his tongue was loosened, and he spoke. And all those who were present were amazed[1], saying one to another: “What think ye this child shall be? for the hand of the Lord[2] is with him.
Zachary, filled with the Holy Ghost and in an ecstasy of joy and gratitude, began to prophesy and bless God in the canticle[3] which still bears his name:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because He hath visited [4] and wrought the redemption of His people,
“And hath raised up a horn of salvation to us, in the house of David His servant,
“As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who are from the beginning:
“Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,
“To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember His holy testament:
“The oath which He swore to our father Abraham, that He would grant to us,
“That, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve Him without fear,
“In holiness and justice before Him, all our days.
“And thou[5], child, shalt be called the prophet[6] of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the Lord to prepare[7] His ways,
“To give knowledge of salvation to His people, unto the remission of their sins.
- ↑ Amazed. Why? First, because such an unusual name had been given to the child, and secondly because, after naming him, Zachary had been instantaneously cured of his malady.
- ↑ The hand of the Lord. They recognised that God had shown His might in the child because he had been given in a wonderful way to his aged parents, and because Zachary was suddenly cured at his circumcision. They felt that God destined this child for something great.
- ↑ The canticle. Canticle of Zachary, in which he first thanks God for giving him a son, chosen to be the immediate precursor of the Redeemer, and secondly for giving redemption to His people, by the speedy coming of the Saviour.
- ↑ Visited. Visited by his personal appearance on earth.
- ↑ Thou. His own son, John.
- ↑ Prophet. St. John the Baptist was the last of the prophets, for he proclaimed the immediate approach of the Redeemer, as you will learn in chapters XI and XIII.
- ↑ Prepare. By instructing the minds and disposing the hearts of the Jews to receive the Divine Saviour, as is explained in the next verse.
