) he shall meet with such glorious success in his ministry, as to convert the hearts of the fathers with those of the children ; that is, he shall bring many both of the rising and the declining age, to that real piety towards God, which will be the surest band of their mutual duty towards each other: and many of those who have hitherto been disobedient to the wisdom of the just; that is, insensible of the obligations to real religion, which is the greatest wisdom, shall he make ready, as a people prepared for the Lord, raising in their minds an expectation of the Messiah, and a disposition to welcome him when he shall appear.

18. And Zacharias said unto the angel,

And Zacharias then said to the angel, By what 18 Whereby shall I know sign shall I know that this desirable and wonderthis? for I am an old ful event shall be accomplished? for, in the man, and my wife well course of nature, it seems most improbable; stricken in years. since I am an old man, and my wife is also considerably advanced in years.

19. And the angel, answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, that

And the angel, answering, said unto him, I am 19 Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and stand in the presence near the throne of his Majesty, as one of the of God; and am sent chief officers in his celestial court; of whose to speak unto thee, and shew thee these appearance to Daniel thou hast so frequently read,

to

glad tidings.

8 To consert the hearts of the fathers with those of the children; spas nadias walipur eni Texia.] Here is a plain allusion to Mal. iv. 6. where it is said (as we render it) that Elijah shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers: "LEB ABOTH AL BENIM," which the seventy render, xadiay walees weos viov; in which words it is quoted, Ecclus. xlviii. 10. but St. Luke's version seems as agreeable to the Hebrew. thought Sir Norton Knatchbull's reason sufficient to justify my rendering it as I have done; which is just as our translators have rendered the like phrase, Judith ix. 10. έκλον επ' αρχοντι, και αρχονία επί θεράπολι, the servant with the prince, and the prince

I

(Dan.

with the servant. But, as Mr. L'Enfant and
others, not without some probability ren-
der it, to reconcile fathers and children, sup-
posing it may relate to domestic dissensions,
inseparable from the variety of religious
sects then amongst the Jews, I was wil-
ling to comprehend that sense in my pa-
raphrase.-Sir Norton Knatchbull's manner
of pointing the last clause of the verse
appeared to me so elegant, that I could
not but follow it. Elsner would render it
nearly in the same sense, By the wisdom
of the just, to prepare the disobedient as a
people furnished for the Lord, or formed for
him. (Compare Isa. xlii. 7. Septuag.) See
Elsner Observ, Vol. I. ρ. 170-173.

h From

34

111.

Luke

Zacharias should be dumb till the birth of his son.

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not

SECT. (Dan. viii. 16. ix. 21.) and it is by a peculiar favour that I am now sent to speak to thee in this form of unusual condescension, and to tell thee 1. 20. these joyful tidings. My very appearance ought therefore to have been owned, as a sufficient confirmation of the truth of my message; especially by thee, who canst not but know how frequently in Israel the most illustrious persons have been raised up from parents who had long been 20 barren. And, since thou dost not acquiesce in this, God will give thee a sign; which, while it confirms thy faith, shall also intimate his displeasure against this sinful mixture of unbelief: for, behold, thou shalt, from this moment, be silent, and unable to speak any more, till the day in which these things shall be accomplished, even till the day be fulfilled in their scain which the child shall be born; because thou hast son. not immediately believed my words, which yet, through the divine indulgence and favour to thee, shall be assuredly fulfilled in their season, that is, as soon as thou canst reasonably expect after thy return home.

21

able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, becausethou believest not

my words, which shall

and marvelled that he

And the people, who stood without, were wait- 21 And the people ing for Zacharias, that he might dismiss them waited for Zacharias, with his blessing, (Numb. vi. 23-27. and Lev. tarried so long in the ix. 22, 23.) and they wondered that he continued temple. so long in the temple', beyond the usual time: for he stayed a while after the angel disappeared, to present before God such humiliations and thanksgivings as this extraordinary circumstance 22 required. But when he came out he was not able to speak to them; and, by the consternation in which he appeared, they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he himself, by signs, intimated [it] to them; and he continued deaf and dumb during the remainder of his stay

h From parents who had long been barren.] Zacharias, being so pious a priest, could not but often have read the account which the scripture gives of the birth of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, &c. who were all descended from mothers that had been long barren. The resemblance in circumstances might well have produced a peculiar regard to them; and one would have imagined he must immediately have recollected the story of the angel's appear ance to Manoah in particular, when the same scene was acted over before his own eyes, and some of the same expressions used by the celestial messenger. Compare Judg. xiii. 2-14.

So long in the temple.] All that is here

at

22 And when he came out he could not speak unto them; and

they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckonmained speechless.

ed unto them, and re

recorded might have passed in a few minutes: it seems probable, therefore, that, since the people took notice of his continuing so much longer than ordinary in the holy place, he spent some time in secret devotion, where, in a mixture of holy affections, rising on so great and extraordinary an occasion, he might easily forget how fast the moments passed away.

k Deaf and dumb.] As po; signifies deaf, (Mat. xi. 5. Mark vii, 32, 37. ix. 25. and Luke vii. 22.) as well as dumb, (Mat. ix. 33. xii. 22. xv. 31. and Luke xi. 14.) So it is plain, from verse 62, that Zacharias lost his hearing with his speech, during this interval.

1 My

Reflections on the appearance of the angel to Zacharias.

23 And it came to

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at Jerusalem; a circumstance wisely ordered by SECT.
Providence to awaken a greater and more gene-
ral expectation as to the event of so strange an

Occurrence.

And, after this appearance of the angel to him, 23 pass that, as soon as the it came to pass that, when the remaining days of his ministration were fulfilled, he departed to his

days of his ministration

were accomplished, he

departed to his own own house.

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Luke

And quickly after these days were ended, Eli-24 zabeth his wife conceived, according to the prediction of the angel; and, apprehending her condition, she concealed herself five months in an obscure retirement, not only that her conception might more certainly appear, but chiefly that she might enjoy opportunity for those extraordinary devotions which this wonderful favour of Providence demanded: nor could she, under such a circumstance, refrain from saying,

I. 23.

The most solemn acknowledgments well bé-25 come me, because the Lord himself hath thus miraculously interposed, and done this great work for me, in his own good time, even in the days in which he hath graciously looked down upon me, to take away my reproach of barrenness among men'. For barrenness was accounted a peculiar reproach among the Jews, who looked upon it as a singular happiness to be instrumental in multiplying the holy seed, according to the promises which God had made them relating to it.

IMPROVEMENT.

How amiable is the character of this pious pair, who were found Ver. walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blame-6 less! May our behaviour be thus unblameable, and our obedience thus sincere and universal! And let those, whose office leads them

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1 My reproach among men.] That barrenwas so amongst the Jews, appears from Gen. xxx. 23. 1 Sam. i. 11. Isa. iv. 1. liv. 1, 4. and many other passages. That a branch of the family of Aaron should fail, would also be looked upon as a particular calamity, and might, by ignorant and uncharitable people, be interpreted as a judgment: and so much the rather, considering the many promises God had made to increase the families of his obedient people, Exod. xxxii. 13. Lev. xxvi. 9. Deut. vii. 13. and Psal. cxxvii. 3, 4, 5.-I will here digress so far as to observe, that, consider ing how the whole Jewish policy was interwoven with those acts of religion which were to be performed by the priests alone, it

nearer

might seem wonderful that no provision at
all should be made for entailing the priest-
hood on any other family, if that of Aaron
should happen to be extinct. Leaving this
contingency unprovided for, was in effect
putting the whole credit of the Jewish re-
ligion upon the perpetual continuance of
the male branches of that family: an issue
on which no man of Moses' prudence, nor
indeed of common sense, would have rest-
ed his legislation, if he had not been truly
conscious of its divine original; especially
after two of Aaron's four sons had been
cut off in one day for a rash act in the
execution of their office, as soon as they
were initiated into it, and died without any
children. Numb. iii. 4.

a Nazareth.]

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