◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Luke 1:46b-55 (My soul gives glory to God); Isaiah 60:1-6 (Arise shine!); Luke 1:67-80 (The song of Zechariah) (New English Translation)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Luke 1:46-55

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

⁴⁶And Mary^[a] said,^[b]

“My soul exalts^[c] the Lord,^[d]
⁴⁷and my spirit has begun to rejoice^[e] in God my Savior,
⁴⁸because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.^[f]
For^[g] from now on^[h] all generations will call me blessed,^[i]
⁴⁹because he who is mighty^[j] has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
⁵⁰from^[k] generation to generation he is merciful^[l] to those who fear^[m] him.
⁵¹He has demonstrated power^[n] with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance^[o] of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the mighty^[p] from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;^[q]
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,^[r] and has sent the rich away empty.^[s]
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering^[t] his mercy,^[u]
⁵⁵as he promised^[v] to our ancestors,^[w] to Abraham and to his descendants^[x] forever.”

Footnotes

Luke 1:46 tc A few witnesses, especially Latin mss, (a b l* Ir^arm Or^lat mss Nic) read “Elizabeth” here, since she was just speaking, but the ms evidence overwhelmingly supports “Mary” as the speaker.
Luke 1:46 sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
Luke 1:46 tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”
Luke 1:46 sn This psalm (vv. 46-55) is one of the few praise psalms in the NT. Mary praises God and then tells why both in terms of his care for her (vv. 46-49) and for others, including Israel (vv. 50-55). Its traditional name, the “Magnificat,” comes from the Latin for the phrase My soul magnifies the Lord at the hymn’s start.
Luke 1:47 tn Or “rejoices.” The translation renders this aorist, which stands in contrast to the previous line’s present tense, as ingressive, which highlights Mary’s joyous reaction to the announcement. A comprehensive aorist is also possible here.
Luke 1:48 tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.
Luke 1:48 tn Grk “for behold.”
Luke 1:48 sn From now on is a favorite phrase of Luke’s, showing how God’s acts change things from this point on (5:10; 12:52; 22:18, 69; Acts 18:6).
Luke 1:48 sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.
Luke 1:49 tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”
Luke 1:50 tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.
Luke 1:50 sn God’s mercy refers to his “loyal love” or “steadfast love,” expressed in faithful actions, as the rest of the psalm illustrates.
Luke 1:50 tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.
Luke 1:51 tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.
Luke 1:51 tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.
Luke 1:52 tn Or “rulers.”
Luke 1:52 tn Or “those of humble position”sn The contrast between the mighty and those of lowly position is fundamental for Luke. God cares for those that the powerful ignore (Luke 4:18-19).
Luke 1:53 sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.
Luke 1:53 sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).
Luke 1:54 tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.
Luke 1:54 tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”
Luke 1:55 tn Grk “as he spoke.” Since this is a reference to the covenant to Abraham, ἐλάλησεν (elalēsen) can be translated in context “as he promised.” God keeps his word.
Luke 1:55 tn Grk “fathers.”
Luke 1:55 tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

Isaiah 60:1-6

Zion’s Future Splendor

60 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!
The splendor^[a] of the Lord shines on you!
²For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers^[b] the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor^[c] appears over you.
³Nations come to your light,
kings to your bright light.
⁴Look all around you!^[d]
They all gather and come to you—
your sons come from far away,
and your daughters are escorted by guardians.
⁵Then you will look and smile,^[e]
you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride.^[f]
For the riches of distant lands^[g] will belong to you,
and the wealth of nations will come to you.
⁶Camel caravans will cover your roads,^[h]
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
All the merchants of Sheba^[i] will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing praises to the Lord.^[j]

Luke 1:67-80

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

⁶⁷Then^[a] his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,^[b]

⁶⁸“Blessed^[c] be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help^[d] and has redeemed^[e] his people.
⁶⁹For^[f] he has raised up^[g] a horn of salvation^[h] for us in the house of his servant David,^[i]
⁷⁰as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,^[j]
⁷¹that we should be saved^[k] from our enemies,^[l]
and from the hand of all who hate us.
⁷²He has done this^[m] to show mercy^[n] to our ancestors,^[o]
and to remember his holy covenant^[p]—
⁷³the oath^[q] that he swore to our ancestor^[r] Abraham.
This oath grants^[s]
⁷⁴that we, being rescued from the hand of our^[t] enemies,
may serve him without fear,^[u]
⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness^[v] before him for as long as we live.^[w]
⁷⁶And you, child,^[x] will be called the prophet^[y] of the Most High.^[z]
For you will go before^[aa] the Lord to prepare his ways,^[ab]
⁷⁷to give his people knowledge of salvation^[ac] through the forgiveness^[ad] of their sins.
⁷⁸Because of^[ae] our God’s tender mercy^[af]
the dawn^[ag] will break^[ah] upon us from on high
⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,^[ai]
to guide our feet into the way^[aj] of peace.”

⁸⁰And the child kept growing^[ak] and becoming strong^[al] in spirit, and he was in the wilderness^[am] until the day he was revealed^[an] to Israel.

Footnotes

Luke 1:67 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 1:67 tn Grk “and he prophesied, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.sn Prophesied. The reference to prophecy reflects that Zechariah is enabled by the Spirit to speak God’s will. He does so in this case through a praise psalm, which calls for praise and then gives the reason why God should be praised.
Luke 1:68 sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).
Luke 1:68 sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).
Luke 1:68 tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.” sn Has redeemed is a reference to redemption, but it anticipates the total release into salvation that the full work of Messiah will bring for Israel. This involves both spiritual and material benefits eventually.
Luke 1:69 tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.
Luke 1:69 sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.
Luke 1:69 sn The horn of salvation is a figure that refers to the power of Messiah and his ability to protect, as the horn refers to what an animal uses to attack and defend (Pss 75:4-5, 10; 148:14; 2 Sam 22:3). Thus the meaning of the figure is “a powerful savior.”
Luke 1:69 sn In the house of his servant David is a reference to Messiah’s Davidic descent. Zechariah is more interested in Jesus than his own son John at this point.
Luke 1:70 tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”
Luke 1:71 tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”
Luke 1:71 sn The theme of being saved from our enemies is like the release Jesus preached in Luke 4:18-19. Luke’s narrative shows that one of the enemies in view is Satan and his cohorts, with the grip they have on humanity.
Luke 1:72 tn The words “He has done this” (referring to the raising up of the horn of salvation from David’s house) are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to allow a new sentence to be started in the translation. The Greek sentence is lengthy and complex at this point, while contemporary English uses much shorter sentences.
Luke 1:72 sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.
Luke 1:72 tn Or “our forefathers”; Grk “our fathers.” This begins with the promise to Abraham (vv. 55, 73), and thus refers to many generations of ancestors.
Luke 1:72 sn The promises of God can be summarized as being found in the one promise (the oath that he swore) to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).
Luke 1:73 tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.
Luke 1:73 tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”
Luke 1:73 tn Again for reasons of English style, the infinitival clause “to grant us” has been translated “This oath grants” and made the beginning of a new sentence in the translation.
Luke 1:74 tc Many significant early mss (א B L W [0130] ƒ^1,13 565 892) lack “our,” while most (A C D [K] Θ Ψ 0177 33 M) supply it. Although the addition is most likely not authentic, “our” has been included in the translation due to English stylistic requirements.
Luke 1:74 tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.
Luke 1:75 sn The phrases that we…might serve him…in holiness and righteousness from Luke 1:74-75 well summarize a basic goal for a believer in the eyes of Luke. Salvation frees us up to serve God without fear through a life full of ethical integrity.
Luke 1:75 tn Grk “all our days.”
Luke 1:76 sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.
Luke 1:76 tn Or “a prophet,” but since Greek nouns can be definite without the article, and since in context this is a reference to the eschatological forerunner of the Messiah (cf. John 1:17), the concept is better conveyed to the English reader by the use of the definite article “the.”
Luke 1:76 sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.
Luke 1:76 tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 ƒ^1,13 33 M sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro prosōpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enōpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (P⁴ א B W 0177) and is thus more likely to be authentic.
Luke 1:76 tn This term is often translated in the singular, looking specifically to the forerunner role, but the plural suggests the many elements in that salvation.sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3-5 and Luke 3:1-6.
Luke 1:77 sn John’s role, to give his people knowledge of salvation, is similar to that of Jesus (Luke 3:1-14; 5:31-32).
Luke 1:77 sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).
Luke 1:78 tn For reasons of style, a new sentence has been started in the translation at this point. God’s mercy is ultimately seen in the deliverance John points to, so v. 78a is placed with the reference to Jesus as the light of dawning day.
Luke 1:78 sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.
Luke 1:78 sn The Greek term translated dawn (ἀνατολή, anatolē) can be a reference to the morning star or to the sun. The Messiah is pictured as a saving light that shows the way. The Greek term was also used to translate the Hebrew word for “branch” or “sprout,” so some see a double entendre here with messianic overtones (see Isa 11:1-10; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12).
Luke 1:78 tn Grk “shall visit us.”
Luke 1:79 sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.
Luke 1:79 tn Or “the path.”
Luke 1:80 tn This verb is imperfect.
Luke 1:80 tn This verb is also imperfect.
Luke 1:80 tn Or “desert.”
Luke 1:80 tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

Footnotes

Zion’s Future Splendor

Footnotes

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

Footnotes