Luke 1:67–80

Verse 69. As Christ was born of the race of David, he is here called the horn of salvation in the house of David. As Isaias says, a vineyard is planted in the horn, chapter 5.—A powerful salvation. [10] According to the letter both of the Latin and Greek text, a horn of salvation. But as it is generally agreed, that by horn, in the phraseology of the Scriptures, is understood strength and power, and that horn sounds awkwardly in English, and other languages, I hope it may be literally enough translated, a powerful salvation. Witham.

Verse 71. That he would save us, and so forth Lit. salvation from our enemies. The construction and sense is, that God, as he had declared by his prophets, would grant us salvation, or would save us. Witham.—This is not to be understood of temporal, but of spiritual enemies. For the Lord Jesus, strong in battle, came to destroy all our enemies, and thus to deliver us from their snares and temptations. Origen, hom. xvi.—He is that King of Glory, the Lord strong and powerful, the Lord powerful in battle. Psalms 23.

Verse 72. To remember his holy covenant, that is of his promise, or of the covenant made with Abraham, that he would bless all nations in his seed. Witham.—At the coming of Christ, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were made partakers of his mercy. For, we cannot suppose that they who saw his day, and were glad, should not participate in the fruit of his coming; since Saint Paul says: he maketh peace through the blood of the cross, both to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven. Colossians 1:20. Origen, hom. x.

Verse 75. It is possible, we here see, to have true justice, not only in the sight of man, or by the imputation of God, but in his sight; and the coming of Christ was to give men such justice.

Verse 77. Jesus is our salvation, and Saint John was sent to give to the people the knowledge of this salvation: he bore testimony of Christ; (Theophy.) by whom alone remission of sins can be obtained.

Verse 78. The rising light, [12] or the rising sun, hath visited us from on high. The Rheims translation hath the Orient, the Prot. the day-spring. Both seem more obscure than they need be. The Latin, as well as the Greek, hath a noun substantive, by which Christ himself is signified. Yet the same word, in both languages, is sometimes taken for a rising light, and sometimes for a bud, or branch; in which latter sense it is expounded by S. Jerom. Comment in Zachar. p. 1737, tom. 3, Ed. Ben. But in this place it is rather taken for a light that riseth, by the following words, to enlighten them that sit in darkness, and so forth Witham.—The Orient. It is one of the titles of the Messias, the true light of the world, and the sun of justice. Challoner.—By this he shews that God has forgiven us our sins, not through our merits, but through his own most tender mercy; (Theophy.) and that we are to solicit this forgiveness through the bowels of his most tender mercy.

Verse 79. The Gentiles were in darkness, and given to the adoration of idols, till the light arose and dispelled the darkness, spreading on all sides the splendour of truth. S. Basil on Isai.—With reason it is said in this place, who sit in darkness; for we did not walk in darkness, but sat down, as if destitute of all hopes of being delivered. Saint John Chrysostom hom. xiv. on S. Matt.… Then our steps are directed in the paths of peace, when in our every action we act conformably to the grace of the Almighty. Saint Gregory hom. xxxii.

Verse 80. Saint John remained in the desert till the 30th year of his age. The reason why he concealed himself so long was because he feared the cruelty of Herod; for, though he was not under his jurisdiction, not being on the confines of Bethlehem, yet on account of the remarkable events that took place at his birth, by which he was declared the precursor of the Messias, he had reason to dread the cruelty of the jealous and suspicious Herod. Peter of Alexandria, Nicephorus, Baronius, and others, say, that when he was yet in his mother’s arms, he was conveyed into the desert, and there concealed in the caves and fissures of the rocks, where people concealed themselves on the approach of their enemies. Cedrinus adds, that 40 days after their flight, the mother of Saint John died; after which, an angel is said to have undertaken the care of the Baptist; but most probably this office was performed by some attendant on S. Elizabeth. Tirinus.—The Baptist remained in the desert till he began his public ministry, which by a law of the Jews could not be much before he had attained his 30th years. He is styled by antiquity the first hermit. See S. Jerom in Vita Pauli.