Zechariah's Prophecy and John's Mission
Luke 1:67-80
Luke.1.67 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- Ζαχαριας: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- πατηρ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- επλησθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- πνευματος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- αγιου: ADJ,gen,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- επροφητευσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- λεγων·: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Acts 2:4 (verbal): The believers were "filled with the Holy Spirit" and began to speak — parallels Luke's formula of being filled with the Spirit and then prophesying/speaking.
- Acts 4:31 (verbal): The disciples were "filled with the Holy Spirit" and then spoke the word of God boldly — closely parallels Zechariah’s being filled and prophesying.
- Luke 1:15 (thematic): Prophecy of John the Baptist: he "shall be filled with the Holy Spirit...from his mother's womb," tying John’s prophetic role to the Spirit-language in 1:67.
- Luke 1:41 (verbal): Elizabeth was "filled with the Holy Spirit" and exclaimed prophetic blessing — an immediate Lukean parallel of Spirit‑inspiration leading to prophetic speech.
- 1 Samuel 10:10 (allusion): An Old Testament pattern: "the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophesied" — a background precedent for Spirit‑empowered prophecy in Luke 1:67.
Alternative generated candidates
- And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
- Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
Luke.1.68 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ευλογητος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- κυριος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- Ισραηλ: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- οτι: CONJ
- επεσκεψατο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- εποιησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- λυτρωσιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- λαω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Psalm 106:48 (verbal): Opens with the nearly identical blessing 'Blessed be the LORD the God of Israel,' echoing Zechariah's opening doxology in wording and liturgical tone.
- Exodus 6:6 (thematic): God's promise 'I will bring you out... I will redeem you' establishes the Exodus pattern of divine visitation and redemption that Zechariah applies to God's action for his people.
- Isaiah 63:9 (allusion): Speaks of the LORD redeeming Israel 'in his love and in his pity,' a prophetic portrayal of God's visitation and deliverance that underlies Zechariah's language.
- Luke 7:16 (verbal): The crowd's declaration 'God has visited his people' uses the same key verb and theme of divine visitation, reflecting a recurrent Johannine/Lukan motif of God's intervention.
- Galatians 4:4-5 (thematic): Paul summarizes the salvation-historical fulfilment: God sent his Son to redeem those under the law—echoing Zechariah's claim that God has 'visited and redeemed' his people in the advent of salvation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people,
- Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has looked with favor on his people and redeemed them,
Luke.1.69 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ηγειρεν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- κερας: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- σωτηριας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ημιν: PRON,dat,pl,1
- εν: PREP
- οικω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- Δαυιδ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- παιδος: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Psalm 132:17 (verbal): Uses the same 'horn' imagery for David's line—'I will make a horn to sprout for David'—parallel to 'a horn of salvation... in the house of David.'
- 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (allusion): God's covenant promise to David of an enduring offspring and established kingdom; Luke presents the coming Savior as fulfillment of this Davidic promise.
- Isaiah 11:1, 10 (thematic): Foretells a shoot from the stem of Jesse/David who will bring justice and attract the nations; echoes Luke's locating salvation within David's house.
- Luke 1:32-33 (structural): Within the same canticle Luke explicitly promises Davidic descent and an eternal throne for the child, continuing the theme of fulfillment begun in 1:69.
- Acts 13:23 (thematic): Paul proclaims God has raised up a Savior from David's descendants—an explicit New Testament identification of Jesus as the fulfillment of promises to David, parallel to Luke's wording.
Alternative generated candidates
- and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
- and has raised up for us a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David,
Luke.1.70 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- καθως: CONJ
- ελαλησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δια: PREP
- στοματος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- αγιων: ADJ,gen,pl,m
- απ᾽αιωνος: PREP
- προφητων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Hebrews 1:1 (verbal): Uses almost identical idea/phrasing: 'Long ago... God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,' paralleling 'he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.'
- Acts 3:18 (verbal): Speaks of what God 'foretold by the mouth of all his prophets' regarding the Messiah—close verbal and thematic parallel about prophetic announcement and fulfillment.
- Romans 1:2 (verbal): Speaks of God's promises 'formerly made through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,' echoing the notion of divine speech through ancient prophets.
- Luke 24:44 (thematic): Within Luke's corpus Jesus explains that everything written in the Law, Prophets, and Psalms must be fulfilled—connecting Luke 1:70's emphasis on prophetic speech with fulfillment in Christ.
Alternative generated candidates
- as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
- as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old,
Luke.1.71 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- σωτηριαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- εξ: PREP
- εχθρων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- και: CONJ
- εκ: PREP
- χειρος: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- παντων: ADJ,gen,pl,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- μισουντων: PART,pres,act,gen,pl,m
- ημας: PRON,acc,pl,1
Parallels
- Psalm 18:48 (17:48 LXX) (verbal): Uses the same language of God delivering/saving the speaker from enemies; Psalm and Luke share the motif and similar verbs for rescue from foes.
- Exodus 14:30 (verbal): Narrates Yahweh’s salvation of Israel “from the hand of the Egyptians,” echoing Luke’s phrase about rescue ‘from the hand’ of those who hate us.
- Psalm 106:10 (verbal): Speaks of God saving the people ‘from the hand of the foe/enemy,’ nearly identical wording and the theme of divine deliverance.
- Luke 1:74 (structural): Immediate continuation of the Benedictus; verse 74 gives the purpose/result of the deliverance named in 1:71 (that we might serve God without fear), showing close structural and thematic connection.
Alternative generated candidates
- that he would save us from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
- that he would save us from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Luke.1.72 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ποιησαι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- ελεος: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- μετα: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- πατερων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- και: CONJ
- μνησθηναι: VERB,aor,pass,inf
- διαθηκης: NOUN,gen,sg,fem
- αγιας: ADJ,gen,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Exodus 2:24 (verbal): OT narrative language: “God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob,” closely echoing Luke’s “remember his holy covenant” and the idea of merciful action toward the fathers.
- Psalm 105:8–10 (verbal): Psalmic formulation: God ‘remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations…’ — a key background for Luke’s appeal to God’s mercy and the covenant promised to the fathers.
- Psalm 106:45 (verbal): LXX/Hebrew psalm: ‘And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies,’ pairing the motifs of remembering the covenant and God’s mercy found in Luke 1:72.
- Luke 1:55 (structural): Immediate canticle parallel: earlier line in Zechariah’s Benedictus — ‘as he promised our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring for ever’ — reinforces the same promise-to-the-fathers and covenant-memory theme.
- Acts 3:25 (thematic): Peter’s address links the covenant/promise to the fathers with the coming blessing in Jesus: ‘You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers,’ echoing Luke’s emphasis on God’s faithfulness to the fathers’ covenant.
Alternative generated candidates
- to show mercy toward our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
- Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our fathers and has remembered his holy covenant,
Luke.1.73 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ορκον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- ωμοσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- προς: PREP
- Αβρααμ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- πατερα: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- δουναι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- ημιν: PRON,dat,pl,1
Parallels
- Genesis 22:16-18 (verbal): Contains God's oath to Abraham ('by myself I have sworn') and the promise to bless Abraham's offspring—the specific covenantal oath Luke refers to.
- Genesis 12:2-3 (thematic): The original promise to Abraham to make him a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth, which Luke presents as being fulfilled to Israel.
- Hebrews 6:13-18 (allusion): Explicitly treats the promise and oath given to Abraham as the basis for God's sure hope—uses the Abrahamic oath to illustrate God's unchangeable purpose and fulfillment.
- Acts 3:25 (quotation): Peter cites the covenant 'which God made with our fathers' and the promise to Abraham ('in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed'), echoing Luke's reference to the oath to Abraham.
- Galatians 3:16 (thematic): Interprets the promises to Abraham as fulfilled in 'the seed' (Christ); connects the Abrahamic promise to the coming blessing Luke anticipates.
Alternative generated candidates
- the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us,
- the oath that he swore to Abraham our father,
Luke.1.74 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αφοβως: ADV
- εκ: PREP
- χειρος: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- εχθρων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- ρυσθεντας: VERB,aor,pass,part,acc,pl,m
- λατρευειν: VERB,pres,act,inf
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 22:49 / Psalm 18:48 (verbal): Speaks of God delivering the psalmist from his enemies so that he might serve or praise God — closely parallels the language of being rescued from enemies to serve God.
- Psalm 27:1 (thematic): Emphasizes confidence in the LORD as salvation and therefore not fearing — parallels Luke's 'serve him without fear' motif of fearless worship.
- Isaiah 12:2 (thematic): Declares God as salvation and a reason for trust and lack of fear, echoing the Benedictus theme of deliverance enabling confident service.
- Exodus 14:13-14 (thematic): Moses' charge 'Fear not... the LORD will fight for you' and the theme of deliverance from enemies resonates with Luke's link between rescue and fearless worship.
Alternative generated candidates
- that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
- to grant us, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear,
Luke.1.75 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- εν: PREP
- οσιοτητι: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- δικαιοσυνη: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- ενωπιον: PREP,gen
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- πασαις: ADJ,dat,pl,f
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- ημεραις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
Parallels
- Leviticus 19:2 (allusion): The call to live in holiness before God echoes Israel’s foundational command, “Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy,” giving the basis for lifelong holiness before God.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:13 (verbal): Paul prays that the Thessalonians be established “blameless in holiness before our God,” closely paralleling Luke’s phrase about holiness before God all our days.
- 1 Peter 1:15-16 (thematic): Peter exhorts believers to be holy in all their conduct because God is holy, matching Luke’s emphasis on lifelong holiness in God’s presence.
- Romans 6:13 (thematic): Paul urges believers to present themselves to God as instruments of righteousness, linking the practical outworking of righteousness and sanctification to the call to serve God in holiness and righteousness.
Alternative generated candidates
- in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
- in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Luke.1.76 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- συ: PRON,nom,sg,2
- δε: CONJ
- παιδιον: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- προφητης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- Υψιστου: ADJ,gen,sg,m
- κληθηση: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- προπορευση: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- γαρ: PART
- ενωπιον: PREP,gen
- κυριου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ετοιμασαι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- οδους: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Isaiah 40:3 (verbal): Luke's depiction of John 'preparing the way' echoes Isaiah 40:3's 'A voice... Prepare the way of the LORD,' language and imagery of making a highway for God.
- Malachi 3:1 (verbal): The idea of a messenger sent 'before' the Lord who prepares his way parallels Malachi's 'Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me,' applied to John.
- Luke 1:17 (structural): Immediate parallel within Zechariah's prophecy: verse 17 specifies John's role more fully (going 'before the Lord' in the spirit and power of Elijah) and complements the claim in 1:76 about being a prophet who prepares God's way.
- Matthew 11:10 (quotation): Jesus cites the Malachi tradition about a messenger preparing the way and explicitly identifies John the Baptist with that role, echoing Luke 1:76's attribution.
- Malachi 4:5 (allusion): The prophetic expectation of an Elijah-like figure who precedes the day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5) informs Luke's portrayal of John as the prophetic precursor preparing the Lord's coming.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
- And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
Luke.1.77 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- δουναι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- γνωσιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- σωτηριας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- λαω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- αφεσει: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- αμαρτιων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
Parallels
- Matthew 1:21 (verbal): Both announce the child's mission as saving his people from their sins—Matthew explicitly: 'you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins,' paralleling 'knowledge of salvation... by the forgiveness of their sins.'
- Acts 5:31 (verbal): Peter says God 'exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins,' closely mirroring Luke's emphasis on salvation and the forgiveness/remission of sins as the means of saving the people.
- Acts 13:38 (verbal): Paul proclaims 'through this man is proclaimed to you the forgiveness of sins,' echoing Luke's link between the arrival of salvation and the forgiveness/remission of sins.
- Ephesians 1:7 (verbal): Paul states believers 'have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,' reflecting the same theological claim that salvation is effected through forgiveness.
- Romans 3:24-26 (thematic): Paul develops the doctrine that God declares sinners righteous and provides salvation through Christ (justification and redemption), echoing Luke's theme that God's saving gift to his people comes through the removal/forgiveness of sin.
Alternative generated candidates
- to give knowledge of salvation to his people, by the forgiveness of their sins,
- to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins,
Luke.1.78 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- δια: PREP
- σπλαγχνα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- ελεους: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- εν: PREP
- οις: PRON,dat,pl,m
- επισκεψεται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- ημας: PRON,acc,pl,1
- ανατολη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- εξ: PREP
- υψους: NOUN,gen,sg,n
Parallels
- Malachi 4:2 (allusion): The image of the 'Sun/dayspring of righteousness' rising with healing parallels Luke's 'dayspring from on high' visiting us—messianic light and healing.
- Isaiah 9:2 (thematic): 'The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light' echoes the motif of light from on high visiting and bringing salvation to those in darkness.
- Isaiah 60:1-3 (thematic): 'Arise, shine; for your light has come' and the nations coming to the light resonate with the idea of a heavenly rising light that visits and transforms.
- Luke 1:68 (verbal): Earlier in Zechariah's song God is said to have 'visited and redeemed' his people; 1:78 repeats the visitation motif ('visited us') and ties it to God's mercy and the coming light.
- John 1:9 (thematic): The 'true Light' that enlightens every person complements Luke's 'dayspring from on high' language—both portray the Messiah as divine light visiting humanity.
Alternative generated candidates
- through the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
- by the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will break upon us,
Luke.1.79 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- επιφαναι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- εν: PREP
- σκοτει: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- σκια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- θανατου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- καθημενοις: PART,pres,mid,dat,pl,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- κατευθυναι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- ποδας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- εις: PREP
- οδον: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- ειρηνης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- Isaiah 9:2 (verbal): Both speak of people in darkness seeing a new light; Luke echoes Isaiah’s language about light dawning on those who walk in darkness.
- Isaiah 42:7 (allusion): Isaiah’s servant passage promises liberation of those ‘who sit in darkness’ and opening blind eyes, paralleling Luke’s theme of bringing light and guidance out of darkness and death’s shadow.
- Luke 2:32 (thematic): Simeon’s song likewise describes the Messiah as ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles,’ echoing Luke’s theme of bringing divine light to those in darkness.
- Acts 26:18 (verbal): Paul’s commission to ‘open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light’ uses language and motifs similar to Luke’s phrase about giving light to those in darkness and guiding feet into peace.
- Matthew 4:16 (quotation): Matthew explicitly cites Isaiah 9:2 (‘people walking in darkness have seen a great light’) in describing Jesus’ ministry—an NT citation that parallels Luke’s portrayal of the Messiah as bringing light to darkness.
Alternative generated candidates
- to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
- to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke.1.80 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Το: ART,nom,sg,n
- δε: CONJ
- παιδιον: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- ηυξανε: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- εκραταιουτο: VERB,impf,mp,ind,3,sg
- πνευματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- ερημοις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- εως: CONJ
- ημερας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- αναδειξεως: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- προς: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Ισραηλ: NOUN,voc,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 2:40 (verbal): Almost identical language: 'the child grew and became strong in spirit'—Luke uses the same phrasing about a child’s growth and spiritual strength (here applied to Jesus).
- Luke 2:52 (thematic): Similar theme of maturation: Jesus 'increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man,' paralleling the motif of a child growing into his public role.
- Mark 1:4-8 (structural): Describes John the Baptist's ministry 'in the wilderness' preparing the way for the Lord, matching Luke’s note that John was in the desert until his public appearance to Israel.
- Isaiah 40:3 (quotation): Prophetic source—'A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD'—frequently cited in the NT as predicting the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist.
- John 1:23 (quotation): John the Baptist identifies himself as 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness' (quoting Isaiah 40:3), tying his wilderness presence to his role of revelation to Israel as in Luke 1:80.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the wilderness until the day of his appearing to Israel.
- And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public manifestation to Israel.
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,
and has raised up for us a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us, delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high has visited us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the day of his appearing to Israel.