Chapter One

1–4. Preface. – 5–25. Announcement of the conception and birth of John the Forerunner. – 26–38. Announcement of the nativity of Christ. – 39–56. Journey of the All-Holy Virgin to Elizabeth. – 57–66. Birth and circumcision of John the Forerunner. – 67–80. Song of praise of Zechariah.

Luke 1:1. Many have undertaken to compile an account of the things fully confirmed among us, The evangelist Luke differs from other evangelists in that he, following the example of Greek historians, writes a brief preface to his Gospel. Here he speaks about the fundamental idea, method, and purpose of his work. As the purpose of his Gospel he sets (verse 4)—to give readers a reliable means to be convinced of the truth of Gospel teachings. To this end he will follow a fully scientific method in presenting Gospel events and will take care of completeness of presentation (verse 3). In doing this the evangelist indicates that he is not the first to undertake this task—before him other people engaged in the description of Gospel events (verses 1–2). “Many”—in Greek: ἐπειδήπερ. This expression does not appear elsewhere either in the New Testament or in the Seventy, but often appears in classical Greek writers and designates their intensified indication of the basis of one or another action: “inasmuch as.” “Many.” Here are meant Christian writers who, as is evident from verse 2, were not themselves eyewitnesses of the Gospel events they described. Among such writers Luke could also count the evangelist Mark, who was not an eyewitness of all of Christ’s deeds. The works of these writers, except of course Mark, have not come down to us. It is certain only that these were not the authors of the so-called apocryphal Gospels, because those Gospels appeared in the form in which we have them much later than our canonical Gospels. “Undertook”—in Greek: ἐπεχείρησαν—attempted. By this the evangelist designates the importance and difficulty of describing Gospel events, but does not at all intend to make any reproach to those who undertook such a difficult task. “Compile an account”—in Greek: ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν, that is, to arrange in order or to put in order an account or the facts that were the subject of narrative—the events of Gospel history. “Of the things fully confirmed among us”—περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων, that is, about events that have fully run their course. Some understand the verb πληροφορεῖν in the sense of “bringing to full assurance,” but such a meaning has this verb only in application to persons (for example, Rom 4:21; Col 4:12), not to events. “Among us,” that is, among Christians.

Luke 1:2. As those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word have delivered them to us, “As they have delivered to us...” This is a subordinate clause relating to the first verse and clarifying what guided “many” in their narratives. “As”—more precisely: “according to the way that” (καθώς). “Have delivered.” This means that tradition, and indeed oral tradition, was the source from which “many” drew material for their narratives. From whom this “tradition” came is stated in the words that follow. “From the beginning,” that is, from the beginning of those “events” (verse 1) or from the beginning of the revelation of Christ’s public ministry to the human race, which coincides with the calling of the apostles (Euthymius Zigabenus; see John 15:27; Acts 1:21 and following). “Eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word.” Here are meant the apostles and those disciples of Christ who accompanied Christ beginning with His very entrance into public ministry. Since they were first eyewitnesses of everything that Christ accomplished, they later became, after Christ’s ascension, also preachers of the Gospel (the word λόγου in the sense of “teaching,” “preaching” see Acts 14:25). In the synoptists the term “Word” in the sense of designating the second Person of the Holy Trinity, as in John 1:1, does not occur. The blessed Theophylact from this verse concludes that the evangelist Luke did not belong to the number of Christ’s disciples, but became a Christian at a later time. But he could certainly have gathered quite accurate information about Christ’s life from the apostle Paul and other apostles and relatives of Christ (see Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History”, V, 8).

Luke 1:3. It seemed fitting to me also, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, “It seemed fitting to me also.” It seems that writing the Gospel appeared to him to be his own act, an act of his own will. But in reality, by the Church’s recognition, the Holy Spirit guided him in this, and the evangelist precisely carried out the mysterious inspiration of the Spirit in this case. Then it seems that he places himself on a level with those “many” of whom he has just spoken (verse 1). But in reality, it is certain that he resolved to give more than what “many” gave, otherwise there would be no need for him to undertake the work. “Having investigated everything carefully from the beginning.” The evangelist verified everything he learned from tradition by the testimony of those persons who took part in the Gospel events described. He does not begin his Gospel directly with Christ’s emergence into preaching, but much earlier, from, so to speak, the very beginning (ἄνωθεν). And indeed, in the first two chapters he depicts the history of the birth of John the Forerunner and the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, he wants to speak about everything (πᾶσιν). By this completeness and thoroughness his Gospel differs from those written earlier. Perhaps he has in mind here also Mark’s Gospel, which—representing a reproduction of the accounts of the apostle Peter, which of course, as spoken on particular occasions, did not embrace all the content of Gospel history—is similarly distinguished by particular brevity and omissions of very important sections (for example, the history of Christ’s childhood). “In an orderly account.” Here one can see an indication of both chronological and systematic “order,” but the evangelist emphasizes the chronological sequence in the presentation of Gospel events. “Most excellent Theophilus.” See “The Occasion and Purpose, Place and Time of Writing the Gospel.”

Luke 1:4. That you may know the certainty of those things about which you were instructed. “That you may know,” that is, to know in the most definite manner (ἐπιγνῷς, see Matt 11:27; 1 Cor 13:12). “The certainty”—stability (ἀσφάλειαν). Here the matter is not that at that time doubt was aroused regarding the facts of Gospel history as to their reality or correct presentation in tradition, but that the teachings (λόγοι—in Russian translated imprecisely: teaching) which Theophilus had acquired would be presented in their unshakable truth. Indeed, Christian teaching is based on history and finds its confirmation in history as well. “About which you were instructed.” Theophilus, thus, was already enlightened by Christianity, but clearly he still lacked exact knowledge of the history of Christ’s life and teaching.

Luke 1:5. In the days of Herod the Great, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. The account of the conception of John the Forerunner begins with an indication of the time of this event and a designation of the persons about whom the evangelist was to speak. “In the days of Herod”—see commentaries to Matt 2:1. “There was a priest”—more precisely: appeared, came forward in history (ἐγένετο; see Mark 1:4). “A priest”—in the Greek text the word τις—a certain—is added here. From this it is clearly evident that Zechariah was not the high priest, as some Church teachers supposed. The Jewish historian Josephus does not know of a high priest named Zechariah from the time of Herod. “Of the division of Abijah.” David established that the priests, as is well known, descended from two sons of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar, should alternately perform service in the temple. The division to which Zechariah belonged was the eighth among all 24 divisions. Each division performed sacred ministry for eight days—from one Sabbath to another. The priests during this time changed daily (this is indicated by the name of the division—ἐφημερία, that is, daily service). See 1 Chr 24. “Named Zechariah.” The name Zechariah in translation from Hebrew means: “the one whom Jehovah remembered.” “And his wife...” Both through his father and through his mother John thus descended from the house of Aaron and consequently had full right to become a priest. The name “Elizabeth” in translation from Hebrew means “oath of God.” This was also the name of Aaron’s wife (Exod 6:23).

Luke 1:6. Both were righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord blameless. “Righteous before God.” Zechariah and Elizabeth not only appeared righteous before people, that is, fulfilling the will of God, but also before God. This means that their righteousness was genuine, not hypocritical (see Gen 7:1). It is understood, however, that this righteousness was not that which people received through the redemption accomplished by Christ: the burden of inherited sin had not been lifted from these righteous spouses. “Walking in all the commandments and statutes...” The difference between “commandments” (ἐντολή) and “statutes” (δικαίωμα) consists in the fact that the former designate individual ordinances of the Law of Moses, and the latter—the legal norms underlying all legislation.

Luke 1:7. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were well advanced in years. The couple had no children, which among the Hebrews was considered a very great misfortune, as it served as a sign of the disfavor of God (Deut 28:18). In the present case, however, as it turned out, this was not a matter of God’s disfavor, but probably served the purpose that the child born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age was to become the object of their most tender care, just as once Isaac became such an object for his parents—Abraham and Sarah. Besides the fact that Elizabeth had been barren until now, the very age of both spouses (προβεβηκότες ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις—“well advanced in years”) did not give any hope at all for the birth of children. Both spouses were probably about sixty years old (Prof. Bogolovskii, “The Childhood of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” p. 155).

Luke 1:8. Now it happened that while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, Luke 1:9. According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Luke 1:10. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. It is better to translate these verses thus: “When Zechariah once served as priest before God during the period of his division, it fell to his lot by the custom of the priesthood to burn incense when he entered the temple of the Lord, and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.” “Once.” Some commentators attempt to explain this indefinite expression of the evangelist and determine when exactly the event described here occurred and consequently the conception of John the Forerunner. From the fact that the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by the Romans on the 9th day of the fifth month (July 15) in the 823rd year from the founding of Rome, precisely on the day when, according to the testimony of the Talmud, the first division began its service, the conclusion is drawn that a year and a bit before the Nativity of Christ, that is, in the year of the Forerunner’s conception, probably the 748th year, the division of Abijah served in the first half from April 17 to 23, and in the second—from September 16 to 22, and consequently it is supposed that the appearance of the Angel to Zechariah occurred in the second half of the 748th year (Bogolovskii, p. 150). “Serving before God,” that is, performing his priestly duties precisely before God, since the temple was considered the place of the gracious presence of Jehovah. “It fell to his lot” (ἔλαχε—received by lot). “According to the custom of the priesthood.” Burning incense was considered by the priests the most important sacred action, and whoever received this task was recognized by all as being especially honored by God (Deut 33:10 and following). “Into the temple of the Lord”—τόν ναόν, that is, into the Holy Place, where the altar of incense stood (see verse 11). Upon this altar the priest placed fragrant incense, as a symbol of the people’s prayer to God (Ps 141:2). The people at this time stood in the courts and porches of the temple, since only priests could enter the Holy Place. “At the hour”—more precisely: at the time (τῇ ὥρᾳ) of incense (in the Greek text the word “incense” is replaced here by “frankincense”—this is what is called a metonymy).

Luke 1:11. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. “There appeared to him an Angel.” According to the explanation of the holy John Chrysostom, the evangelist, in saying that an Angel “appeared” rather than “was seen,” thereby wishes to say that this was a genuine appearance of an Angel. “On the right side.” This side was considered fortunate among the Hebrews, and therefore the appearance of the Angel should not have had an oppressive effect on Zechariah.

Luke 1:12. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. Nevertheless, Zechariah was afraid. He could have recalled those places of the Old Testament where the appearance of an Angel is recognized as a sign of imminent destruction (Judg 6:22-23). Besides, no matter how “righteous” a person may be, he is never free from the consciousness of his sinfulness or guilt before Divine Justice.

Luke 1:13. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. “Your prayer has been heard.” It is hardly likely that Zechariah, as the representative of all the people (verse 10), could at that time be praying about his personal needs. It is most probable the supposition (blessed Augustine, Euthymius Zigabenus) that Zechariah was praying for the bestowal upon the Jewish people of the long-awaited Messiah. And the Angel proclaims to him that such a prayer of his has been heard by God... The Messiah will soon come. “And your wife Elizabeth...” As proof of the truth of his prediction about the imminent coming of the Messiah, the Angel announces that the Forerunner of the Messiah is already appointed, which he will be in the soon-to-be-born son of Zechariah. “And you shall call...” see commentaries to Matt 1:21. “John.” In translation from Hebrew—God is merciful (Johanan).

Luke 1:14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. “Joy”—(χαρά) this is properly the internal state of a person, and “gladness” (ἀγαλλίασις)—the external manifestation of this state. “Will rejoice at his birth.” This will be, of course, when John will be performing his high calling—bringing people to Christ.

Luke 1:15. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. “Great in the sight of the Lord,”—that is, truly great (see verse 6; Matt 11:9). “Will drink neither wine nor strong drink,”—that is, will be a Nazirite, who did not drink either grape wine or drinks made from other fruits (strong drink). See Num 6:3. It is not stated, however, that John took this Nazirite vow only for a certain time, as the Old Testament Nazirites usually did. Rather, it appears that John, like Samson (Judg 13:5) and Samuel (1 Sam 1:11), remained a Nazirite for all his life. Evidently, the Angel thereby wishes to indicate the special moral height on which John the Forerunner will stand: he will be entirely devoted to the service of God and thereby will already attract the attention of his fellow countrymen. “And will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instead of the exciting action of wine and strong drink, John will be impelled to action by the Holy Spirit, who will abundantly send him His powers and gifts. “Even from his mother’s womb.” It seems that here the expression: “appearing” or “coming” is omitted (see Mark 7:4). The Angel wants to say that John from the very birth, that is, in the very young years of life, will already have in himself the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:16. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. The speech is only about Israelites. This fully agrees with the understanding of Old Testament people, to whom Zechariah belonged: they believed that the Kingdom of the Messiah and all the preparatory deeds for it—including the ministry of the Forerunner of the Messiah—were intended only for them, the Jews. Moreover, not all Jews will be converted by John: some will remain in their sin.

Luke 1:17. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. “And will go before Him,” that is, will go ahead of God (see verse 16). The prophets of the Old Testament repeatedly depicted the coming of the Messianic age as the coming of Jehovah, who as the Messiah would appear to His people and save them from the yoke of their enemies (Isa 46:13). “In the spirit and power of Elijah.” John will act in the Jewish people with the same zeal for God and power of inspiration with which the greatest prophet Elijah once acted among his contemporaries. This, however, does not relate to the working of miracles, since it is known that John performed no miracles (John 10:41). “To turn the hearts...” About John’s activity the evangelist speaks almost literally with the words of the prophet Malachi (Mal 4:6). The prophet himself (see in the Gospel Commentary the commentary to Mal 4:6) speaks about peace in the family. Since John did nothing of the sort, as did Elijah, some commentators (among us—Bogolovskii, p. 169) suppose that here there is speech of the renewal of spiritual unity between the ancient patriarchs (fathers) and their descendants—a unity broken by the disobedience and lack of submission of the latter. This is necessary so that the Jewish people may be in a condition to receive the Lord (see verse 16 and the beginning of verse 17).

Luke 1:18. And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. Zechariah, like Abraham (Gen 15:8), asks for a sign by which he might know the actual coming of what was promised to him (“this”). And in doing so he also indicates the reason why he needs a sign.

Luke 1:19. And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Since doubt about the possibility of fulfilling what the Angel had said to him appeared in Zechariah’s question, the Angel points out to Zechariah his high position before God (see 1 Sam 10:8), which guarantees that he correctly conveyed the will of God to Zechariah. Moreover, the very name Gabriel—“God is mighty” (see Dan 8:16)—should remind Zechariah of those great promises that were given to the Jewish people precisely through this Angel to the prophet Daniel. “I am the very one,” Gabriel seems to say, “who once appeared to Daniel—you can trust me!”

Luke 1:20. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time. “You will be silent.” Zechariah, as a priest and teacher of the law, should not have doubted when hearing an Angel, but he showed himself unworthy of his calling. Therefore, as punishment for his doubt the Angel imposes a seal of silence upon his lips: he, the priest, the herald of religion, must remain silent! “Not able to speak.” The silence of Zechariah will be because he will actually become dumb.

Luke 1:21. Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple. Priests could remain in the Holy Place only for a short time. Otherwise the people began to be concerned that something unfortunate might have happened to them, since they might indeed be smitten by God for some error in the performance of sacred duties, as once the priests Nadab and Abihu were smitten (Lev 10).

Luke 1:22. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he remained speechless and kept making signs to them. The people evidently, from the sudden dumbness that befell Zechariah, understood that something unusual had happened to him—namely, they said—he must have seen a vision from the higher world (ὀπτασία). “And he communicated with them by signs”—certainly confirming in this way that the people’s conjecture was correct.

Luke 1:23. And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Luke 1:24. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, Luke 1:25. “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people. The evangelist does not report where Zechariah’s house was: evidently, in the Jewish source he used for this narrative, the city where Zechariah lived was not named by name, as it was well known to the first readers of this written memorial. It is remarkable that Zechariah completed his appointed service despite the dumbness that befell him: so faithful was he to his ministry. “Hid herself five months,” that is, kept herself from the sight of neighbors. The reason for this “hiding” is not stated. Perhaps Elizabeth simply wanted to concentrate within herself, not distracting herself with anything external in her new condition. This is evident also from her words, in which she expressed gratitude to God for the removal from her of the reproach of childlessness. In this she says nothing about the significance of the child who was to be born to her. Evidently, Zechariah, following the Angel’s command to remain silent, did not tell her anything about the revelation that had come to him.

Luke 1:26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, Luke 1:27. To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. “In the sixth month”—after Elizabeth’s conception of John the Forerunner (see verse 36), that is, roughly in March of the year 749 from the founding of Rome. “To a city of Galilee.” See commentaries to Matt 2:22-23. “To a virgin...” See commentaries to Matt 1:18-19. According to Church tradition, the All-Holy Virgin, daughter of Eli, otherwise Eliakim, and Anna, being a three-year-old girl, according to the vow of her parents, was brought to dwell in the temple, where she was raised by devout women who lived in the temple in special quarters. Having grown up, she took a vow of virginity for all her life, and she was betrothed to Joseph only to preserve her virginity and so that Joseph might give his name to the Messiah born of her (Son of Joseph—Luke 3:23). The All-Holy Virgin should not have been subject to reproach and condemnation when it would be discovered that she was not idle (St. John Chrysostom). “Of the house of David.” This addition may relate to both Joseph and Mary. More likely, however, it may be supposed that here, in the original Hebrew source of the account, the origin of Joseph is indicated first of all, since the Hebrews usually did not give the genealogies of women in their narratives. According to tradition, the All-Holy Virgin was reading at this time from the book of the prophet Isaiah, precisely the passage from it containing the prophecy of the birth of Emmanuel from a Virgin, and was pondering who this great Virgin would be.

Luke 1:28. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women. “Rejoice.” A customary greeting, equivalent to our “hello” or “greetings.” “Full of grace”—more precisely: one who has been endowed with grace or one who has been worthy of special mercies from God. “The Lord is with you.” This is not merely a wish, but an attestation of an actual fact. The Angel knows that the Lord is truly present with Mary. “Blessed are you among women.” These words in recent editions of the Greek text are usually excluded, as if borrowed from verse 42. But they appear in some respected ancient Greek manuscripts and translations. They indicate that the Holy Mother is the most blessed of all women.

Luke 1:29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his words and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. The Holy Mother does not show disbelief or doubt, but rather, as a Virgin of the highest humility, is troubled only by the extraordinary nature of the praise to which she has been honored by the Angel. Not daring to address the Angel directly in her confusion, she seeks to understand in herself what such an unusual greeting might mean for her.

Luke 1:30. And the Angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God; “You have found favor.” These words clarify and confirm the Angel’s earlier address to the Virgin: “Full of grace.” She had acquired mercy from God through her own special virtues, through the qualities of her soul — faith, humility, and purity.

Luke 1:31. and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. The Angel speaks here in the clear words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 7:14), words by which the prophet foretold the birth of the Messiah from a Virgin (see the commentaries on Matt 1:21).

Luke 1:32. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father; Luke 1:33. and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Here the properties and works of the Son of the Holy Mother are depicted. “He will be great” — great precisely because he will be called, or be (see Matt 5:9-19), the Son of the Most High, of course as a man, because according to his Godhead he is eternally the Son of the Most High God (blessed Theophylact). “The throne of David, his father.” The coming of a great King from the line of David was foretold to David himself (2 Sam 7:12-19). But if the Son of the Holy Mother is called here a descendant of David, then it clearly shows that the Holy Mother herself was from the line of David: she alone — without Joseph — here appears as bringing forth the Messiah, the descendant of David, who is represented as such precisely through his Mother. “Over the house of Jacob.” For now the Messiah is portrayed only as a King of the chosen people; the Angel’s words move within the circle of prophetic representations of the messianic kingdom, according to which this kingdom would indeed be established first among the Israelite people. Of course, this did not exclude the possibility that pagans in time might become members of this kingdom.

Luke 1:34. And Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man? The question of the Holy Mother is not an expression of doubt or disbelief, but rather a natural desire to learn how such an extraordinary birth of the King-Messiah will come about. Since the Virgin was already betrothed to Joseph at that time, by these words she shows that this betrothal will not result in any marital relations between her and Joseph: this is, so to speak, a matter already decided.

Luke 1:35. And the Angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. In response to the humble question of the Holy Mother, the Angel says that she will conceive a Son through a special supernatural act of God: the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Most High will cover her (ἐπισκιάσει from σκιά — shadow; the image is borrowed from a cloud covering a certain space with its shadow). Clearly, here the discourse concerns a special precleansing action of the Spirit of God upon the womb of the Holy Mother. Such precleansing was necessary because the Holy Mother, despite her purity, was still not free from the sin of the first parents. So that her Son would not be transmitted this sin, it was necessary, before conception, to cleanse the womb of the Holy Mother, so that the Child conceived by her would be sinless from the beginning of his human life. “The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High.” Must these expressions be distinguished? Some interpreters consider both expressions completely identical in meaning, seeing here what is called parallelism of clauses. Others distinguish between them and understand by the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and by the power of the Most High the second Person of the Holy Trinity — the Son of God. Of these two opinions, the first must be recognized as more correct, since throughout the Old Testament the Holy Spirit appears as the source of divine forces transmitted to people. Here also the Holy Spirit is spoken of in relation to his cleansing power, which is of course the power of God in general (“the power of the Most High,” that is, God). Consequently, both expressions are undoubtedly parallel. Therefore, in the Symbol of Faith of the Orthodox Church it is said that the Son of God was incarnate from the Holy Spirit — of course, in the sense that the Holy Spirit prepared the womb of the Holy Mother for the conception of the sinless God-man, sanctified her womb, and helped her to conceive in her womb what was impossible for her by nature (Euthymius Zigabenus). But Christ did not owe his birth to the Holy Spirit alone, as some heretics taught: here the Godhead acted in general, since all three Persons always act inseparably. “Therefore the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God,” that is, he who is born from you holily, without blemish, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will be called, even according to his humanity, the Son of God. It should be noted that in this expression “the holy” (τὸ ἅγιον) is the subject, and “child to be born” is an adjective. Thus a special logical emphasis here lies on the word “the holy.” The Angel wants to point, obviously, to the complete sinlessness of the child to be born from the Virgin. Then the image of “overshadowing” is probably borrowed from the Book of Exodus, where it is said that the cloud in which Jehovah dwelt overshadowed the newly created tabernacle (Exod 40:35).

Luke 1:36. And behold, your relative Elizabeth, who was called barren, has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, Luke 1:37. for nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:38. And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. To strengthen the faith of the Holy Mother, the Angel points to another miraculous event, although incomparably lesser than the birth of the God-man Messiah from a Virgin, namely, the ending of Elizabeth’s barrenness. “Your relative.” Levites could take wives from other tribes. Therefore, if we assume that the mothers of the Holy Mother and Elizabeth were from the tribe of Judah and were sisters to one another, nothing prevented one of them from marrying a descendant of Levi, and the other from marrying a descendant of Judah. “For nothing will be impossible with God...” that is, once God has spoken, his word will certainly be fulfilled (compare Gen 18:14). By this saying the Angel grounds what he said above about the ending of Elizabeth’s barrenness: this ending was the work of the declared all-powerful will of God. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord...” This is a humble consent to serve without question the will of God. The Holy Mother could not but foresee the grave trials that would befall her when her betrothed husband learned that she had conceived; and nevertheless, as an obedient servant of God, she goes to all these trials, clearly trusting that God’s providence would arrange everything in the end. “According to your word,” that is, as you have said.

Luke 1:39. And Mary arose in those days and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, Concerning the very conception of Mary by Christ the evangelist says not a word: it took place, as is self-evident, immediately after the Holy Mother said, “Let it be to me according to your word.” Now the evangelist describes the journey of the Holy Mother to Elizabeth, to whom the Angel directed her as a sign to strengthen her faith. The Holy Mother does not wish to neglect this sign and immediately prepares for the journey. “Into the hill country.” And Nazareth, where the Holy Mother dwelt, lay also on hills. But the “hill country,” or “mountainous region,” was the term used among the Jews to refer specifically to that part of Judea that consisted of a mountainous chain. “To a city of Judah,” that is, to one of the cities belonging to the tribe of Judah. According to recent research, this was the city of Bet-Zechariah, traces of which were found at a place that presently belongs to the Russian government. This place is located near Bethlehem.

Luke 1:40. and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:41. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, “The greeting of Mary,” that is, the ordinary Hebrew greeting: “Peace be to you.” “The babe leaped in her womb...” Along with the first words of the Mother of the Lord, the child in the womb of Elizabeth gave signs of himself through certain movements, which were not painful as usually happens, but rather brought Elizabeth into a joyful state of mind. That the child was filled with the Holy Spirit at this time (Bogoslovsky, p. 224) — the evangelist does not say this. Only about the mother — Elizabeth — he remarks that she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Thanks to the enlightenment she immediately received from the Spirit, she understood that before her stood the Mother of the Messiah, whom the child in her womb had also greeted with joyful movement.

Luke 1:42. and she exclaimed with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Elizabeth repeats almost the same greeting that the Angel spoke to Mary (verse 28). But she adds that Mary now bears in her womb the Messiah: the fruit of her womb is and will always be blessed by people.

Luke 1:43. And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:44. For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. After the first outpouring of joyful feeling, Elizabeth begins humbly to reflect on the reason why she was honored with such great distinction as a visit from the Mother of the Messiah (“the Lord”). “For...” — here Elizabeth points to the ground by which she proclaimed Mary to be the Mother of the Messiah. She received the revelation of this from the Holy Spirit, who enabled her to understand the movement of the child in her womb as his greeting to the approaching Messiah.

Luke 1:45. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. “Blessed is she who believed.” Elizabeth knows even that Mary believed in the words of the Angel (verse 38): the Holy Spirit, so to speak, revealed before her the entire scene of the Annunciation. She speaks of Mary in the third person because she represents the Annunciation as an event already past, as it were having entered already into history — she narrates... “That.” It seems better here to replace the conjunction “that” (ὅτι) with the conjunction “because” (ὅτι can also have this meaning). Elizabeth should point to the content of Mary’s “faith,” say what exactly she believed. And she does this, by generally designating everything announced to Mary by the Angel, with the words: “what was spoken to her from the Lord.” “There would be a fulfillment” — more precisely: complete fulfillment will come about (ἔσται τελείωσις).

Luke 1:46. And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, Luke 1:47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Luke 1:48. for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; These verses contain the first stanza of the Mother of God’s hymn of praise. Here, as in the following stanzas, the Holy Mother expresses the feeling of her reverence before God with words from the Old Testament sacred hymns, and above all with words from the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 2:1 and following). “And Mary said.” This remark indicates that the following song is a personal expression of the feelings of the Holy Mother, not spoken by special inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “Magnifies” — that is, exalts, praises. “Soul” — the center of the inner life of a human being. “Spirit” — the spiritual, higher director of the inner life of a human being. However, both concepts — “soul” (ψυχή) and “spirit” (πνεῦμα) — may be considered simply as synonyms. “Rejoiced” — in Greek, the aorist (ἠγαλλίασε). This signifies a turning point in the inner life of the Mother of God, which represents the reception of the joyful greeting from the Angel (verse 28). Returning to this event already passed, Mary glorifies God. “My Savior.” With respect to Mary, God appeared as her Savior (σωτήρ), that is, as a liberator from all evil, or, since Mary had not actually suffered any misfortune, as her Benefactor. And in what does this benefit consist — she speaks of it further. “For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.” Mary calls herself the humble handmaid of God, showing by this that she held a very unnoticed position among the Israelite people and was extremely poor (low estate — not the virtue of humility, to which Mary would certainly not point as the reason for God’s mercy to her, but rather her low, poor condition, compare Isa 11:4 according to the Slavonic text).

Luke 1:49. for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; Luke 1:50. and his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. In the second stanza (second half of verse 48 — verse 50) Mary gives thanks to God for the blessings bestowed both on her and on all mankind. “Henceforth” that is, from the moment when Elizabeth first blessed the Holy Mother. “Call me blessed,” that is, praise, extol. “All generations,” that is, all future generations of people. “For” — more correctly: “because.” “The Mighty One has done great things for me” — has done for me the greatest, unprecedented thing: she is — the Mother of the Messiah!” “The Mighty One.” Thus she calls God here, because he showed toward her his extraordinary power (compare the song of holy Hannah). “And holy is his name.” It is better to place a period before this phrase, because it represents the beginning of the depiction of God’s acts toward all of humanity: the Holy Mother has finished speaking of herself. “Name” is a revelation of the essence and power of God. It is the Lord himself in his manifestation before humanity. These manifestations are “holy,” that is, in the highest degree pure, just — all the works of God are perfect. “And his mercy.” Alongside holiness, that is, purity and righteousness, Mary sets “mercy” or compassion of God. God is not only holy, but also good, merciful. “From generation to generation” — according to the more correct reading: “from generation to generation” (εἰς γενεὰς καὶ γενεὰς — according to our Greek text εἰς γενεὰς γενεῶν — to the most distant generations), that is, it is passed from one generation to another. The Lord is merciful to fathers, to children, grandchildren, and so on. “Who fear him.” However, God is merciful to people only so long as they fear him. Fear before God is the same as piety.

Luke 1:51. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; Luke 1:52. he has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; Luke 1:53. he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. In the third stanza Mary depict in separate strokes the omnipotence, holiness, and mercy of Jehovah, which she only briefly pointed to in the previous stanza. (Here aoristic forms are used, indicating that the speaker represents to herself in each individual phrase some event from the history of the Israelite people.) “He has shown strength with his arm.” In a person’s struggle, the arm’s muscles work. God is also here represented as a fighter with extraordinary strong muscles (compare Job 40:4). “He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.” Arrogant, proud people have in their heart or soul many thoughts or great designs, but God scattered them, that is, dispersed all of them when they plotted to do a work hostile to God with combined strength. (Perhaps here is meant the scattering of peoples at the time of the Tower of Babel.) “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.” The powerful — these are the noble and rich people who used their advantages to the harm of all the people, and the lowly — people of low rank and poor. God set the latter in the place of the former. “He has filled the hungry.” The thought is the same as in the preceding phrase. The good things here are understood, undoubtedly, only as material: the context of the speech requires this understanding.

Luke 1:54. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, Luke 1:55. as he spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever. In the fifth stanza Mary glorifies God for his mercies, in particular, to the Israelite people. “He has helped” — more precisely: he has come to the aid of (ἀντελάβετο). By this Mary points to the sending of the Messiah to the Israelite people, who will soon be born from her. Now the Israelite people will not be far from God — God has again stretched out his arms to him and will protect him from enemies. “Remembering his mercy” — more precisely: in order to remember mercy (the infinitive μνησθῆναι here takes the place of a purpose clause). It seemed that God had forgotten to fulfill those mercies which he himself once promised to the patriarchs of the Hebrew people and their descendants. The Hebrew people not only did not become the most fortunate people, but its condition was much worse than that of many pagan peoples. Now another time is coming. The Lord will fulfill all his promises regarding the mercies that the Hebrew people should receive. And these mercies will remain “forever,” that is, for all times. The expression: “as he spoke...” — is parenthetical. It explains why Mary describes God’s work as “remembering.” One remembers only what was said or done before. The Lord promised the patriarchs — and now fulfilled his promise. Mary does not yet determine precisely how she understands the “mercies” that will be given to the Israelite people “forever”: the entire depiction of God’s work in her song has the character of generality.

Luke 1:56. And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. The Holy Mother had not yet come to live in Joseph’s house (here it is said that she returned to her own home) and therefore could remain in Elizabeth’s house for so long without raising suspicion and concern in Joseph. Only the approach of Elizabeth’s time of delivery should have prompted her to leave for her city, because otherwise, if she had remained here for that time, she would have become an object of observation for Elizabeth’s relatives, who would certainly have come to her at her delivery (verse 58).

Luke 1:57. Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she bore a son. Luke 1:58. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. When Elizabeth bore a son, this produced joyful excitement among her neighbors and relatives. God’s mercy to Elizabeth was great (“had shown great mercy”), since the birth of a son after such a long barrenness was an extraordinary thing. Therefore they rejoiced with her and expressed their sympathy to her.

Luke 1:59. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zechariah after his father. Those same relatives and friends came to Zechariah’s house to be present at the celebration of the circumcision of his newborn son. (Concerning circumcision, see the commentaries on Gen 17:10-12.) The relatives insisted that when the child was circumcised, he should be given his father’s name, as a reminder that God had finally remembered his faithful servants, who had so long yearned for children (the name Zechariah means “God has remembered”).

Luke 1:60. But his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John. Elizabeth, as a prophetess (blessed Theophylact), by revelation from the Holy Spirit (Euthymius Zigabenus), declared her wish that her son be named John. But it may be that she, by her own judgment, found it fitting to give her son a name meaning “the gracious gift of God.” It is hardly to be supposed that she at that time already knew God’s will, spoken through the Angel, concerning what name her son would bear (verse 13).

Luke 1:61. And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name. Luke 1:62. And they made signs to his father, asking him what he would have the child called. Since names were usually given to newborns in honor of the father or a respected relative, that is, such names as were borne by these people, the relatives were surprised at Elizabeth’s desire to give her son an unusual name in their family. Therefore they turned to Zechariah, communicating with him by signs. The latter expression may indicate that Zechariah had lost hearing as well as speech. Otherwise there would be no reason to communicate with him by signs, as one usually does with deaf-mutes. That this communication occurred by means of writing (Bogoslovsky) is nowhere mentioned.

Luke 1:63. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. Zechariah — probably by signs — asked for a writing tablet; such tablets were usually covered with a thin layer of wax, and for writing on them finely pointed sticks were used; and he wrote such words (in the Russian translation the expression λέγων, that is, “such words” — compare 2 Sam 10:6 — has been left unnoticed). “His name is (ἐστί — in the Russian translation omitted) John.” Zechariah declares that the child already has a name — it has been given to him by God himself (verse 13). This unexpected agreement of the names desired by the father on one side and the mother on the other, threw those asking into amazement.

Luke 1:64. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, blessing God. At that moment Zechariah’s dumbness was resolved, of course, by a special miraculous act of God: the prophecy concerning the birth of a son to Zechariah was now fulfilled — and the name had already been given to the child in accordance with the Angel’s prediction (verse 13). Therefore the punishment on Zechariah should be lifted, as was foretold in verse 20. More precisely the verse should be translated as: “immediately his mouth was opened (ἀνεῴχθη) and his tongue was released (here, obviously, the verb ἐλύθη is omitted).” “Blessing God.” Here the evangelist has in mind not the blessing that Zechariah was to offer in his song that follows below, but the glorification that poured from his mouth immediately upon the release of his dumbness. If Zechariah had spoken at this time his prophetic speech about his son that is mentioned later, then what would those present and others who heard about what happened at the circumcision express wonder about the future fate of the newborn child (verse 66)?

Luke 1:65. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea; Luke 1:66. and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” And the hand of the Lord was with him. Fear came upon all the inhabitants of the Judean hill country at the strangeness of the events that occurred in Zechariah’s family: everyone understood that a higher, divine, power was at work here. “Laid them up in their hearts” — that is, made them the subject of their constant reflections (1 Sam 21:12). “What then will this child become” — that is, what can we expect of this child with such unusual signs? “And the hand of the Lord was with him.” More precisely: “for (according to Tischendorf: καὶ γάρ) the hand of the Lord was with him.” The evangelist means by this to point to the miraculous events that occurred at John’s birth and clearly testified that the Lord was sending the child his special help. This is what aroused the curiosity of those who “heard them.”

Luke 1:67. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying: The speech of Zechariah appears to belong to the time when special interest in the person of Zechariah’s son awakened in the Judean people (verse 66). In this speech Zechariah speaks as a priest — this is one thing. Moreover, he reminds one in many ways of the Old Testament prophets who predicted the coming of the Messiah, especially Isaiah (Isa 40) and Malachi (Mal 3-4). In addition, Zechariah repeats the thoughts of the Psalmist (Ps 131; Ps 40; Ps 71; Ps 105). “Prophesied.” This word denotes not only predictions, but inspired speech in general (compare 1 Sam 10:10; 1 Cor 12:10). Zechariah’s speech conveniently divides into three parts. In the first part Zechariah glorifies God for sending the Messiah into the world and for the salvation of Israel (verses 68–75). In the second — he prophesies about the calling of his son — to be the Forerunner of the Lord (verses 76–77) and, finally, in the third (verses 78–79) — he again addresses the person of the Messiah and in magnificent traits depicts both his coming to people and the benefits that he grants to people (compare Bogoslovsky, p. 290).

Luke 1:68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, Zechariah glorifies God for the salvation of the Israelite people, which he represents as already arrived, since in his newborn son he sees the Forerunner of the Messiah, and the salvation was to be accomplished by the Messiah. “Has visited” (ἐπεσκέψατο), that is, turned his merciful gaze (compare Acts 15:14) “and has redeemed his people” (more correctly: his people. The latter expression in the Russian translation is incorrectly referred to the verb “visited,” which stands completely independently). By “redemption” or “deliverance” (λύτρωσις) Zechariah first of all, of course, understands political liberation of the people (compare Luke 24:21), but then, undoubtedly, he was not unfamiliar with the idea of the spiritual renewal of the people, which also was part of the concept of messianic salvation (compare verse 71).

Luke 1:69. and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, Here Zechariah blesses God for having raised up or established in the line of David a “horn of salvation.” “Horn” here is taken as a designation of strength (compare 1 Sam 2:10) and may be replaced with the word “strength.” That is, God raised up “the strength of salvation,” or the one who brings salvation, in other words, the Messiah the Savior. From the fact that Zechariah mentions the origin of the Messiah from the line of a beloved servant (servant — παίς, compare verse 54), one can draw the conclusion that he recognized Mary as a member of the house of David: through a virgin conception Jesus received his rights to be a descendant of David.

Luke 1:70. as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, This verse is an explanatory clause relating to the previous verse. It is better to put it in parentheses. “From of old,” that is, from a very long time ago (compare Gen 6:4).

Luke 1:71. that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us; “That we should be saved” — more correctly: “he raised up (verse 69) salvation from our enemies.” These words clearly form an application to the words “horn of salvation” (verse 69). They determine what exactly the salvation is that Zechariah had in mind in the expression “horn of salvation.” By enemies and those who hate us, some (Bogoslovsky, p. 298) understand demons and human passions. But, undoubtedly, Zechariah, still living within the circle of Old Testament ideas, meant here the oppressors of the Israelite people — pagans and external enemies in general (compare Ps 17:18).

Luke 1:72. To show the mercy promised to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant, More correctly translated: “to show (ποιῆσαι — infinitive for the purpose clause) mercy to our (μετά, compare verse 58) ancestors,” that is, the patriarchs, whom Zechariah imagines to be deeply grieved by the political fall of their people, “and to remember (through the fulfillment of the promised) his holy covenant,” which God made with the patriarchs of the Israelite people (Gen 17:4 and following). Since God promised the patriarchs that their descendants would lead an entirely independent life, he will certainly fulfill this. Now the time for this has come.

Luke 1:73. the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us The word “oath,” which is an appositive to “covenant,” is in the Greek text (ὅρκος) put in the accusative case according to the law of attraction, depending on the following ὅν. The expression “to grant us” represents an independent clause and means God’s intention, which God had in raising up the “horn of salvation.” This is the beginning of the following verse.

Luke 1:74. that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, Luke 1:75. in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. In raising up the horn of salvation or the Savior — the Messiah — God wishes by this to give us Israelites the possibility to serve him, no longer fearing enemies, who previously distracted from serving the true God by fear of torments, as happened, for example, under Antiochus Epiphanes. “Now Israelites will serve” “in holiness and righteousness before him,” that is, before God. This, then, will not be only outward fulfillment of the prescriptions of the law (righteousness — δικαιοσύνη), but above all true holiness, dedication to God of all of the human being (ὁσιότης). “Service” is presented to Zechariah as priestly service in the temple: this is indicated by the Greek expression λατρεύειν (compare Heb 9:1) and the expression “before him” referring to the word “serve.” This service — not as the service of Old Testament priests, which they performed only in their turn — will continue throughout the life of a human being.

Luke 1:76. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, Luke 1:77. to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, From the Messiah, Zechariah’s gaze turns to his Forerunner, who is to prepare the way for the establishment of the theocracy in all its fullness. “And you” — more correctly: “but you also.” Here John is contrasted with the Messiah, about whom the discourse was above. “Child,” that is, now you are only a weak child. “Will be called the prophet of the Most High,” that is, you will be a messenger of God. “Before the Lord” (see verse 17), that is, before God. “To prepare his ways” (see Mark 1:2-3). “To give knowledge of salvation...” In this — the purpose of “preparing the ways” and at the same time the final purpose of John’s “going” “before the Lord.” “Salvation” (see verse 71). “In the forgiveness of their sins.” Usually this expression is considered as an explanation of the words “to give knowledge of salvation” (γνῶσιν σωτηρίας) and is connected with the preceding clause with the conjunction “what” (Bogoslovsky, p. 303). Thus it turns out that Zechariah here understands salvation as forgiveness of sins. But this explanation is too unexpected: above, salvation was understood as political (verses 70–71). Therefore, it is better to understand this verse as follows: John will give to the people knowledge that the promised salvation has come and will give knowledge of it through baptism, into which would be placed the beginning of the forgiveness of the people’s sins. The people would turn with repentance to God, listening to John’s preaching, and the forgiveness they receive will testify to the coming of the Messianic time.

Luke 1:78. by the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise shall visit us from on high, Luke 1:79. to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. In the final stanza of his song, Zechariah again addresses God with thanksgiving for sending the Messiah and for the blessings that the Messiah will bring with him. “By the tender mercy.” These words should be connected, not with the expression “in the forgiveness of sins” (as Zigabenus and some other interpreters), and not with the word “salvation” (as Keil), but with everything that has been said, beginning with “you will go before” in verse 76. The expression itself means “merciful heart” (σπλάγχνα ἐλέους). God has a merciful heart, and this explains why he sent John. “Which” — more precisely: “by virtue of which” (ἐν οἷς). “The sunrise shall visit us from on high.” Some interpreters understand by “the sunrise” (ἀνατολή) God, others — the Messiah (with us, Bishop Michael and Prof. Bogoslovsky, pp. 305–306). But it seems that it is best to understand that Zechariah here has in mind the messianic salvation in general. The prophet Isaiah has God say: “My salvation” as a light “rises” (Isa 51:5). This expression and others like it may have come to Zechariah’s mind here, and he depicted this coming salvation (it is more correct to read: “shall visit” — ἐπισκέψεται, than “has visited” — ἐπεσκέψατο) as a light rising and gradually spreading across the sky and from there (“from on high”) extending across the earth. “To give light...” more precisely: “to give light to those who sit in grave afflictions, both spiritual and bodily” (see Matt 4:16; Isa 9:2). “To guide our feet...” This — the purpose of enlightenment and, consequently, the final purpose of the appearance of messianic salvation (verse 78). It is necessary that people, sitting in darkness, find the road leading to peaceful life, as opposed to the spiritual and bodily afflictions in which they had been up to then. To say (as Prof. Bogoslovsky, pp. 307–308) that Zechariah here implies the redemptive sacrifice of Christ, which grants true peace with God, there is insufficient basis: Zechariah, like the Old Testament prophets, represents to himself the new life in the most general terms...

Luke 1:80. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Here is given a general characterization of John’s further development. The child “grew” in body “and became strong in spirit,” that is, he acquired the firm character that he displayed later. “In the wilderness.” Here is particularly meant the Judean wilderness (see Matt 3:1). When did he withdraw to the wilderness? Church tradition reports that he lived in the wilderness from earliest childhood. But who brought him up? Some interpreters suppose that John received his upbringing from the Essenes, who also had their dwelling in the wilderness. But this supposition is groundless. The Essenes did not believe in the coming of the Messiah, but John called himself the Forerunner of the Messiah. They lived apart from people, but John went forth to preach to people. Moreover, the very context of the narrative speaks against this supposition: John went into the wilderness to live in solitude in order to prepare himself for his ministry — why then would he enter an Essene community, which was very large in number? Would it not be better for him to remain in his own city? “Until the day of his manifestation...” that is, until the time when God’s voice called him forth to the work of preaching as the Forerunner (Luke 3:2-6).

On the authenticity and reliability of the first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke

Against the authenticity of certain portions comprising this chapter, recent criticism raises objections. But these objections are groundless. Thus Baur denies the authenticity of the preface to the Gospel (verses 1–4), saying that it was composed by someone in the middle of the second century after Christ. But another scholar, Ewald, marvels at the genuine simplicity, noble modesty, and precise brevity that could scarcely be displayed by one who wished to make his addition to the divinely inspired Gospel of Luke. Moreover, with this introduction were familiar Papias and Justin Martyr — writers of the second century... But many more objections are heard against the reliability of the miraculous events related in the first chapter. Critics (especially Strauss) endeavored to show that all these events were invented in the midst of the first Christians, who wished in this way to glorify the Founder of their Church. But all the grounds that criticism brings forward in favor of its opinion are completely worthless. For example, Strauss considers the account of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Zechariah a “myth” because it seems to him generally impossible that Angels could appear to people. But in that case, he ought first to reject the whole Old Testament, where the appearances of Angels are a very common thing. Moreover, both he and the Nazareth Annunciation he considers an invention, which was formed under the influence of ancient predictions about the Messiah as a great king and descendant of David. But fictitious accounts, myths, in the time of the birth of Christ could hardly be composed in the Hebrew people, which was then living not in some prehistoric age when myths are created, but, one might say, at the end of its political and civil development. Besides, such a fiction as the account of the Messiah born from a poor Virgin and not called, it seems, to a royal throne, was not at all in the spirit of the Judaism of that time, which expected another kind of Messiah. If, as Strauss notes, the birth of Christ and the events surrounding it are not mentioned either by John the Theologian or by the Apostle Paul, this is explained by the special task of John’s Gospel — to portray Christ specifically as the Only-begotten Son of God — and as for the Apostle Paul, he did not have the opportunity to describe all these events... As for the speeches of the Holy Mother, Zechariah, and Elizabeth, they are questioned as to their actual origin from these individuals: allegedly they were composed by the evangelist himself. But against this objection it must be said that these speeches undoubtedly bear upon themselves the imprint of Hebrew. This is evident both in individual expressions and in the structure of sentences. Meanwhile, the evangelist Luke was a Greek, and it would have been difficult for him to imitate the character of Hebrew speech. Finally, it should be noted that the authenticity and reliability of all the accounts contained in the first chapter is confirmed by the consistent testimony of the most ancient Church Fathers and teachers.

* * *

Merx asserts that the words “since I do not know a man” — are an insertion made by a later hand. But the grounds he brings forward for proving his view are insufficient. Indeed, if he points to the contradiction of these words with reality, on the grounds that Mary already knew, at least juristically, that her husband was Joseph, he does not understand that here Mary speaks of the fact that she will remain and forever remain a virgin, not of the fact that her husband is unknown to her. Merx, however, objects to such an understanding of the expression “to know a man.” There should be, he says, in this case, the verb “to know” (γινώσκω) either in the past or future tense, as, for example, is done in Gen 19:8 and in other places. But the present tense “I do not know” very often means an action that took place in the past, is taking place in the present, and will take place in the future. In this sense, for example, God says of himself: “I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal” (Deut 32:39), “I know you (Moses) by name” (Exod 33:12). Even of people the present tense is sometimes used when one wishes to point to some persistent disposition of theirs, which took place before and will continue always. In this sense the Pharaoh says to Moses: “I do not know the Lord” (Exod 5:2). Finally, if Merx refers to the fact that the verb “to know” in the exclusive sense of the term, as a term meaning marital intercourse, is used in Syrian translations only of the relation of a husband to a wife, then to this must be said that Syrian word usage in the present case cannot have the force of proof, because the evangelists received the accounts of Christ’s birth undoubtedly from Hebrew sources, and among the Hebrews the verb “to know” is used also of the relation of a woman to a man (Judg 11:39).

In some manuscripts the word “Mary” is absent and the song is attributed, apparently, to Elizabeth.