Luke 1:68 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people

NIV: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

NASB: 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

CSB: Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people.

NLT: 'Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.

KJV: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

NKJV: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,

Zechariah is celebrating the birth of his son (Luke 1:57). This child will be a powerful herald of the Messiah (Luke 1:13–17; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6). His song of praise includes many allusions to the Old Testament. This is not surprising, as Zechariah is a priest (Luke 1:5).

The phrase "blessed be the Lord God of Israel" is seen in several psalms (Psalm 41:13; 72:18; 106:48) and in multiple Old Testament Scriptures (1 Samuel 25:32; 1 Kings 8:15; 1 Chronicles 16:36). This identifies God as the same One who spoke with patriarchs like Abraham (Genesis 12:1–2) and Isaac (Genesis 26:3–4), as well as Jacob (Genesis 28:13), who would later be named Israel (Genesis 35:10).

Another use of the "blessed" phrase is in 1 Kings 1:48. There, David rejoices to know that God has placed his successor on the throne. This is especially relevant to Zechariah's song; his son (Luke 3:2–3) will be a precursor to Jesus Christ (Luke 1:31–33), who will fulfill Messianic prophecy as a descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 9:6–7).

The concept of Israel being "visited" by God refers to His meeting their needs. This echoes how Israel reacted when they first heard God was going to free them from Egypt (Exodus 4:31). That praise, as well as Zechariah's, reflects a unique way Scripture would refer to God's promises. Though Messiah had not yet come, when Zechariah spoke, God's promises are "as good as done." Referring to what God was about to do as if it was done is seen in other passages of the Bible (Joshua 2:24; Psalm 9:5–8).

Isaiah 43:1 combines several of these concepts, including God's role as Israel's "Redeemer."

Luke 1:57–80 describes the first of two births predicted by the angel Gabriel in this chapter (Luke 1:13, 31). Despite their old age, Elizabeth and Zechariah have had a son, who now needs to be named. Zechariah has been stricken mute for months, after doubting the angel's message. Elizabeth surprises her family by naming the child "John." When asked, Zechariah writes down the same name and is immediately able to speak again. Amid the awestruck reaction of family and neighbors, the legendary reputation of John the Baptist has begun. Zechariah then prophesies about the powerful ministry of his son.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.