Luke 1:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.

NIV: Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.

NASB: And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

CSB: Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

NLT: Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.

KJV: And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

NKJV: And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.

Zechariah is a priest, chosen to offer one of the two daily sacrifices of incense in the temple (Exodus 30:1–8; 40:26–27). He was alone in the Holy Place when he was visited by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:8–12). Gabriel's message was uplifting. Zechariah and his wife, both aging (Luke 1:5–7), will be blessed with a child. That child will grow to be an important herald of the Messiah (Luke 1:13–17). In a moment of doubt, Zechariah questioned if the angel's message was true (Luke 1:18), so he was temporarily struck mute (Luke 1:20) and deaf (Luke 1:62).

Outside the Holy Place, in the courtyard of the temple, worshippers are waiting for Zechariah to come back. His task likely was not meant to take long. Whatever time it took for him to interact with Gabriel is enough to be noticed. Those waiting outside are curious as to what's keeping the priest. When he emerges, they seem to realize he's had a spiritual encounter (Luke 1:22). How much Zechariah can tell, or chooses to tell, is not explicitly stated.

Luke 1:5–25 explains how Elizabeth, the childless wife of a priest, learns that she will give birth to a prophet. This child will eventually be known as John the Baptist. Her husband, Zechariah, learns this from an angel but doubts due to his advanced age. As a result, he is rendered temporarily mute, and likely deaf as well (Luke 1:62). As predicted, he and Elizabeth conceive and await the birth of their son. This occurs several months before Elizabeth's relative, Mary, receives even more amazing news from an angel.

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.

Accessed 5/10/2024 3:33:19 AM