Song of Zechariah

Text and Content

This hymn is recorded in Luke 1:67-79. It is presented as the words that Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, "prophesied" when he was filled with the Holy Spirit after his son's circumcision and naming. Because its first word in the Latin Vulgate is Benedictus ("Blessed"), it is also called the Benedictus. In Catholic usage it is known as the Canticle of Zechariah.

The hymn falls into two main parts.

• Praise of God (1:68-75): The hymn proclaims that God has visited and redeemed his people. To redeem means to set free by paying a price. It further praises God for raising up "an horn of salvation" in the house of David and for remembering "his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham." As a result, the people are delivered out of the hand of their enemies and may serve God without fear.
• Prophecy concerning the child (1:76-79): The child will be called "the prophet of the Highest," who will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways and give his people knowledge of salvation "by the remission of their sins." The hymn closes with the declaration that "the dayspring from on high" has visited us "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Background

Zechariah was a priest of the course of Abijah (Luke 1:5). While he was burning incense in the temple, he received from Gabriel the news that a son would be born to him, but because he did not believe, he was struck mute (1:20). After he wrote that the child's name was to be "John," his mouth was opened (1:63-64), and this hymn immediately follows that scene.

In the Old Testament, "horn" is an expression symbolizing strength (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 18:2). The Greek word anatolē, rendered "dayspring" (or "rising sun"), means sunrise or the east. The Septuagint also uses this word to translate "Branch," a title referring to the Messiah (Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 3:8).

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The entire hymn is woven from Old Testament texts. Examples include the promise concerning the house of David (the Davidic covenant), the oath sworn to Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18; the Abrahamic covenant), the messenger who prepares the way (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3), and the light shining in darkness (Isaiah 9:1-7). Through this hymn Luke shows that the promises of the Old Testament are now beginning to be fulfilled. The prophecy that John will prepare the way leads into the account of John's ministry in Luke 3:4-6. This hymn is read together with the Song of Mary (1:46-55) and the Song of Simeon (2:29-32; see Simeon and Anna) as one of the hymns of Luke's infancy narrative.

Interpretation and Issues

• The identity of the "dayspring": Across denominational lines, it is generally understood as referring to Jesus Christ. This reading follows the pattern in which John is the forerunner and Christ is the one who comes.
• The nature of salvation: Interpretations differ over the expression "saved from our enemies." Some see it as reflecting the contemporary Jewish hope for national liberation. Others hold that Luke shifts the center of salvation to "the remission of sins" in 1:77.
• The origin of the hymn: Some scholars regard it as a hymn from a pre-Lukan Jewish Christian community that was incorporated into the Gospel. Evangelical scholars, by contrast, generally read it as Zechariah's prophecy, as the text itself states.
• Connection with the name: The name "Zechariah" is commonly understood to mean "the LORD remembers." Some interpreters therefore see a connection with the phrase "to remember" in the hymn.
• Later traditions: The story that Zechariah was killed by Herod's soldiers comes from the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James and similar writings; it does not appear in the biblical text. The "Zacharias son of Barachias" in Matthew 23:35 is also generally regarded as a different person from this Zechariah.

In Church Tradition and in Korean Churches

In keeping with long-standing tradition, the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church use this hymn as a canticle of morning prayer. Most Korean Protestant denominations do not regularly include it in the order of worship; instead, it is frequently used as a sermon text around Advent and Christmas.