1:69 For 1 he has raised up 2 a horn of salvation 3 for us in the house of his servant David, 4
1 tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.
2 sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.
3 sn The horn of salvation is a figure that refers to the power of Messiah and his ability to protect, as the horn refers to what an animal uses to attack and defend (Ps 75:4-5, 10; 148:14; 2 Sam 22:3). Thus the meaning of the figure is “a powerful savior.”
4 sn In the house of his servant David is a reference to Messiah’s Davidic descent. Zechariah is more interested in Jesus than his own son John at this point.
5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative
6 sn This is one of the few uses of the specific term salvation in Luke (1:69, 71, 77), though the concept runs throughout the Gospel.
7 sn The household is not a reference to the building, but to the people who lived within it (L&N 10.8).
8 sn Zacchaeus was personally affirmed by Jesus as a descendant (son) of Abraham and a member of God’s family.