Church Fathers Commentary Luke 1:5-7

"There was in the days of Herod, king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were [now] well stricken in years." — Luke 1:5-7 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: St. Luke begins the history of his Gospel with Zechariah and the birth of John, recounting one marvelous event before another—the lesser before the greater. For since a virgin was about to become a mother, it had been foreordained by grace that an old woman should conceive first. He establishes the time when he says, in the days of Herod, and in the following words adds his rank: king of Judea. There was another Herod, who killed John; he was a tetrarch, whereas this one was king.

The Venerable Bede: Now the time of Herod, that is, of a foreign king, testifies to our Lord's coming, for it had been foretold, The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. For from the time our ancestors came out of Egypt, they were governed by judges from their own nation until the Prophet Samuel, and then by kings until the exile to Babylon. After the return from Babylon, the chief power was in the hands of priests until the time of Hyrcanus, who was both king and high priest. He was killed by Herod, after which the rule of the kingdom was handed over by the command of Augustus Caesar to this same Herod, a foreigner. It was in Herod's thirty-first year that Shiloh came, according to the prophecy we have mentioned.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Divine Scripture teaches us, concerning those whom we commemorate, that not only the character of the individuals themselves but also of their parents ought to be praised, so that they might be distinguished by an inheritance, as it were, of unspotted purity handed down to them. St. John derives his illustrious descent not only from his parents but also from his ancestors—a descent not exalted by worldly power, but revered for its holiness. Therefore, complete is the praise that includes birth, character, office, actions, and judgments.

The office was that of the priesthood, as it is said: a certain priest by the name of Zechariah.

The Venerable Bede: For John was allotted a priestly tribe, so that he might proclaim a change of priesthood with greater authority.

St. Ambrose of Milan: His birth is implied in the mention of his ancestors: of the course of Abijah, that is, of high rank among the noblest families.

The Venerable Bede: There were Princes of the Sanctuary, or High Priests, from both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. David organized their divisions into twenty-four lots according to their respective services when they entered the House of God. The family of Abijah, from which Zechariah was descended, obtained the eighth lot. But it was not without meaning that the first preacher of the new covenant was born with the rights of the eighth lot. For just as the old covenant is often symbolized by the number seven because of the Sabbath, so the new covenant is often symbolized by the number eight, because of the sacrament of our Lord's resurrection, which is also our own.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Wishing to show that John was also legally of priestly descent, Luke adds, And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. For it was not permitted for priests to take a wife from any tribe but their own. Elizabeth, by interpretation, means "rest," and Zechariah, "the remembrance of the land."

The Venerable Bede: John was born of righteous parents, so that he might more boldly give precepts of justice to the people—precepts which he had not learned as new ideas, but had received by right of inheritance from his ancestors. Hence it follows, And they were both righteous before God.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Here their whole character is encompassed by their righteousness, but it is well said "before God." For a person, by cultivating popular goodwill, might seem righteous to me but not be righteous before God, if that righteousness, instead of springing from simplicity of heart, was a mere pretense maintained by flattery. Therefore, the perfect praise is "that a person is righteous before God," for only he is perfect who is approved by Him who cannot be deceived.

St. Luke includes the action in the "commandments" and the doing of justice in the "ordinances." Hence it follows, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. For when we obey the command of heaven, we walk in the commandments of the Lord; when we observe justice, we seem to fulfill the ordinances of the Lord.

To be "blameless," however, we must "provide things honest" not only before God but also before men. There is no blame when both motive and action are equally good, but an overly austere righteousness often provokes censure. A righteous act may also be done unrighteously, as when someone, out of ostentation, gives generously to the poor—which is not without just cause for blame.

It follows, And they had no son, because Elizabeth was barren.

St. John Chrysostom: Not only Elizabeth, but also the wives of the Patriarchs—Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel—were barren, which was considered a disgrace among the ancients. Their barrenness was not the effect of sin, since they were all righteous and virtuous, but was instead ordained for our benefit. This was so that when you saw a virgin giving birth to the Lord, you would not be faithless or trouble your mind regarding the womb of a barren woman.

Theophylact of Ohrid: And so that you might learn that the law of God seeks not a physical increase of sons but a spiritual one, both were far advanced, not only in body but also in the Spirit. They were "making ascents in their heart," living their life as in the day and not the night, and walking honestly as in the day.