an account of the birth of John the Baptist. This mode of conception is based on the nature of the phenomenon which he undertakes to represent historically. The spirit of prophecy had been silent since the building of the second temple, and at a period when it seemed as if this spirit had forsaken the people, a prophet, in the true sense of the Old Testament, once more appeared, in the person of John the Baptist. Hence it was necessary that the history of John should form a portion of St Luke's narrative, inasmuch as it forms an integral part of Gospel-history. But, comparing what follows with the prooemium, a remarkable change of style is apparent; for whilst the proœemium is pure Greek, what follows is full of the strongest Hebraisms. This sudden change may be explained very simply, if we assume that St Luke had recourse to written sources for his historical narrative, and that he interwove them with his own work without altering them, so that he only slightly revised them. This assumption becomes highly probable from the nature of the narratives, especially of those contained in the first two chapters, as we find therein events recorded that occurred within the circle of two families, and which were necessarily regarded by them as sacred things, until the hope promised and entertained, that two descendants would come from these families, had been fully realized. But at a later period, when the great mission of the Redeemer had been consummated, and when Mary, the mother of our Lord, belonged to the number of the first believers, (Acts of the Apostles i. 14,) there was nothing more natural than that she should communicate to the church the wonderful manner in which he was conceived whom she herself now worshipped as her Saviour. The holy family had thus, as it were, unfolded itself, and the sacred events which had occurred within it could now be communicated.

Ver. 5. St Luke, commencing with the reign of Herod the Great, begins with determining the time, (comp. Matth. ii. 1,). and then directs our attention to the family which for the present he wishes to speak of. It would have been contrary to his purpose, had he, like St Matthew, supposed his reader to have had a knowledge of several points of his narrative. On the contrary, he minutely describes the persons mentioned in his writings. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both the descendants of the priestly race, just as Joseph and Mary were descendants from the house of David; and the fact that both the former

were such, contributed much to the lustre of their descendants.1 He mentions the class to which Zacharias as a priest belonged, viz. to that of Abia. Of the 24 classes of priests instituted by David, this formed the eighth. (Comp. 1 Chron. xxiv. 10). Each class had to perform duty in the temple during one week. (Josephus in his Antiq. vii. 15, 7, terms them margía, (houses) with reference to the relation or parentage, which here was taken into account; the name nugía (daily order), which only occurs in this place throughout the New Testament, has here been chosen with reference to their daily service in the temple). The use of the fixed succession in the service of the temple by the 24 classes of priests, which has been attempted to be explained both by Scaliger (opus de emendatione temporum) and Bengel (ordo temporum) can afford no satisfactory result, since it is impossible to decide upon the terminus a quo (the starting point) of this change or succession.

Ver. 6. To the description of their family circumstances is added a statement of their personal character; both were dina101 (just), and this not merely outwardly before men, but évúπiov roũ Θεού (in the sight of God). The application of δικαιοσύνη (righteousness) to persons who act quite in conformity with the law, as, for example, Simeon, Luke ii. 25, and Lot, 2 Peter ii. 7, where the expression occurs in this sense, of course only implies that righteousness which has reference to God, and to the Divine law, as may be seen from the Epexegesis: TogεvóμEvo Ev πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς καὶ δικαιώμασι τοῦ κυρίου ἄμεμπτοι, (walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord blameless). For the terms ivroλai and dixaιúpara are isolated expressions, and statutes of the vóuos (law), which they endeavoured to perform without the least pharisaical hypocrisy. But if here and in other places (Matth. x. 41; Luke xv. 7,) the expression dxamin is applied to certain persons, it offers no contradiction to the statement of Rom. iii. 20, in which passage the law is said to bring the knowledge of sin. The Axaocún rou vouou (righteousness of the law), is never absolute or positive, (Gal. iii. 10); but in its application to those who strive after it, a longing after the accomplisher of the things they stand in need of, that is, repentance and faith, is always implied. Thus it was that in

1 Josephus (vit. c. 1,) observes: παρ' ἡμῖν ἡ τῆς ἱερωσύνης μετουσία τεκμήριόν ἐστι γένους λαμπρότητος.

Zacharias and Elizabeth the longing after the wrig (Saviour), was created by their δικαιοσύνη. (On δικαιοσύνη, and the expressions connected with it, comp. the complete definition in Rom. iii. 21.

Ver. 7. With the ozarorun of Elizabeth, the want of the blessing of a progeny, as was the case with Sarah, formed a contrast. Elizabeth was barren (orsiga, comp. Luke xxiii. 29; Gal. iv. 27,) and they both were young no longer. The age of Zacharias, however, must be viewed in a relative sense, i.e. with reference to the institutions of his office; for according to Numb. viii. 25, no one could perform the duties of a priest above the age of fifty. And when we consider the Eastern custom of marrying early, Zacharias and Elizabeth, from having been so long childless, might well have felt disposed to give up the hope of having any issue, although the age of Zacharias was far from being great. (Kaór is found only in the writings of St. Luke, and signifies partly siquidem, as here and xix. 9. Acts of the Apostles ii. 24, and partly, so far, according as, see Acts of the Apostles ii. 45; iv. 35. The expression #goßißnnus iv rais égais, (advanced into years) Gen. xviii. 11, and al.

freq.

NE

Ver. 8, 9, 10. After these preliminary observations, which are designed to acquaint the reader with the circumstances of the family whose history the Evangelist is about to record, there follows the special narrative of the event which was connected with the birth of John, and which commences with an eyevero (it came to pass) dé (=). According to the regulations of the Jewish liturgy, or mode of divine service, incense was burnt on the altar twice a-day, at the morning and evening sacrifice, (Exod. xxx. 7, 8). The priest who had to perform these duties, brought the vessel containing the incense (upíaua, censer) into the holy place, (vaós (temple), the fane or edifice itself in distinction from iɛgóv, which included all the courts, see Matth. xii. 5; John ii. 14,) which was surrounded by fore-courts, in which the people collected for prayer, and where they awaited the return of the priest. The 24 classes of priests followed each other in cycles, i.e. at stated periods, yet the priest who

1 Similarly circumstanced were the mothers of Isaac and Samuel. Admirable is the following remark made thereon in the Evang. de nativ. Mariae (Thilo vol. i. p. 322): Deus cum alicujus uterum claudit, ad hoc facit, ut mirabilius denuo aperiat, et non libidinis esse quod nascitur, sed divini muneris cognoscatur.

had to perform duty was elected daily (ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιάσαι, to offer up incense) by allotment from among the priests that constituted each class. This had become the law of usage for the office of priesthood, (isgára is different from isgársvμa, priesthood, 1 Pet. ii. 5, and igwon, priest's office, Heb. vii. 11, xii. 14). The management of this office, then, devolved upon Zacharias at a time when it was the order (ráğıs) of the course of his class. ("Evavri (before the presence of) ver. 8, which in the New Testament is only to be found in this place, is preferable to the more common ἐναντίον; it is=ἔναντα of Homer. In the Old Testament var is found in the Septuagint, in the passage Job xvi. 21).

Ver. 11. It is possible that Zacharias, owing to this circumstance, entered the temple for the first time, and that the peaceful solitude reigning therein exercised on him a powerful effect; these possibilities cannot make the sober expounder of the text doubt that the narrator wishes to see the angel's appearance regarded as a fact; nor can they induce the faithful judge of this narrative to require the minutiae of daily life for the richest moments of which our being is susceptible. At a period when the everlasting Word was made flesh, (John i. 1, 14,) beings of a spiritual world, who under less momentous and remarkable circumstances would have been unnecessary, entered this mortal world. (Comp. Matth. i. 18; ii. 8). Some minor features appear in this vivid description, which have contributed to place the historical fact on a surer foundation, and are not favourable to the mythical view. The angel appeared to him on the right side of the altar of incense. (A description of the θυσιαστήριον τοῦ θυμιάματος (altar of incense) is to be found in Exod. xxx. 1; it stood in the sanctuary, and must be carefully distinguished from the great altar of burnt-offerings, which was in the fore-court. Heb. vii. 13).

Ver. 12-14. Although the apparition conferred a blessing on Zacharias, yet he was troubled, and fear fell upon him when he saw it, as was often the case under similar circumstances. (Comp. Luke i. 29; Rev. i. 17; Dan. x. 7, 12). On the one hand, this fear at the direct perception of apparitions from the invisible world, expresses a feeling of sinfulness; without sin, man would perceive in the Holy One a being related to himself, and instead of fear, he would only experience sentiments of joy and rapture; on the other hand, however, this fear expresses a

susceptibility and clear perception of the contrast existing between the pure and impure or unholy; and herein is displayed the noble part of this fear. Hence it is that this fear of God is never regarded as a thing worthy of blame, but on the contrary, it is the beginning and the end of all wisdom (Eccles. i. 16; Isa. ix. 2). This fear of God, which is inseparable from love, (comp. Rev. i. 17, where, from fear, the disciple of love sinks to the ground at the sight of the Beloved,) must hence not be confounded with póßos (fear, terror, affright), which is the result of the veμa douλerás (spirit of bondage). This latter implies a πνεῦμα δουλειάς terror of God, which is absolutely blameworthy; the former may be aptly termed fear of one's self, or fear for God. (Comp. Rom. viii. 15). This sacred fear is calmed and allayed by the heavenly messenger who delivers his joyful message. (The word dinois denotes that Zacharias had not as yet entirely given up the hope of progeny. Tevvv stands here ríxren, as in Gal. iv. 24). With the promise of a son, his name is likewise announced ('Iwávvns= Jehovah is gracious,) (as in Matthew i. 21,) and therein is expressed its spiritual signification. Whereby he shall cause joy, not only to his parents on account of his physical existence, but likewise to all pious souls, on account of his spiritual manifestation and ministry, which, as well as his birth, are comprised by anticipation in this name. (Ayaλλíaois, joy, gladness, rejoicing, is a stronger expression than xagá.—-Tevéσsı, must here, as well as in Matth. i. 18, be preferred to yewo, which is the common reading.

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Ver. 15. In the words that follow, the angel next proceeds to lay open more distinctly the peculiar character of the promised one, then his ministry, and finally, his position with relation to the Messiah, in whom all the hopes and expectations of the faithful in Israel are concentred. With respect to his peculiar character, it is first declared, in a general way, that he is to be endowed with a spiritual importance. (Méyas=↳72, i.e. great in power and influence, as Hos. i. 11. The additional phrase ivúrov zugíou (before or in sight of the Lord), prevents us from attributing to it an earthly meaning-it bears a purely spiritual character). This particular form of devotion or godliness is next pointed out, that is, that he will live a Nazarite. (Comp. this passage with Matth. ix. 14;-the word ixega, rendered in English strong drink, is used for any intoxicating liquor; this passage