Luke 1:70-79 Meaning: Salvation Promised From of Old
70(as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),
71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
72to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
77to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
79to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
70(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old),
71Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant;
73The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father,
74To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76Yea and thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways;
77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins,
78Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us,
79To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.
70As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age;
71Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,
72To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant,
73An oath that He sware to Abraham our father,
74To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered,
75To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life.
76And thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways.
77To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us,
79To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'
70as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began;
71deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;
72to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,
73[the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear
75in piety and righteousness before him all our days.
76And thou, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways;
77to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins
78on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us,
79to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.
Meaning in one sentence
Zechariah's prophecy shows that the salvation brought by Christ was promised through prophets from the very beginning.
Context
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, had been unable to speak for months. Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, he breaks into a song we call the Benedictus. He is holding his newborn son and seeing something much bigger, the long story of God's promises finally coming true. In these verses he traces that story from the prophets of old, through the covenant with Abraham, all the way to the child in his arms. The salvation he celebrates is not small or political. It reaches into darkness and death, offering forgiveness and peace. Then he turns directly to his son John and tells him what his role will be: to prepare the way for the Lord, to give people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
Key Words
Three Greek words carry the weight of this passage. First, sōtēria, "salvation." It means rescue, deliverance, being pulled out of danger. Zechariah uses it to describe what God is doing, but he makes clear this rescue goes deeper than politics. Second, aphesis, "remission" or "forgiveness." The word means release, like setting a prisoner free or cancelling a debt. Salvation comes through the forgiveness of sins, not through armies. Third, splagchna eleous, "tender mercy," literally "bowels of compassion." In the ancient world, the deepest emotions were felt in the gut. God's mercy is not a distant thought. It is a visceral, gut-level love that moves Him to act. The word anatolē, "dayspring" or "sunrise", paints Christ as the dawn breaking into our darkness. All of these words together show a rescue that is personal, costly, and gentle.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this song in different ways. Some, like the Wesleyan and Reformed commentators, stress that the "enemies" Zechariah names are spiritual, sin, Satan, and death, not the Romans or any earthly power. Others note that the original hearers would have thought first of political enemies, but the Holy Spirit was leading Zechariah to a deeper meaning. Across traditions, this passage is treasured as a morning prayer (the Benedictus) in Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox liturgies, sung daily to remember that God's mercy comes like the dawn. Both readings agree on the core: God keeps His covenant, and salvation is a gift of His tender mercy.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, you might feel trapped by something, an old habit, a nagging fear, a sense that you are not good enough. Zechariah's song says that God planned your rescue before the world began, and He carried it out through Christ. The rescue is not just freedom from those things; it is freedom for something. You were delivered so you can serve God without fear, living in holiness and righteousness all your days. Try this: tomorrow morning, whisper the words "tender mercy of our God" and imagine the dawn breaking over whatever feels dark. Let that be the first thought of your day.
Main takeaway: God's salvation through Christ was promised from the very beginning, and it sets us free to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all our lives.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made a promise a long, long time ago to save His people. Jesus came to keep that promise. You can always trust what God says.
For ages 9, 12
Zechariah's song shows that God's plan to rescue us was never an afterthought, He was working on it from the very beginning. John the Baptist came to get people ready for Jesus by telling them to turn away from sin. The rescue is not just about being saved from bad things; it is about being free to love and serve God every day, without being afraid.
Questions People Ask
What does "from of old" mean in Luke 1:70?
The Greek phrase ap' aiōnos means "from eternity" or "from the beginning of the world." Zechariah is saying that God spoke through His prophets from the very start of human history, not just in recent centuries. This shows that the salvation Jesus brings was always part of God's plan, not a last-minute change.
Who are the enemies we are saved from in this passage?
Many early Christian commentators understand the enemies as spiritual, sin, death, Satan, and fear. While the original Jewish hearers might have thought of political enemies like Rome, the Holy Spirit guided Zechariah to speak of a deeper rescue: being set free from everything that separates us from God.
What does "dayspring from on high" mean?
"Dayspring" translates anatolē, which means "rising", like the sunrise. It is a title for Christ, the light that breaks into our darkness. The phrase pictures God's mercy coming like the morning sun after a long night, bringing warmth, visibility, and new hope.
Why does Zechariah suddenly speak to his baby son in verse 76?
Zechariah turns from praising God to addressing John directly, even though John is just an infant. This is a prophetic act: he is declaring John's future role as the forerunner who will prepare people for the Lord. It shows that God's plan includes ordinary people, even a newborn, to play a part in His great story.
What is the covenant and oath to Abraham mentioned here?
God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis, promising that through his descendants all nations would be blessed. Later God confirmed it with an oath (Genesis 22:16-17). Zechariah says that Jesus is the fulfillment of that ancient promise, the blessing that was sworn to Abraham is now arriving in the person of Christ.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study