Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 2:25

"And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him." — Luke 2:25 (ASV)

In vv.25–38 Luke presents two pious figures who testify to the significance of Jesus. Once again Luke assures us of the credentials of Jesus as Messiah, taking care to show that each witness is an authentic representative of Judaism.

The first of these, Simeon, is simply described as “righteous and devout” (cf. 1:6). He could be described as one of the believing remnant of Judaism, looking forward to the Messianic Age in its spiritual aspect. It is appropriate that the Spirit, who is the Consoler (cf. Jn 14:16), was upon one who awaited the consolation—the time when God would end Israel’s suffering with the Advent of the Messiah (cf. Isaiah 49:13; 57:18; 61:2).