Luke 1:57-80.pdf

Over this past Christmas season, I have been blessed with both the time and opportunity to consider the "reason for the season” as they say. What stimulated my thinking on this pericope was the interesting and distinctive language found in the "Apolytikion from the Synaxarion reading for Nativity” which is often chanted in the Orthodox church during the seasonal services. 

Apolytikion of Holy Nativity in the Fourth Tone

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world;

for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness,

and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.

Kontakion of Holy Nativity in the Third Tone

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach. Angels, along with shepherds glorify Him. The Magi make their way to Him by a star. For a new child has been born for us, the God before all ages.

In Orthodox Christianity, an Apolytikion is a short hymn, chanted during Vespers and other services, that summarizes the essence of a feast day, saint, or liturgical event. It reflects the theological theme and highlights the significance of the commemoration.

A Kontakion is another type of hymn, also in the form of a concise chant. It elaborates on the meaning of the feast or saint being celebrated. It often serves as a supplement to the Apolytikion by providing additional insight into the spiritual message of the day.

If we just consider the following aspects of the appellations for Christ in the Apolytikion, we note:

• The first phrase "Sun of Righteousness" comes from Malachi 4:2 (which is the end of chapter 3 in the LXX versification).
• The second phrase "Dayspring from on high" comes from the Luke 1:78 prophecy of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:78

For this blog entry we will begin with Luke 1:78 as the jumping-off point for a consideration of the entire Luke 1:57-80 pericope. To start off, the KJV renders this verse: "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us." Note, however, that modern versions, such as the ESV and the NRSV often render “dayspring” by some other term such as “sunrise” or “dawn."

Dayspring is not the same as dawn or sunrise. “Dayspring” is actually an archaic reference to the morning star. The “morning star” was often used with reference to the planet Venus (or Mercury) that appears in the east before sunrise. This name was also used for the star Sirius due to its heliacal rising, since it appeared in the sky just before sunrise from early July to mid-September.

Luke doesn’t actually even use the Greek word for dayspring/morning star (which is ἑωσφόρος). That Greek word is used 1x in the Bible in Job 38:12 (LXX), "Did I order the morning light in your time, and did the morning star see its appointed place…?” (The KJV also renders this word as Dayspring in that verse.)

The Greek word in question in Luke 1:78 (ἀνατολὴ) is a noun, meaning, literally ‘east’ (based on the direction of the rising sun). Thus, the Douay-Rheims version renders this phrase literally as “the Orient (meaning ‘east’) from on high.” There is also a verbal form of the word (ἀνατέλλω), that also seems to have its roots in the astronomical language of appearance, since it means “to rise or move up” (especially of the upward movement of the sun and stars).

The Louw & Nida lexicon offers a few interpretive translations, one which is, ‘salvation will dawn upon us from heaven.’ My own take on the phrase ends up with a similar outcome. However, it begins with the literal reference to east as to “dawn,” which, in this case, I understand as the dawn of a new day (age). In the language of Scripture, this would be the day of salvation, which is the positive aspect of the prophetic day of the Lord that follows the “night" of God’s judgment. St. Paul might elaborate further by explaining that this day of salvation has now been fulfilled in Christ since the risen glorified Christ has ascended into heaven and has given the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church.

Louw & Nida also mention the question as to whether the phrase, ‘the dawn from on high’ should be understood as a title (that is, of a person, whether of Christ or Zechariah’s son, John). As already mentioned, I see this phrase as a reference to the age of the Messiah (and thus not a Messianic title). The dawn of the new day-age is said to come from “on high” that is, from heaven, the dwelling place of God. It seems likely therefore that this "heavenly dawn" is a metonymous reference to its gracious source in God (i.e., the heartfelt mercy of God).

There are more translation issues in this verse. To address them in order, here is a display of the Greek with a literal rendering underneath:

διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐν οἷς ἐπισκέψεται* ἡμᾶς ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὕψους,

through (gen)/because (acc) our God’s tender mercy in/by whom/which will visit/has visited us a dawn from on high

1. The question of whether the preposition should be “through” (associated with the genitive of the following phrase) or “because” (associated with the immediately following accusative word). While most modern versions use “because,” I have opted for “through” (as also the RSV and Douay versions). This choice is based on the instrumental (means/agency) parallel usage observed in the previous verse.

2. What does σπλάγχνα mean? The word literally refers to internal viscera such as the bowels/entrails Yet, it is commonly extended figuratively into the psychological sphere of emotions and affections. Therefore, while many versions use “tender,” I have gone with “heartfelt” to describe God’s mercy. “Mercy" is God’s “chesed” (Hebrew) referring to God’s covenantal loving-kindness (his steadfast love and compassion).

3. The translation of the preposition (“in/by”) and the relative pronoun ("which/whom"). Although the RSV takes the preposition as temporal, others variously render it literally as “in” or “by" (or sometimes omit the construction entirely). I have gone with “by which” (same as the NIV). This is associated with my choice of “through” to begin the verse, which, in turn, is based on the instrumental parallel with the preceding verse (“by" forgiveness of sins).

4. The USB 4 apparatus shows the following witnesses for the variant in the tense of the verb:

ἐπισκέψεται (future “will visit”) ℵ^✱ B (L) W Θ 0177 vg^mss syr^{s, p} cop^{sa, bo} (Gregory-Nyssa^1/2); Jerome ⫽

ἐπεσκέψατο (aorist “has visited”) ℵ² A C D Δ Ξ Ψ 0130 ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ 28 33 157 180 205 565 579 597 700 892 1006 1010 1071 1241 1243 1292 1342 1424 1505 Byz [F G H] it^{a, aur, b, b, c, d, e, f, ff2, l, q, r1} vg syr^{h, pal}eth slav Irenaeus^lat Gregory-Nyssa^1/2 Didymus Cyril Proclus Hesychius^lem; Ambrose Augustine

I agree with Houghton’s UBS6 Text Commentary that sides with the future tense variant, ἐπισκέψεται with a {B} rating. Houghton comments:

"The majority of Greek manuscripts have the aorist tense, ἐπεσκέψατο (‘has broken upon’; 01² 02 04 05 037 etc.), but early and important witnesses have the future ἐπισκέψεται (‘will break upon’; 01✱ 03 [019] 032 etc.). This external evidence suggests that the future is original, and the aorist is assimilation to the occurrence of ἐπεσκέψατο earlier in the canticle at Luke 1:68.

On the other hand, there remains a possibility that the evangelist used the aorist, which was then changed under the influence of the two preceding future verbs in Luke 1:76. The interpretation of the phrase may also have affected the tense: if the new dawn (ἀνατολή) is interpreted as referring to John the Baptist then the aorist is appropriate following his birth, whereas if it is Jesus the future offers a better reading because his birth is yet to be described."

Luke 1:57-80

The pericope is divided into 2 x two-part halves that exhibit synonymous parallelism by the manner in which they are constructed. That is, even though there is chiastic structure covering each half, both halves exhibit the same repeating pattern:

Additionally, each main sub-section (whether A or B term) has an Opening (abbreviated “Op” in the outline) as well as a Closing (summary or concluding) statement. There is even an implied transition (labeled as a ghostly 2”) that occurs without any further 1” term that I could distinguish.

While both halves are structured identically, the content of the second half is much larger than the first half due to Zechariah’s prophecy, which constitutes an extended abb’a’ chiastic structure in that portion of the pericope. Note that this simple chiasm is very complete since each (a or b) term contains half of another abb’a’ style support structure (which I have labeled as 122’1’).

The key to the structuring in the entire first half (as well as two terms in the second-half) is the alternation (whether by dialogue or in actions) between the lead characters (Elizabeth or Zechariah) on the one hand, and their neighbors and relatives on the other.

Note that there are also two geographical references that mark the beginning and end of the last but largest quarter (II’) of the pericope. The text at those verses (Luke 1:65 and Luke 1:80) indicates John’s parents lived in the Judean hill country (which is west/southwest of Jerusalem). Luke 1:39 had already mentioned this was “a city of Judah.” Pious tradition holds that Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in Ein Karem, a village in the hills west of Jerusalem, about 5 miles from the Jerusalem city center. The pericope ends with John’s dwelling in the wilderness areas (plural). These areas would refer to the Judean wilderness east/southeast of Jerusalem including the Arabah region.

We should pay attention to how much of the initial angelic revelation to Zechariah (earlier in 1:13-17) is either fulfilled or reiterated in this pericope. Just as the angel, Gabriel said, his “words” would be “fulfilled in their own time” (Luke 1:20).

I wanted to make one observation regarding John’s role as alluded to in Luke 1:76b-77,

“for you will go before the Lord, to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people by forgiveness of their sins.”

We can best understand this reference by observing how it is worked out in John’s ministry as recorded in Luke’s writings – and paying attention to Luke’s commentary (based on Isaiah 40:3-5), especially in Luke 3:3-6.

Luke 3:3

And he (John) went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3:4

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight.

Luke 3:5

Every valley shall be filled,

and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall become straight,

and the rough places shall become level ways,

Luke 3:6

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

In just these few verses we see how the brief mention of “knowledge of salvation”…“by forgiveness of sins” in Luke 1:77 is likely a reference to John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In Luke 1:76, Zechariah alludes to Isaiah 40:3 when he speaks of John’s role “to prepare his ways.” (Isaiah 40:3 says “a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord.”) Knowing the context of Isaiah 40, Zechariah still only mentions John’s role to give “knowledge of salvation” explicitly to “his people” (i.e., Israel, including the beloved neighbors and relatives in the Judean covenant community in the context of this pericope). Zechariah withholds any explicit reference to the universal scope of the coming Messianic kingdom as it relates to John’s role. Notice that the fulfillments and/or reiterations in the table above that relate to John the Baptist, stop at Luke 1:77. This because Luke 1:78-79 is a prophetic revelation concerning the soon to be born Messiah (who is Christ our Lord)!

Based on the chiastic substructure of (a’) in Luke 1:76-79, Zechariah understands that both John’s role and that of the coming Messiah come “through” (or “because of” depending on the grammatical association) God’s “heartfelt mercy,” i.e., his covenantal loving-kindness. God’s heartfelt mercy is the focal point of this last chiastic substructure (a’). It is only after Zechariah begins to allude to the coming of Christ, as the dawn of a new day of salvation, that the universal scope of Isaiah’s “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” becomes evident. Even though the “dawn from on high” will visit “us” (meaning Israel), the dawn of a new day-age is universally visible – and so God’s heartfelt mercy includes us also, we who are Gentiles – as we will see later in Luke-Acts.