Zechariah
John's father
Zechariah was a priest of the division of Abijah, married to Elizabeth. After many years without children, he received an angel's message that he would have a son - John the Baptist. Because he doubted, he was made mute until John was born. His song of praise, the Benedictus, is one of the Bible's most beautiful hymns.
Familie
Schlüsselereignisse
Service in the temple
Zechariah was chosen to offer incense in the temple, a great honor for a priest.
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ⸀Ἡρῴδου βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἱερεύς τις ὀνόματι Ζαχαρίας ἐξ ἐφημερίας Ἀβιά, ⸀καὶ γυνὴ ⸀αὐτῷ ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων Ἀαρών, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Ἐλισάβετ.
6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
ἦσαν δὲ δίκαιοι ἀμφότεροι ⸀ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ, πορευόμενοι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς καὶ δικαιώμασιν τοῦ κυρίου ἄμεμπτοι.
8Once, when his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἱερατεύειν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς ἐφημερίας αὐτοῦ ἔναντι τοῦ θεοῦ
9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ κυρίου,
10And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.
καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν τοῦ λαοῦ προσευχόμενον ἔξω τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θυμιάματος·
The angel's message
The angel Gabriel appeared and announced that Zechariah would have a son.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἑστὼς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος.
12When Zechariah saw him, he was shaken, and fear fell upon him.
καὶ ἐταράχθη Ζαχαρίας ἰδών, καὶ φόβος ἐπέπεσεν ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John.
εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία, διότι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου, καὶ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην·
14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,
καὶ ἔσται χαρά σοι καὶ ἀγαλλίασις, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπὶ τῇ ⸀γενέσει αὐτοῦ χαρήσονται·
15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb.
ἔσται γὰρ μέγας ἐνώπιον ⸀τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ οἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐ μὴ πίῃ, καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθήσεται ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ,
16He will turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God.
καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψει ἐπὶ κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν·
17And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου, ἐπιστρέψαι καρδίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα καὶ ἀπειθεῖς ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων, ἑτοιμάσαι κυρίῳ λαὸν κατεσκευασμένον.
Muteness
Because Zechariah doubted the angel's words, he was made mute until the promise was fulfilled.
18Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years."
καὶ εἶπεν Ζαχαρίας πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· Κατὰ τί γνώσομαι τοῦτο; ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι πρεσβύτης καὶ ἡ γυνή μου προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῆς.
19The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἐγώ εἰμι Γαβριὴλ ὁ παρεστηκὼς ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπεστάλην λαλῆσαι πρὸς σὲ καὶ εὐαγγελίσασθαί σοι ταῦτα·
20Now listen: you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their appointed time."
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔσῃ σιωπῶν καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας γένηται ταῦτα, ἀνθʼ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου, οἵτινες πληρωθήσονται εἰς τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῶν.
22When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained mute.
ἐξελθὼν δὲ οὐκ ⸀ἐδύνατο λαλῆσαι αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν ὅτι ὀπτασίαν ἑώρακεν ἐν τῷ ναῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν διανεύων αὐτοῖς, καὶ διέμενεν κωφός.
Naming of John
At the circumcision, Zechariah wrote that the child should be named John, and his speech was restored.
59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.
Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ⸂ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ⸃ ἦλθον περιτεμεῖν τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐκάλουν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ζαχαρίαν.
60But his mother spoke up: "No! He is to be called John."
καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· Οὐχί, ἀλλὰ κληθήσεται Ἰωάννης.
62Then they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name him.
ἐνένευον δὲ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ τί ἂν θέλοι καλεῖσθαι ⸀αὐτό.
63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And everyone was amazed.
καὶ αἰτήσας πινακίδιον ἔγραψεν λέγων· Ἰωάννης ⸀ἐστὶν ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐθαύμασαν πάντες.
64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
ἀνεῴχθη δὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλει εὐλογῶν τὸν θεόν.
Benedictus - The Song of Praise
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah sang his prophetic song of praise about salvation.
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
Καὶ Ζαχαρίας ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐπλήσθη πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ ⸀ἐπροφήτευσεν λέγων·
68"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people and brought them redemption.
Εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο καὶ ἐποίησεν λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ,
69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
καὶ ἤγειρεν κέρας σωτηρίας ἡμῖν ⸀ἐν οἴκῳ ⸀Δαυὶδ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ,
76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go on ahead of the Lord to prepare his ways,
καὶ σὺ ⸀δέ, παιδίον, προφήτης Ὑψίστου κληθήσῃ, προπορεύσῃ γὰρ ⸀ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἑτοιμάσαι ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
τοῦ δοῦναι γνῶσιν σωτηρίας τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀφέσει ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν,
78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἐν οἷς ⸀ἐπισκέψεται ἡμᾶς ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὕψους,
79to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
ἐπιφᾶναι τοῖς ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου καθημένοις, τοῦ κατευθῦναι τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν εἰς ὁδὸν εἰρήνης.