Luke 2

Luke 2:2

He shall be called the Son of the Highest - In this respect also: and that in a more eminent sense than any, either man or angel, can be called so. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David - That is, the spiritual kingdom, of which David’s was a type.

Luke 2:3

He shall reign over the house of Jacob - In which all true believers are included.

Luke 2:5

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee - The power of God was put forth by the Holy Ghost, as the immediate Divine agent in this work: and so he exerted the power of the Highest as his own power, who together with the Father and the Son is the most high God. Therefore also - Not only as he is God from eternity, but on this account likewise he shall be called the Son of God.

Luke 2:6

And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth - Though Elisabeth was of the house of Aaron, and Mary of the house of David, by the fathers side, they might be related by their mothers. For the law only forbad heiresses marrying into another tribe. And so other persons continually intermarried; particularly the families of David and of Levi.

Luke 2:8

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord - It is not improbable, that this time of the virgin’s humble faith, consent, and expectation, might be the very time of her conceiving.

Luke 2:9

A city of Judah - Probably Hebron, which was situated in the hill country of Judea, and belonged to the house of Aaron.

Luke 2:11

When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary - The discourse with which she saluted her, giving an account of what the angel had said, the joy of her soul so affected her body, that the very child in her womb was moved in an uncommon manner, as if it leaped for joy.

Luke 2:15

Happy is she that believed - Probably she had in her mind the unbelief of Zacharias.

Luke 2:16

And Mary said - Under a prophetic impulse, several things, which perhaps she herself did not then fully understand.

Luke 2:17

My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour - She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is a blessing common to all true believers, more than in being his mother after the flesh, which was an honour peculiar to her. And certainly she had the same reason to rejoice in God her Saviour hat we have: because he had regarded the low estate of his handmaid, in like manner as he regarded our low estate; and vouchsafed to come and save her and us, when we were reduced to the lowest estate of sin and misery.

Luke 2:21

He hath wrought strength with his arm - That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah. He hath scattered the proud - Visible and invisible.

Luke 2:22

He hath put down the mighty - Both angels and men.

Luke 2:24

He hath helped his servant Israel - By sending the Messiah.

Luke 2:25

To his seed - His spiritual seed: all true believers.

Luke 2:26

Mary returned to her own house - And thence soon after to Bethlehem.

Luke 2:30

His mother said - Doubtless by revelation, or a particular impulse from God.

Luke 2:36

The hand of the Lord - The peculiar power and blessing of God.

Luke 2:37

And Zacharias prophesied - Of things immediately to follow. But it is observable, he speaks of Christ chiefly; of John only, as it were, incidentally.

Luke 2:39

A horn - Signifies honour, plenty, and strength. A horn of salvation - That is, a glorious and mighty Saviour.

Luke 2:40

His prophets, who have been since the world began - For there were prophets from the very beginning.

Luke 2:44

To serve him without fear - Without any slavish fear. Here is the substance of the great promise. That we shall be always holy, always happy: that being delivered from Satan and sin, from every uneasy and unholy temper, we shall joyfully love and serve God, in every thought, word, and work.

Luke 2:46

And thou, child - He now speaks to John; yet not as a parent, but as a prophet.

Luke 2:47

To give knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins - The knowledge of the remission of our sins being the grand instrument of present and eternal salvation, Hebrews 8:11,12. But the immediate sense of the words seems to be, to preach to them the Gospel doctrine of salvation by the remission of their sins.

Luke 2:48

The day spring - Or the rising sun; that is, Christ.

Luke 2:52

That all the world should be enrolled - That all the inhabitants, male and female, of every town in the Roman empire, with their families and estates, should be registered.