him to go at liberty. The price which he pays, and which must be satisfactory to B, that is, be a reason to B why he should release him, is called a price or ↑ ansom. Men are sinners. They are bound over to just punishment by the law. The law is holy, and God, as a just governor, must see that the law is honored, and the wicked punished. But if any thing can be done which will have the same good effect as the punishment of the sinner, or will be an equivalent for it, that is, be of good value to the universe, God may consistently release him. If he can show the same hatred of sin, and deter others from sinning; and accomplish the purity of the sinner, the sinner may be released. Whatever will accomplish this is called a ransom, because it is in the eye of God a sufficient reason why the sinner should not be punished; it is an equivalent for his sufferings, and God is satisfied. The blood of Jesus, i. e. his death, in the place of sinners, constitutes such a ransom. It is in their stead. It is for them. It is equivalent to their punishment. It is not itself a punishment, for that always supposes personal ime, but it is what God is pleased to accept in the place of eternal sufferings of e sinner. The king of the Locrians made a law that an adulterer should be punished with the loss of his eyes. His son was the first offender, and the father decreed that his son should lose one eye, and he himself one also. This was the ransom. He showed his love, his regard for the honour of his law, and the determination that the guilty should not escape. So God gave his Son a ransom to show his love; his regard to justice; and his willingness to save men-and his Son, in his death, was a ransom. He is often so called in the New Testament, Mat. xx. 28. Mark x. 45. Titus ii. 14. Heb. ix. 12. 69. And hath raised up a horn. A horn is a symbol of strength. The figure is taken from the fact, that in horned animals the strength lies in the horn. nose. When the sacred writers therefore speak of great strength they often use the word horn. Ps. cxliii. 14. Deut. xxxiii. 17. Dan. vii. 7, 8; viii. 21. The word salvation, connected here with the word horn, means that this strength, or this mighty Redeemer, was able to save. It is possible that this whole figure may be taken from the Jewish altar. On each of the four corners of the altar there was an eminence, or small projection, called a horn. To this, persons might flee for safety, when in danger, and were safe. 1 Kings i. 50; ii. 28. So the Redeemer may be called the "horn of salvation," because those who flee to him are safe. In the house. In the family, or among the descendants of David. 70. His holy prophets, &c. All the prophets are said to have alluded to the Messiah from the beginning of the world. The most striking of these were Jacob, (Gen. xlix. 10), Moses,(Deut. xviii. 15), Isaiah, (ix. 6, 7; liii.) &c. ¶ Since the world began. This is not to be taken literally, for there were no prophets immediately after the creation. It is a general expression, designed to denote that all the prophets had predicted the coming of the Messiah. 71. Saved from our enemies. The enemies of man are his sins, his carna. propensities, his lusts, and the great adversary, Satan, and his angels, that continually seek to destroy him. From these the Messiah came to save us. Compare Gen. iii. 15. Mat. i. 21. ¶ The hand. The power, to save us from them. see and approve. All the days of our life. To death. True religion increases and expands till death. ren is regarded as kindness to the pa- presence, and with the full consciousness rent. Blessing the children was bless- that God sees the heart. The holiness ing the nation, was fulfilling the promises was not to be merely external, but spirmade to the fathers, and showing that heitual, internal, pure, such as God would regarded them in mercy. His holy covenant. The word covenant means compact, or agreement. This is its use among men. It implies equality in the parties; freedom from constraint; freedom from previous obligation to do the thing now covenanted; and freedom from obligation to enter into a compact, unless a man chooses so to do. Such a transaction can never evidently take place between man and God, for they are not equal; man is not at liberty to decline what God proposes, and he is under obligation to do all that God commands. When the word covenant, therefore, is used in the Bible, it means sometimes a command, sometimes a promise, sometimes a regular law, as the covenant of the day and night, and sometimes the way in which God dispenses mercy, or the old and new covenants. In the place before us it means the promise made to Abraham, as the following verses clearly show. 73. The oath. This oath is recorded. Gen. xxii. 16, 17. It was an oath in which God swore by himself (because he could swear by no greater, Heb. vi. 13, 14), that he would surely bless Abraham and his posterity. That promise was now to be entirely fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah. 74. Might serve him. Might obey, honor, and worship him. This was regarded as a favor. This was what was promised. And for this Zacharias praised God. TWithout fear. Fear of death, of spiritual enemies, or of any external foes. In the sure hope of God's eternal favor beyond the grave. 75. In holiness, &c. In piety, and strict justice. Before him. In the presence of God. Performed as in his 76. And thou, child, &c. Zacharias predicts in this and the following verses, the dignity, the employment, and the success of John. He declares what would be the subject of his preaching, and what his success. Prophet of the highest. Prophet of God; a prophet appointed by God to declare his will, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. T The face of the Lord. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah that was about to appear. To go before the face of one, is the same as to go immediately before one, or to be immediately followed by another. ¶ To prepare his ways. This is taken by Isa. xl. 3. See note in Mat. iii. 3. 77. Knowledge of salvation. Knowledge of the way of salvation, and that it was provided, and that the author of salvation was about to appear. ¶ By the remission of their sins. The word remission means pardon, forgiveness, or it denotes a treatment of the sinner, as if he had not committed the sin. This implies that the salvation about to be offered, was that which was connected with the pardon of sin. There can be no oth spring from on high hath visited us, 79 To" give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the a Is.9.2. 49.9. thor, and through his mercy it shines on men. There is here, doubtless, a reference to Isa. lx. 1, 2; indeed almost the very words of that place are quoted. Compare also Rev. xxii. 16. To give light, &c. See note, Mat. iv. 16. ¶ To guide our feet, &c. The figure in these verses is taken from travellers, who being overtaken by night know not what to do, and who wait patiently for the morning light, the rising of the sun, that they may know which way to go. So man wandered. So he became benighted. So he sat in the shadow of death. So he knew not which way to go, until the sun of righteousness arose, and then the light shone brightly on his way, and the road was open to the promised land of rest-to heaven. This song of Zacharias is exceedingly beautiful. It expresses with elegance the great points of the plan of redemption, the doings of John, and the mercy of God in providing that plan. That mercy was great. It is worthy of praise; of our highest, loftiest songs of thanksgiving; for we were in the shadow of death-sinful, wretched, wandering-and the light arose, the gospel came, and men may rejoice in hope of eternal life. 80. Waxed strong in spirit. That is, in courage, understanding, and purposes of good, fitting him for his future work. The word wax means to increase, to grow; from an old Saxon word. ¶ In the deserts. In Hebron, and in the hill country where his father resided. He resided in obscurity, in a place little known, and was not known publicly by the people. Until the day of his showing. Until he entered on his public ministry as recorded in Mat. iii. That is, probably, until he was about thirty years of age. See Luke iii. CHAPTER II. 1. In those days. About the time of the birth of John and of Christ. A decree. A law, commanding a thing to be done. ¶ Cæsar Augustus. This was the Roman emperor. His first name was Octavianus. He was nephew to Julius Cæsar, and obtained the empire after his death. He took the name Augustus—i. e., august, or honorable—as a compliment to his own greatness; and from him the month August, which was before called Sextilis, received its name. That all the world. There has been much difficulty respecting this passage, from the fact that no such taxing of all the world is mentioned by ancient writers. It should have been rendered the whole land-i. e., the whole land of Palestine. The whole land is mentioned to show that it was not Judea only, but that it included also Galilee, the place where Joseph and Mary dwelt. That the passage refers only to the land of Palestine, and not to the whole world, or to all the Roman empire, is clear from the following considerations: 1st. The fact that no such taxing is mentioned as pertaining to any other country. 2d. The account of Luke is confined to this country only. 3d. The words world, and whole world, are not unfrequently used in this limited sense as confined to a single country. See Mat. iv. 8, where Satan is said to have shown to Christ all the kingdoms of the world-that is, of the land of Judea. See also Josh. ii. 3; Luke iv. 25 (Greek); Luke xxi. 26; Acts xi. 28. ¶ Should be taxed. word tax means to levy and raise money for the use of the government. This is not the meaning of the original word here. It means rather to enrol, or take a list of the citizens with their employments, the amount of their property, &c., equiv alent to what was meant by census. Judea was at this time tributary to Rome. It paid taxes to the Roman emperor; and though Herod was king, yet he held his appointment under the Roman emperor, and was subject in most matters to him. Farther, as this enrolment was merely to ascertain the numbers and property of the Jews, it is probable that they were very willing to be enrolled in this manner; and hence we hear that they Our 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, Lecause he was of the house and lineage of David,) went willingly, without tumult-contrary to the common way when they were to be taxed. 2. And this taxing was first made, &c. This verse has given as much perplexity, perhaps, as any one in the New Testament. The difficulty has consisted in the fact that Cyrenius, or Quirinius, was not governor of Syria until twelve or fifteen years after the birth of Jesus, Jesus was born during the reign of Herod. At that time Varus was president of Syria. Herod was succeeded by Archelaus, and reigned eight or nine years; and after he was removed, Judea was annexed to the province of Syria, and Cyrenius was sent as the governor. Josephus, Ant. B. xvii. § 5. The difficulty has been to reconcile this account with that in Luke. Varicus attempts have been made to explain this. The one that seems most satisfactory is that proposed by Dr. Lardner. According to his view, it means, "This was the first census of Cyrenius, governor of Syria." 't is called the first, to distinguish it from one afterwards taken by Cyrenius. Acts v. 37. It is said to be the census taken by Cyrenius, governor of Syria; not that he was then governor, but that it was taken by him who was afterwards familiarly known as governor. Cyrenius, governor of Syria, was the name by which the man was known; and it was not improper to say that the taxing was made by Cyrenius, the governor of Syria, though he might not have been actually governor for many years afterwards. Thus Herodian says that "to Marcus the emperor were born several daughters and two sons;" though several of those children were born to him before he was emperor. Thus it is not improper to say that General Washington saved Braddock's army, or was 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. a Mat.1.25. engaged in the old French war, though he was not actually made general till many years afterwards. According to this, Augustus sent Cyrenius, an active, enterprising man, to take this census. At that time he was a Roman senator. Afterwards he was made governor of the same country, and received the title which Luke gives him. Syria. The region of country north of Palestine, and lying between the Mediterrancan and the Euphrates. The region now called Syria includes Palestine also, and is divided into upper and lower Syria, or Syria on the north and south. Bethlehem, 4. The city of David. called the city of David because it was the place of his birth. See Mat. ii. 1. Because he was of the house. Of the family. And lineage. The lineage denotes that he was descended from David as his father, or ancestor. In taking a Jewish census, families were kept distinct. Hence all went into the tribe to which they belonged, and to the place where their family had resided. Joseph was of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the particular family of David. Hence he went up to the city of David. It is not improbable that he might also have had a small paternal estate in Bethlehem, that rendered his presence there more desirable. 7. Her first-born son. Whether Mary had any other children or not has been a matter of controversy. The obvious meaning of the Bible is that she had; and if this be the case, the word firstborn is here to be taken in its common signification. T Swaddling clothes. When a child among the Hebrews was born, it was washed in water, rubbed in salt, and then wrapped in swaddling clothes; that is, not garments regularly made, as with us, but bands or blankets that confined the limbs closely. Ezek. was commonly done. The climate was xvi. 4. There was nothing peculiar in mild; and, to keep their flocks from straythe way in which the infant Jesus was ing, they spent the night with them. It treated. ¶ Laid him in a manger. is also a fact that the Jews sent out their The word manger, in the English lan- flocks into the mountainous and desert guage, means "the box or trough in regions during the summer months, and which provender is placed for horses or took them up in the latter part of October cattle." This is not the meaning of the or the first of November, when the cold word here. It means simply the stable, weather commenced. While away in or the place where the cattle and camels these deserts and mountainous regions, it lodged. There was no room at the inn, was proper that there should be some one and they were obliged to lie in the stable to attend them, to keep them from strayor barn, and it was there that the child ing, and from the ravages of wolves and was laid. Their being there was no proof other wild beasts. It is clear from this of poverty. It was a simple matter of that our Saviour was born before the 25th necessity. There was no room at the of December, or before what we call inn. It may be added that in eastern Christmas. At that time it is cold, and countries it is not very unusual for trav- especially in the high and mountainous ellers to pass the night in this manner. regions about Bethlehem. God has conIn the caravansary it is common for the cealed the time of his birth. There is no whole caravan of camels, horses, and peo- way to ascertain it. By different learned ple, to lodge in the same place. Indeed the men it has been fixed at each month in only pillow which children often have is the year. Nor was it of consequence to the side of a horse, with which the whole know the time; if it had been, God family lie down. Horses are trained to would have preserved the record of it. remarkable gentleness and docility.-Yet Matters of moment are clearly revealed. it is worthy of our consideration that Those which God regards as of no imJesus was born poor. He did not inher-portance are concealed. Keeping it a princely estate. watch, &c. More literally, tending their flocks by turns through the night watches." He was not cradled, as many are, in a palace. He had no rich friends. He had virtuous, pious parents, of more value to a child than many riches. And in this we are shown that it is no dishonor to be poor. Happy is that child who, whether his parents be rich or poor, has a pious father and mother. It is no matter, then, if he has not as much wealth, as fine clothes, or house, as another. It is enough for him to be as Jesus was, and God will bless him. No room at the Inn. Many people assembled to be enrolled, and the tavern was filled before Joseph and Mary arrived. 8. The same country. Round about Bethlehem. T Shepherds. Men who tended flocks of sheep. ¶ Abiding in the field. Remaining out of doors, under the open sky, with their flocks. This 9. The glory of the Lord. This is the same as a great glory—that is, a splendid appearance or light. The word glory is often the same as light. 1 Cor. xv. 41. Luke ix. 31. Acts xxii. 11. The words Lord and God are often used to denote greatness or intensity. Thus, trees of God mean great trees; hills of God, high or lofty hills, &c. So the glory of the Lord here means an exceedingly great or bright luminous_appearance-perhaps not unlike what Paul saw on the way to Damascus. 12. This shall be a sign, &c. The evidence by which you shall know the child is, that you will find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. |