Luke 1:67-79

2. Zechariah’s song of praise 1:67-79

This is the second major song of praise in Luke: the "Benedictus." This title also comes from the first word in the Latin version, translated "blessed" (Gr. eulogetos). The first part of the song praises God for messianic deliverance (Luke 1:68-75), and the second part rejoices in John’s significant role in this deliverance (Luke 1:76-79). The chiastic structure of the song emphasizes the words "covenant" and "oath" (Luke 1:72-73). God’s faithfulness to His covenant is a dominant theme in the Benedictus. There are at least 16 Old Testament allusions or quotations in this song. [Note: Plummer, p. 39.] Its style and content are similar to Mary’s Magnificat.