Church Fathers Commentary Luke 2:28-32

"then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel." — Luke 2:28-32 (ASV)

Origen of Alexandria: If we marvel to hear that a woman was healed by touching the hem of a garment, what must we think of Simeon, who received an Infant in his arms and rejoiced, seeing that the little one he carried was the One who had come to set the captives free?

He knew that no one could release him from the chains of the body with the hope of future life, except the One whom he held in his arms. Therefore, it is said, And he blessed God, saying, “Lord, now let your servant depart.”

Theophylact of Ohrid: When he says, “Lord,” he confesses that He is the very Lord of both life and death, and so acknowledges the Child whom he held in his arms to be God.

Origen of Alexandria: It is as if he said, “As long as I did not hold Christ, I was in prison and could not escape from my bonds.”

St. Basil the Great: If you examine the words of the righteous, you will find that they all sorrow over this world and its mournful delay. “Alas for me,” says David, “that my habitation is prolonged.”

St. Ambrose of Milan: Observe, then, that this just man, confined as it were in the prison of his earthly body, is longing to be set free so that he may be with Christ again.

But whoever would be cleansed should come into the temple—into Jerusalem. Let him wait for the Lord’s Christ, receive the word of God in his hands, and embrace it, as it were, with the arms of his faith. Then let him depart, so that he who has seen life might not see death.

Greek Expositors: Simeon also blessed God because the promises made to him had received their true fulfillment. For he was considered worthy to see with his eyes and to carry in his arms the consolation of Israel.

Therefore he says, “According to your word,” meaning, “since I have obtained the fulfillment of your promises.” And now that he has seen with his eyes what he desired to see, he says, “now let your servant depart,” neither dismayed by the taste of death nor troubled by doubting thoughts, as he adds, “in peace.”

Gregory of Nyssa: For since Christ has destroyed the enemy, which is sin, and has reconciled us to the Father, the departure of the saints has been in peace.

Origen of Alexandria: But who departs from this world in peace, except the one who is persuaded that it was Christ reconciling the world to Himself? Who else but the one who has nothing hostile toward God, having secured all peace for himself by his own good works?

Greek Expositors: But it had been twice promised to him that he would not see death before he would see the Lord’s Christ. Therefore, to show that this promise was fulfilled, he adds, “For my eyes have seen your salvation.”

Gregory of Nyssa: Blessed are the eyes of both your soul and your body. For the one visibly embraces God, while the other—not considering those things which are seen, but enlightened by the brightness of the Spirit of the Lord—acknowledges the Word made flesh. For the salvation which you have perceived with your eyes is Jesus Himself, by which name salvation is declared.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But Christ was the mystery that has been revealed in the last times of the world, having been prepared before the foundation of the world. Hence it follows, “which you have prepared before the face of all peoples.”

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: This is to say, the salvation brought about by Christ was for the whole world. How then was it said above that he was watching for the consolation of Israel? It is because he truly perceived in the spirit that consolation would come to Israel at the same time that salvation was prepared for all people.

Greek Expositors: Mark the wisdom of the good and venerable old man. Before he was considered worthy of the blessed vision, he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. But when he obtained what he was looking for, he exclaimed that he saw the salvation of all people. He was so enlightened by the unspeakable radiance of the Child that he perceived at a glance things that were to happen a long time later.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By these words, “before the face,” he signifies that our Lord’s incarnation would be visible to all people. And this salvation, he says, is to be the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel, as it follows, “A light to enlighten the Gentiles.”

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: For before the coming of Christ, the Gentiles were lying in the deepest darkness, being without the knowledge of God.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But Christ, by His coming, was made a light to those who sat in darkness. They were severely oppressed by the power of the devil, but they were called by God the Father to the knowledge of His Son, who is the true light.

Gregory of Nyssa: Israel was enlightened, though dimly, by the law, so he does not say that light came to them. Instead, his words are, “to be the glory of your people Israel.” He calls to mind the ancient history that just as Moses of old returned with his face glorious after speaking with God, so they also, by coming to the divine light of His human nature and casting away their old veil, might be transformed into the same image from glory to glory.

For although some of them were disobedient, a remnant was saved and came through Christ to glory, of which the Apostles were the first-fruits, whose brightness illumines the whole world. Christ was, in a unique way, the glory of Israel, because according to the flesh He came from Israel, although as God He was over all, blessed forever.

He said, therefore, “of your people,” signifying that not only was He adored by them, but moreover, that He was born of them according to the flesh.

The Venerable Bede: And the enlightening of the Gentiles is well placed before the glory of Israel, because when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel will be saved.