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Geneva Notes / Commentary on Luke 1:5-25

From the Geneva Notes on Luke 1:5-25

Lu 1:5
1:5 There {2} was {f} in the days of {g} Herod, the king of
Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the {h} course
of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and
her name [was] Elisabeth.

(2) John, who was another Elias and appointed to be the herald
of Christ, coming from the family of Aaron, and of two
famous and blameless parents, has shown in his conception
(which was against the course of nature) a double miracle,
to the end that men should be more readily prepared for
the hearing of his preaching, according to the forewarning
of the prophets.
(f) This is a Hebrew idiom which shows us how short and
frail a thing the power of princes is.
(g) Herod the great.
(h) For the posterity of Aaron was divided into courses.

Lu 1:6
1:6 And they were both {i} righteous before God, {k} walking in
all the {l} commandments and ordinances of the Lord {m}
blameless.

(i) The true mark of righteousness is demonstrated when one
is liked and accepted in the judgment of God.
(k) Lived, as the Hebrews say, for our life is as a way
in which we must walk until we come to the mark.
(l) In all the moral and ceremonial law.
(m) Whom no man could justly reprove: now so it is that the
fruits of justification are set forth here, and not the
cause, which is faith only, and nothing else.

Lu 1:9
1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was
to burn incense when he went into the {n} temple of the
Lord.

(n) The temple was one, and the court another, for Zacharias
went out of the court (or outward room) where all the
people were (and therefore they are said to be without)
and into the temple.

Lu 1:15
1:15 For he shall be great in the {o} sight of the Lord, and
shall drink neither wine nor {p} strong drink; and he shall
be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

(o) So the Hebrews say when a rare kind of excellency is
signified: so it is said of Nimrod in Ge 10:9,
"He was a mighty hunter before the LORD".
(p) Any drink that might make someone drunk.

Lu 1:16
1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he {q} turn to the
Lord their God.

(q) Shall be a means to bring many to repentance, and they
will turn themselves to the Lord, from whom they fell.

Lu 1:17
1:17 And he shall go {r} before him {s} in the spirit and power
of Elias, to turn the {t} hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the {u} wisdom of the
just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

(r) As they used to go before kings, and when you see them,
you know the king is not far off.
(s) This is spoken by the figure of speech metonymy, taking
the spirit for the gift of the spirit; as you would
say, the cause of that which comes from the cause.
(t) By the figure of speech synecdoche he shows that he
will take away all types of enmities which used to
breed great troubles and turmoils among men.
(u) Wisdom and goodness are two of the main causes which
make men revere and honour their fathers.

Lu 1:19
1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, {x}
that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak
unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

(x) That appears, for so the Hebrews use this saying "to
stand" to mean that they are ready to do his
commandment.

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