Chapter 1:5-25 Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

In the days of Herod, the king — This was Herod, surnamed the Great, the son of Antipater, an Idumean by birth, who had professed himself a proselyte to the Jewish religion, but regarded no religion, farther than it promoted his secular interests and ambition. Thus, for the first time, the throne of Judah was filled by a person not of Jewish extraction, who had been forced upon the people by the Roman government. Hence it appears plain that the prophecy of Jacob, Genesis 49:10, was now fulfilled; for the sceptre had departed from Judah: and now was the time, according to another prophecy, to look for the governor from Bethlehem, who should rule and feed the people of Israel: Micah 5:1-2.

1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
They were both righteous — Upright and holy in all their outward conduct in civil life.
Before God — Possessing the spirit of the religion they professed; exercising themselves constantly in the presence of their Maker, whose eye, they knew, was upon all their conduct, and who examined all their motives.

1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Both were now well stricken in years — By the order of God, sterility and old age both met in the person of Elisabeth, to render the birth of a son (humanly speaking) impossible. This was an exact parallel to the case of Sarah and Abraham, Genesis 11:30; Genesis 17:17. Christ must (by the miraculous power of God) be born of a virgin: whatever was connected with, or referred to, his incarnation must be miraculous and impressive. Isaac was his grand type, and therefore must be born miraculously - contrary to the common course and rule of nature.

1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
Before God — In the temple, where God used to manifest his presence, though long before this time he had forsaken it; yet, on this important occasion, the angel of his presence had visited it.

1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
His lot was, - We are informed in the Talmud, that it was the custom of the priests to divide the different functions of the sacerdotal office among themselves by lot: and, in this case, the decision of the lot was, that Zacharias should at that time burn the incense before the Lord, in the holy place.

1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
The whole multitude - were praying — The incense was itself an emblem of the prayers and praises of the people of God: see Psalms 141:2. While, therefore, the rite is performing by the priest, the people are employed in the thing signified.

1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
There appeared - an angel of the Lord — There had been neither prophecy nor angelic ministry vouchsafed to this people for about 400 years. 

But now, as the Sun of righteousness is about

 to arise upon them, 

the day-spring from on high visits them, 

that they may be prepared for that kingdom of God which was at hand.

1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

Zacharias - was troubled — Or, confounded at his sudden and unexpected appearance; and fear fell upon him, lest this heavenly messenger were come to denounce the judgments of God against a faithless and disobedient people.

1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Thy prayer is heard — This probably refers, 1st, to the frequent prayers which he had offered to God for a son; and 2dly, to those which he had offered for the deliverance and consolation of Israel.

1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
Many shall rejoice at His birth — he shall be the minister of God for good to multitudes, who shall, through his preaching, be turned from the error of their ways, and converted to God their Savior.

1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
He shall be great in the sight of the Lord — That is, before Jesus Christ, whose forerunner he shall be; or he shall be a truly great person, for so this form of speech may imply.
Neither wine nor strong drink — σικερα, i.e. all fermented liquors which have the property of intoxicating, or producing drunkenness. The original word σικερα, sikera, comes from the Hebrew, שכר shakar, to inebriate.
Shall be filled with the Holy Ghost — Shall be Divinely designated to this particular office, and qualified for it, from his mother's womb-from the instant of his birth.

1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
Many of the children of Israel shall he turn — See this prediction fulfilled, Luke 3:10-18.

1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
He shall go in the spirit and power of Elias - That is, First, He shall be such a man as Elias was, and do such work as Elias did,—shall, like him, preach the necessity of repentance and reformation to a very corrupt and degenerate age,—shall, like him, be bold and zealous in reproving sin and witnessing against it even in the greatest, and be hated and persecuted for it by a Herod and his Herodias, as Elijah was by an Ahab and his Jezebel. He shall be carried on in his work, as Elijah was, by a divine spirit and power, which shall crown his ministry with wonderful success.

The disobedient — Or unbelieving, απειθεις, the persons who would no longer credit the predictions of the prophets, relative to the manifestation of the Messiah. Unbelief and disobedience are so intimately connected, that the same word in the sacred writings often serves for both.

1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Whereby shall I know this? — All things are possible to God: no natural impediment can have any power when God has declared he will accomplish his purpose. 

--He has a right to be believed on His own word alone;-- 

and it is impious, when we are convinced that it is His word, to demand a sign or pledge for its fulfilment.

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

I am Gabriel — This angel is mentioned, Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21. The original גבריאל is exceedingly expressive: it is compounded of גבורה geburah, and אל el, the might of the strong God. An angel with such a name was exceedingly proper for the occasion;
The angel stops his mouth, by asserting his authority. Doth he ask, Whereby shall I know this? Let him know it by this, I am Gabriel, He puts his name to his prophecy, doth as it were sign it with his own hand—take my word for it.

1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
Thou shalt be dumb — σιωπων silent; this translation is literal; the angel immediately explains it, thou shalt not be able to speak.

1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
The people waited — The time spent in burning the incense was probably about half an hour, during which there was a profound silence, as the people stood without engaged in mental prayer. To this there is an allusion in Revelation 8:1-5. Zacharias had spent not only the time necessary for burning the incense, but also that which the discourse between him and the angel took up.

1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
They perceived that he had seen a vision — As the sanctuary was separated from the court by a great veil, the people could not see what passed, but they understood this from Zacharias himself, who, ην διανευων, made signs, or nodded unto them to that purpose.

1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
As soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished — Each family of the priesthood officiated one whole week, 2 Kings 11:17.

1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
Hid herself five months — That she might have the fullest proof of the accomplishment of God's promise before she appeared in public, or spoke of her mercies. 

1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

To take away my reproach — As fruitfulness was a part of the promise of God to his people, Genesis 17:6, and children, on this account, being considered as a particular blessing from heaven, Exodus 23:20; Leviticus 26:9: Psalms 127:3; so barrenness was considered among the Jews as a reproach, and a token of the disapprobation of the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:6.