Luke 1:73

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(73) The oath.—The noun is in apposition to the “covenant” of the preceding verse, though not grammatically in the same case with it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:67-80 Zacharias uttered a prophecy concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah. The gospel brings light with it; in it the day dawns. In John the Baptist it began to break, and increased apace to the perfect day. The gospel is discovering; it shows that about which we were utterly in the dark; it is to give light to those that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is reviving; it brings light to those that sit in the shadow of death, as condemned prisoners in the dungeon. It is directing; it is to guide our feet in the way of peace, into that way which will bring us to peace at last, Ro 3:17. John gave proofs of strong faith, vigorous and holy affections, and of being above the fear and love of the world. Thus he ripened for usefulness; but he lived a retired life, till he came forward openly as the forerunner of the Messiah. Let us follow peace with all men, as well as seek peace with God and our own consciences. And if it be the will of God that we live unknown to the world, still let us diligently seek to grow strong in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The oath - This oath is recorded in Genesis 22:16-17. It was an oath in which God swore by himself (because he could swear by no greater, Hebrews 6:13-14) that he would surely bless Abraham and his posterity. That promise was now to be entirely fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

73. the oath … to … Abraham—The whole work and kingdom of Messiah is represented as a mercy pledged on oath to Abraham and his seed, to be realized at an appointed period; and at length, in "the fulness of the time," gloriously made good. Hence, not only "grace," or the thing promised; but "truth," or fidelity to the promise, are said to "come by Jesus Christ" (Joh 1:17).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

God first gave Abraham his word, Genesis 18:10, then he confirmed it by his oath, Genesis 22:16. The apostle, to the Hebrews, saith, Hebrews 6:13, When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The oath which he swore to our father Abraham. When he swore by himself, because he could swear by no greater, that in blessing he would bless him; that his seed should possess the gates of his enemies, and in it all the nations of the earth should be blessed: all which have been fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah; see Genesis 22:16.

Geneva Study Bible

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 1:73-75. Ὅρκον] neither accusative of more precise definition (Calvin, Beza, L. Bos, Rosenmüller), nor governed by μνησθῆναι (Euthymius Zigabenus, Olshausen, Bleek[33]), but climactic apposition to διαθήκης ἁγ. αὐτοῦ, in which the accusative is attracted by ὍΝ, Matthew 21:42; 1 Corinthians 10:16; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 247 [E. T. 288]; Bornemann, Schol. p. 16 f.

πρός] denotes the swearing to. Comp. Horn. Od. xiv. 331, xix. 288. The expression with the dative is more usual. See the oath itself in Genesis 22:16-18.

τοῦ δοῦναι κ.τ.λ.] in order to grant to us, the purpose, on account of which God swore the oath.

ἐκ χειρὸς κ.τ.λ.] more precisely defines the previous ἈΦΌΒΩς, and that as regards its objective relation. On the accusative ῥυσθέντας (not dative), see Bornemann, l.c.; Pflugk, ad Eur. Med. 815; Krüger, Gramm. Unters. III. § 148.

Luke 1:75. Religious-moral restoration of the people of God. As to the distinction between ὁσιότης and ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΎΝΗ (Plat. Prot. p. 329 C), see on Ephesians 4:24. Holiness is the divine consecration and inner truth of righteousness, so that the latter without the former would be only external or seeming; both together constitute the justitia spiritualis.

[33] Μιμνήσκεσθαι is not seldom joined with an accusative by the classical writers (Hom. Il. vi. 222; Herod. vii. 18; Soph. O. R. 1057), but never in the N. T., although it is so in the LXX. and Apocrypha.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 1:73. ὅρκον for ὅρκου, depending on μνησθῆναι, a case of inverse attraction, the noun by the relative (ὃν, object of ὤμοσεν) instead of the relative by the noun. Cf. Luke 20:17. Examples from Greek authors in Bornemann, Scholia.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

73. The oath which he sware] Genesis 12:3; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 22:16-17; comp. Hebrews 7:13-14; Hebrews 7:17.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 1:73. Ὅρκον, ὃν) That is ὅρκου, ὃν, [ὅρκου in apposition to διαθήκης, Luke 1:72.] It depends on μνησθῆναι, [to remember] in remembrance of.—τοῦ δοῦναι) On this depends ῥυσθέντας λατρεύειν, i.e. δοῦναι, ἵνα ῥυσθέντες λατρεύσωμεν. The article indicates that the preceding infinitive, ποιῆσαι, is explained by this subsequent infinitive.[22] So also Luke 1:77 compared with the preceding words [ἑτοιμάσαι ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, τοῦ δοῦναι]: and also Luke 1:79, and ch. Luke 2:22; Luke 2:24.

[22] The Genitive (τοῦ δοῦναι) is often used to express the reference in which a thing is taken: as here, “to perform His mercy, viz. in respect to His granting to us.”—ED. and TRANSL.

Luke 1:73