Luke 1:17--2:10

¹ tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² sn These two lines cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner.

³ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁴ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

⁵ tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

⁶ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁷ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

⁸ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

⁹ tn Grk “behold.”

¹⁰ sn The predicted fulfillment in the expression my words, which will be fulfilled in their time takes place in Luke 1:63-66.

¹¹ sn Silent, unable to speak. Actually Zechariah was deaf and mute as 1:61-63 indicates, since others had to use gestures to communicate with him.

¹² tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

¹³ tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

¹⁴ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

¹⁵ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁶ tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁷ tn That is, “he had had a supernatural encounter in the holy place,” since the angel came to Zechariah by the altar. This was not just a “mental experience.”

¹⁸ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

¹⁹ tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.

²⁰ tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.

²¹ tn Grk “And it happened that as the days of his service were ended.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

²² tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

²³ tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

²⁴ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

²⁵ tn Grk “she kept herself in seclusion, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

²⁶ tn Grk “Thus.”

²⁷ tn Grk “in the days.”

²⁸ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

²⁹ sn Barrenness was often seen as a reproach or disgrace (Lev 20:20-21; Jer 22:30), but now at her late age (the exact age is never given in Luke’s account), God had miraculously removed it (see also Luke 1:7).

³⁰ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

³¹ tn Grk “in the sixth month.” The phrase “of Elizabeth’s pregnancy” was supplied in the translation to clarify the exact time meant by this reference. That Elizabeth’s pregnancy is meant is clear from vv. 24-25.

³² sn Gabriel is the same angel mentioned previously in v. 19. He is traditionally identified as an angel who brings revelation (see Dan 8:15-16; 9:21). Gabriel and Michael are the only two good angels named in the Bible.

³³ tn Or “from.” The account suggests God’s planned direction in these events, so “by” is better than “from,” as six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God acts again.

³⁴ sn Nazareth was a town in the region of Galilee, located north of Samaria and Judea. Galilee extended from about 45 to 85 miles north of Jerusalem and was about 30 miles in width. Nazareth was a very small village and was located about 15 miles west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee.

map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

³⁵ tn Or “promised in marriage.”

³⁶ tn Grk “Joseph, of the house of David.”

sn The Greek word order here favors connecting Davidic descent to Joseph, not Mary, in this remark.

³⁷ tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

³⁸ tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁹ tn Grk “coming to her, he said.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁴⁰ tn The address, “favored one” (a perfect participle, Grk “Oh one who is favored”) points to Mary as the recipient of God’s grace, not a bestower of it. She is a model saint in this passage, one who willingly receives God’s benefits. The Vulgate rendering “full of grace” suggests something more of Mary as a bestower of grace, but does not make sense here contextually.

⁴¹ tc Most mss (A C D Θ Ë¹³ 33 Ï latt sy) read here εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν (euloghmenh su en gunaixin, “blessed are you among women”) which also appears in 1:42 (where it is textually certain). This has the earmarks of a scribal addition for balance; the shorter reading, attested by the most important witnesses and several others (א B L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 700 1241 pc co), is thus preferred.

⁴² tc Most mss (A C Θ 0130 ˹³ Ï lat sy) have ἰδοῦσα (idousa, “when [she] saw [the angel]”) here as well, making Mary’s concern the appearance of the angel. This construction is harder than the shorter reading since it adds a transitive verb without an explicit object. However, the shorter reading has significant support (א B D L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 1241 sa) and on balance should probably be considered authentic.

⁴³ sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.

⁴⁴ tn Grk “to wonder what kind of greeting this might be.” Luke often uses the optative this way to reveal a figure’s thinking (3:15; 8:9; 18:36; 22:23).

⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Gabriel’s statement is a response to Mary’s perplexity over the greeting.

⁴⁶ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

⁴⁷ tn Or “grace.”

sn The expression found favor is a Semitism, common in the OT (Gen 6:8; 18:3; 43:14; 2 Sam 15:25). God has chosen to act on this person’s behalf.

⁴⁸ tn Grk “And behold.”

⁴⁹ tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”

⁵⁰ tn Or “and bear.”

⁵¹ tn Grk “you will call his name.”

⁵² tn See v. 13 for a similar construction.

sn You will name him Jesus. This verse reflects the birth announcement of a major figure; see 1:13; Gen 16:7; Judg 13:5; Isa 7:14. The Greek form of the name Ihsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.

⁵³ tn Grk “this one.”

⁵⁴ sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.

⁵⁵ sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.

⁵⁶ tn Or “ancestor.”

⁵⁷ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence is begun here in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek.

⁵⁸ tn Or “over Israel.”

sn The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.

⁵⁹ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁶⁰ tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text, and the euphemistic expression is really more explicit, referring specifically to sexual relations.

⁶¹ tn Grk “And the angel said to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The pronoun αὐτῇ (auth, “to her”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.

⁶² sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).

⁶³ tn Or “the one born holy will be called the Son of God.” The wording of this phrase depends on whether the adjective is a predicate adjective, as in the text, or is an adjective modifying the participle serving as the subject. The absence of an article with the adjective speaks for a predicate position. Other less appealing options supply a verb for “holy”; thus “the one who is born will be holy”; or argue that both “holy” and “Son of God” are predicates, so “The one who is born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ tc A few mss (C* Θ Ë¹ 33 pc) add “by you” here. This looks like a scribal addition to bring symmetry to the first three clauses of the angel’s message (note the second person pronoun in the previous two clauses), and is too poorly supported to be seriously considered as authentic.

⁶⁵ tn Or “Therefore the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God.” There are two ways to understand the Greek phrase τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον (to gennwmenon {agion) here. First, τὸ γεννώμενον could be considered a substantival participle with ἅγιον as an adjective in the second predicate position, thus making a complete sentence; this interpretation is reflected in the translation above. Second, τὸ ἅγιον could be considered a substantival adjective with γεννώμενον acting as an adjectival participle, thus making the phrase the subject of the verb κληθήσεται (klhqhsetai); this interpretation is reflected in the alternative reading. Treating the participle γεννώμενον as adjectival is a bit unnatural for the very reason that it forces one to understand ἅγιον as substantival; this introduces a new idea in the text with ἅγιον when an already new topic is being introduced with γεννώμενον. Semantically this would overload the new subject introduced at this point. For this reason the first interpretation is preferred.

⁶⁶ tn Grk “behold.”

⁶⁷ tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

⁶⁸ tn Or “has conceived.”

⁶⁹ tn Grk “and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.” Yet another note on Elizabeth’s loss of reproach also becomes a sign of the truth of the angel’s declaration.

⁷⁰ tn In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rJhma, “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as the lesson in the entire discussion. The remark is a call for faith.

⁷¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

⁷² tn Grk “behold.”

⁷³ tn Traditionally, “handmaid”; Grk “slave woman.” Though δούλη (doulh) is normally translated “woman servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free woman serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times… in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. δοῦλος). The most accurate translation is “bondservant,” sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος (doulos), in that it often indicates one who sells himself or herself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

⁷⁴ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

⁷⁵ sn The remark according to your word is a sign of Mary’s total submission to God’s will, a response that makes her exemplary.

⁷⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁷⁷ sn The expression In those days is another general time reference, though the sense of the context is that the visit came shortly after Mary miraculously conceived and shortly after the announcement about Jesus.

⁷⁸ sn The author does not say exactly where Elizabeth stayed. The location is given generally as a town of Judah. Judah is about a three day trip south of Nazareth.

⁷⁹ tn Grk “And it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here either.

⁸⁰ sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.

⁸¹ tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.

⁸² sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁸³ tn Grk “and she.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁸⁴ tn Grk “and she exclaimed with a great cry and said.” The verb εἶπεν (eipen, “said”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.

⁸⁵ sn The commendation Blessed are you among women means that Mary has a unique privilege to be the mother of the promised one of God.

⁸⁶ tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.

⁸⁷ tn Grk “From where this to me?” The translation suggests the note of humility and surprise that Elizabeth feels in being a part of these events. The ἵνα (Jina) clause which follows explains what “this” is. A literal translation would read “From where this to me, that is, that the mother of my Lord comes to visit me?”

⁸⁸ tn Grk “for behold.”

⁸⁹ tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”

⁹⁰ sn On the statement the baby in my womb leaped for joy see both 1:14 and 1:47. This notes a fulfillment of God’s promised word.

⁹¹ sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.

⁹² tn This ὅτι (Joti) clause, technically indirect discourse after πιστεύω (pisteuw), explains the content of the faith, a belief in God’s promise coming to pass.

⁹³ tn That is, “what was said to her (by the angel) at the Lord’s command” (BDAG 756 s.v. παρά A.2).

⁹⁴ tn Grk “that there would be a fulfillment of what was said to her from the Lord.”

sn This term speaks of completion of something planned (2 Chr 29:35).

⁹⁵ tc A few witnesses, especially Latin mss, (a b l* Ir^arm Or^lat mss Nic) read “Elizabeth” here, since she was just speaking, but the ms evidence overwhelmingly supports “Mary” as the speaker.

⁹⁶ sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

⁹⁷ tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”

⁹⁸ sn This psalm (vv. 46-55) is one of the few praise psalms in the NT. Mary praises God and then tells why both in terms of his care for her (vv. 46-49) and for others, including Israel (vv. 50-55). Its traditional name, the “Magnificat,” comes from the Latin for the phrase My soul magnifies the Lord at the hymn’s start.

⁹⁹ tn Or “rejoices.” The translation renders this aorist, which stands in contrast to the previous line’s present tense, as ingressive, which highlights Mary’s joyous reaction to the announcement. A comprehensive aorist is also possible here.

¹⁰⁰ tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

¹⁰¹ tn Grk “for behold.”

¹⁰² sn From now on is a favorite phrase of Luke’s, showing how God’s acts change things from this point on (5:10; 12:52; 22:18, 69; Acts 18:6).

¹⁰³ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

¹⁰⁴ tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”

¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.

¹⁰⁶ sn God’s mercy refers to his “loyal love” or “steadfast love,” expressed in faithful actions, as the rest of the psalm illustrates.

¹⁰⁷ tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.

¹⁰⁸ tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.

¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.

¹¹⁰ tn Or “rulers.”

¹¹¹ tn Or “those of humble position”

sn The contrast between the mighty and those of lowly position is fundamental for Luke. God cares for those that the powerful ignore (Luke 4:18-19).

¹¹² sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

¹¹³ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

¹¹⁴ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

¹¹⁵ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

¹¹⁶ tn Grk “as he spoke.” Since this is a reference to the covenant to Abraham, ἐλάλησεν (elalhsen) can be translated in context “as he promised.” God keeps his word.

¹¹⁷ tn Grk “fathers.”

¹¹⁸ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

¹¹⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

¹²⁰ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹²¹ sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.

¹²² tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”

¹²³ tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

¹²⁴ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹²⁵ tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”

¹²⁶ tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”

¹²⁷ tn Grk “And it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹²⁸ sn They were following OT law (Lev 12:3) which prescribed that a male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day.

¹²⁹ tn This could be understood as a conative imperfect, expressing an unrealized desire (“they were trying to name him”). It has been given more of a voluntative nuance in the translation.

¹³⁰ tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.

¹³¹ tn Grk “his mother answering, said.” The combination of participle and finite verb is redundant in English and has been simplified to “replied” in the translation.

¹³² tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”

¹³³ sn “No! He must be named John.” By insisting on the name specified by the angel, Elizabeth (v. 60) and Zechariah (v. 63) have learned to obey God (see Luke 1:13).

¹³⁴ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹³⁵ tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹³⁶ tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”

¹³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.

¹³⁸ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹³⁹ sn The crowd was sure there had been a mistake, so they appealed to the child’s father. But custom was not to be followed here, since God had spoken. The fact they needed to signal him (made signs) shows that he was deaf as well as unable to speak.

¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”

¹⁴¹ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁴² sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.

¹⁴³ tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

¹⁴⁴ sn The response, they were all amazed, expresses a mixture of surprise and reflection in this setting where they were so certain of what the child’s name would be.

¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴⁷ sn The mention of both mouth and tongue here is a figure called zeugma and emphasizes that the end of the temporary judgment came instantly and fully upon Zechariah’s expression of faith in naming the child. He had learned to trust and obey God during his short period of silence. He had learned from his trial.

¹⁴⁸ tn “Released” is implied; in the Greek text both στόμα (stoma) and γλῶσσα (glwssa) are subjects of ἀνεῴχθη (anewcqh), but this would be somewhat redundant in English.

¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

sn Fear is the emotion that comes when one recognizes something unusual, even supernatural, has taken place.

¹⁵⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence was begun at this point in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.

¹⁵¹ tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵² tn Grk “heart.” The term “heart” (καρδία, kardia) could also be translated as “mind,” or “thoughts,” and the entire phrase be rendered as “kept them in mind,” “thought about,” or the like. But the immediate context is clearly emotive, suggesting that much more is at work than merely the mental processes of thinking or reasoning about “these things.” There is a sense of joy and excitement (see the following question, “What then will this child be?”) and even fear. Further, the use of καρδία in 1:66 suggests connections with the same term in 2:19 where deep emotion is being expressed as well. Therefore, recognizing both the dramatic nature of the immediate context and the literary connections to 2:19, the translation renders the term in 1:66 as “hearts” to capture both the cognitive and emotive aspects of the people’s response.

¹⁵³ tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”

¹⁵⁴ sn The reference to the Lord’s hand indicates that the presence, direction, and favor of God was with him (Acts 7:9b).

¹⁵⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “and he prophesied, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

sn Prophesied. The reference to prophecy reflects that Zechariah is enabled by the Spirit to speak God’s will. He does so in this case through a praise psalm, which calls for praise and then gives the reason why God should be praised.

¹⁵⁷ sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

¹⁵⁸ sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

¹⁵⁹ tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”

sn Has redeemed is a reference to redemption, but it anticipates the total release into salvation that the full work of Messiah will bring for Israel. This involves both spiritual and material benefits eventually.

¹⁶⁰ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

¹⁶¹ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

¹⁶² 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.”

¹⁶³ 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.

¹⁶⁴ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

¹⁶⁶ sn The theme of being saved from our enemies is like the release Jesus preached in Luke 4:18-19. Luke’s narrative shows that one of the enemies in view is Satan and his cohorts, with the grip they have on humanity.

¹⁶⁷ tn The words “He has done this” (referring to the raising up of the horn of salvation from David’s house) are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to allow a new sentence to be started in the translation. The Greek sentence is lengthy and complex at this point, while contemporary English uses much shorter sentences.

¹⁶⁸ sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

¹⁶⁹ tn Or “our forefathers”; Grk “our fathers.” This begins with the promise to Abraham (vv. 55, 73), and thus refers to many generations of ancestors.

¹⁷⁰ sn The promises of God can be summarized as being found in the one promise (the oath that he swore) to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).

¹⁷¹ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

¹⁷² tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

¹⁷³ tn Again for reasons of English style, the infinitival clause “to grant us” has been translated “This oath grants” and made the beginning of a new sentence in the translation.

¹⁷⁴ tc Many important early mss (א B L W [0130] Ë^1,13 565 892 pc) lack “our,” while most (A C D [K] Θ Ψ 0177 33 Ï pc) supply it. Although the addition is most likely not authentic, “our” has been included in the translation due to English stylistic requirements.

¹⁷⁵ tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

¹⁷⁶ sn The phrases that we…might serve him…in holiness and righteousness from Luke 1:74-75 well summarize a basic goal for a believer in the eyes of Luke. Salvation frees us up to serve God without fear through a life full of ethical integrity.

¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “all our days.”

¹⁷⁸ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

¹⁷⁹ tn Or “a prophet”; but since Greek nouns can be definite without the article, and since in context this is a reference to the eschatological forerunner of the Messiah (cf. John 1:17), the concept is better conveyed to the English reader by the use of the definite article “the.”

¹⁸⁰ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

¹⁸¹ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro proswpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (Ì⁴ א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

¹⁸² tn This term is often translated in the singular, looking specifically to the forerunner role, but the plural suggests the many elements in that salvation.

sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3-5 and Luke 3:1-6.

¹⁸³ sn John’s role, to give his people knowledge of salvation, is similar to that of Jesus (Luke 3:1-14; 5:31-32).

¹⁸⁴ sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).

¹⁸⁵ tn For reasons of style, a new sentence has been started in the translation at this point. God’s mercy is ultimately seen in the deliverance John points to, so v. 78a is placed with the reference to Jesus as the light of dawning day.

¹⁸⁶ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

¹⁸⁷ sn The Greek term translated dawn (ἀνατολή, anatolh) can be a reference to the morning star or to the sun. The Messiah is pictured as a saving light that shows the way. The Greek term was also used to translate the Hebrew word for “branch” or “sprout,” so some see a double entendre here with messianic overtones (see Isa 11:1-10; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12).

¹⁸⁸ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

¹⁸⁹ sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

¹⁹⁰ tn Or “the path.”

¹⁹¹ tn This verb is imperfect.

¹⁹² tn This verb is also imperfect.

¹⁹³ tn Or “desert.”

¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹⁹⁶ sn This decree was a formal decree from the Roman Senate.

¹⁹⁷ tn Or “from the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

¹⁹⁸ sn Caesar Augustus refers to Octavian, who was Caesar from 27 b.c. to a.d. 14. He was known for his administrative prowess.

¹⁹⁹ tn Grk “that all the empire should be registered for taxes.” The passive infinitive ἀπογράφεσθαι (apografesqai) has been rendered as an active in the translation to improve the English style. The verb is regarded as a technical term for official registration in tax lists (BDAG 108 s.v. ἀπογράφω a).

sn This census (a decree…to register all the empire) is one of the more disputed historical remarks in Luke. Josephus (Ant. 18.1.1 [18.1-2]) only mentions a census in a.d. 6, too late for this setting. Such a census would have been a massive undertaking; it could have started under one ruler and emerged under another, to whose name it became attached. This is one possibility to explain the data. Another is that Quirinius, who became governor in Syria for the later census, may have been merely an administrator for this census. See also Luke 2:2.

²⁰⁰ tn Grk “the whole (inhabited) world,” but this was a way to refer to the Roman empire (L&N 1.83).

²⁰¹ tn Or “was a minister of Syria.” This term could simply refer to an administrative role Quirinius held as opposed to being governor (Josephus, Ant. 18.4.2 [18.88]). See also Luke 2:1.

²⁰² tn Grk “And everyone.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²⁰³ tn Or “hometown” (so CEV).

²⁰⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

²⁰⁵ sn On Nazareth see Luke 1:26.

map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

²⁰⁶ tn Or “town.” The translation “city” is used here because of its collocation with “of David,” suggesting its importance, though not its size.

²⁰⁷ sn The journey from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem was a journey of about 90 mi (150 km). Bethlehem was a small village located about 7 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem.

map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

²⁰⁸ sn Luke’s use of the term “house” probably alludes to the original promise made to David outlined in the Nathan oracle of 2 Sam 7:12-16, especially in light of earlier connections between Jesus and David made in Luke 1:32. Further, the mention of Bethlehem reminds one of the promise of Mic 5:2, namely, that a great king would emerge from Bethlehem to rule over God’s people.

²⁰⁹ tn Or “family,” “lineage.”

²¹⁰ tn The words “He went” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to begin a new sentence in the translation. The Greek sentence is longer and more complex than normal contemporary English usage.

²¹¹ tn Traditionally, “Mary, his betrothed.” Although often rendered in contemporary English as “Mary, who was engaged to him,” this may give the modern reader a wrong impression, since Jewish marriages in this period were typically arranged marriages. The term ἐμνηστευμένῃ (emnhsteumenh) may suggest that the marriage is not yet consummated, not necessarily that they are not currently married. Some mss read “the betrothed to him wife”; others, simply “his wife.” These readings, though probably not original, may give the right sense.

²¹² tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²¹³ tn The words “her child” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify what was being delivered. The wording here is like Luke 1:57. Grk “the days for her to give birth were fulfilled.”

²¹⁴ sn The strips of cloth (traditionally, “swaddling cloths”) were strips of linen that would be wrapped around the arms and legs of an infant to keep the limbs protected.

²¹⁵ tn Or “a feeding trough.”

²¹⁶ tn The Greek word κατάλυμα is flexible, and usage in the LXX and NT refers to a variety of places for lodging (see BDAG 521 s.v.). Most likely Joseph and Mary sought lodging in the public accommodations in the city of Bethlehem (see J. Nolland, Luke [WBC], 1:105), which would have been crude shelters for people and animals. However, it has been suggested by various scholars that Joseph and Mary were staying with relatives in Bethlehem (e.g., C. S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 194; B. Witherington, “Birth of Jesus,” DJG, 69-70); if that were so the term would refer to the guest room in the relatives’ house, which would have been filled beyond capacity with all the other relatives who had to journey to Bethlehem for the census.

sn There was no place for them in the inn. There is no drama in how this is told. There is no search for a variety of places to stay or a heartless innkeeper. (Such items are later, nonbiblical embellishments.) Bethlehem was not large and there was simply no other place to stay. The humble surroundings of the birth are ironic in view of the birth’s significance.

²¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

²¹⁸ sn Some argue that shepherds were among the culturally despised, but the evidence for this view of shepherds is late, coming from 5th century Jewish materials. December 25 as the celebrated date of Jesus’ birth arose around the time of Constantine (ca. a.d. 306-337), though it is mentioned in material from Hippolytus (a.d. 165-235). Some think that the reason for celebration on this date was that it coincided with the pagan Roman festival of Saturnalia, and Christians could celebrate their own festival at this time without fear of persecution. On the basis of the statement that the shepherds were living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night it is often suggested that Jesus’ birth took place in early spring, since it was only at lambing time that shepherds stood guard over their flocks in the field. This is not absolutely certain, however.

²¹⁹ tn Grk “in that region.”

²²⁰ tn Grk “living in the field (see BDAG 15 s.v. ἀγραυλέω) and guarding their flock.”

²²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²²² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:11.

²²³ tn Or “stood in front of.”

²²⁴ tn Grk “they feared a great fear” (a Semitic idiom which intensifies the main idea, in this case their fear).

sn Terrified. See similar responses in Luke 1:12, 29.

²²⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

²²⁶ tn Grk “I evangelize to you great joy.”