The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§ And they called his name Zacharias.

A thing hardly to be parallel'd again in all the Scripture, that a child should be named by the name of his father: an extraordinary action, in an extraordinary case.

Because Abraham and Sarah had their new names given them at the giving of circum∣cision; therefore did after-times reserve this custom to name their Children at their cir∣cumcising.

The name was sometime given to the child by the mother, but that was ever at the birth, and it was upon some weighty and special reason, as Gen. 29. 32, 33, 34, 35. and 30. 6, 7. &c. 1 Sam. 4. 21. 1 Chron. 4. 29. and sometimes by the standers by at the birth, as Gen. 38. 29. and 25. 25. Ruth 4. 18. but the Father at the Circumcision, had still the casting voice, whether the name should be so, or no; as appeareth by Jacobs changing Ben-oni into Benjamin. Now Zacharie being dumb, and the mother having given it no name at the birth, the persons present undertake to call it by the name of the Father.

And now is he in circumcising, that is the man appointed to be the first overthrow of Circumcision, by bringing in Baptism instead of it.

R. Solomon from the Talmud in Sanhedrin, expoundeth Jerem. 25. 10. I will take from them the sound of the milstones, and the light of the candle, to this sense. The sound of the milstones, signifieth the Feast at a Circumcision; because they ground or bruised Spices, for the healing of the sore; and the light of the Candle, signieth the Feast it self. Thus do they con∣fess a decay of Circumcision to be foretold by the Prophet, and yet they stick not to deny most stiffly, that Circumcision must ever decay.

Vers. 63. [He wrote saying] That is, expressing, or To this purpose, as Exod. 18. 6. And Jethro said to Moses, I Jethro come unto thee: That is, he signified so much by Letter; as the serious viewing of the story will necessarily evince. And so 2 King. 5. 6. And he brought the Letter to the King of Israel, saying; not that Naaman that brought the Letter, spake the words that follow, but the Letter it self spake them.

[John] The Lord hath been gracious. A name most fit for him that was to be the first Preacher of the Kingdom of grace, and to point out him that was grace it self. Rabbi Jo∣chanan sayd, what is the name of the Messias? Some said Haninah, Grace, as it is said, I will not give you Haninah, that is, the Messias who shall be called gracious, Jer. 16. 13. Talmud bab. in Pesach. cap. 4.

Vers. 64. [And his mouth was opened] Infidelity had closed his mouth, and now faith or believing doth open it again: And herein, may this case of Zachary be fitly compared with the like of Moses, Exod. 4. For he for distrust is in danger of his life, as Zachary for the same fault is struk dumb: but upon the circumcising of his child, and recovery of his faith, the danger is removed; as Zacharies dumbness is at such a time and occasion; as Psal. 116. 10. He believeth, and therefore doth he speak. And the tongue of the dumb doth sing, Esa. 35. 6.

[And his tongue] Our English hath added loosed for illustration, as also hath the French; and some say it is found in some Copies, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But first, no such word is expressed ei∣ther in the Syrian, Arabick, Vulgar Latine, Italian, Erasmus, or other Translators. Nor se∣condly, needeth there any such word to make a perfect sense, but it may well help the sim∣ple and vulgar capacity, what our English hath added.

Vers. 66. [Laid them up in their hearts] It could not but affect all that heard of this strange birth of the Baptist with wonder and amazement, and singular observation, both in regard that so many and great miracles were wrought in this time, when miracles were so much abated and decayed: as also in consideration, that there was never birth before that had so many concomitants of wonder and miraculousness, as the birth of this child. Not of Isaac the glorious Patriach, not of Moses the great Prophet, nor of any other what∣soever, that had been in former times.

[And the hand of the Lord was with him] Either the special favour and assistance of the Lord, as Ezra 7. 6. and 8. 22, &c. or the gift of Prophecy at capable years, as 1 Sam. 3. 19. for so the hand of the Lord doth signifie, Ezek. 1. 3. & 37. 1. & 40. 1. Psal. 80. 17. 1 Chron. 28. 19.

Vers. 68. [Redeemed] Greek, '〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He hath made or wrought redemption: In the very phrase implying a price paid, for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 importeth. It is used again, Chapter 2. 38. and by the LXX, Psal. 111. 9. and 130. 7. and by Theodotion for satisfaction, Prov. 6. 35.

Vers. 69. [An horn of Salvation] Psal. 18. 1. 2 Sam. 22. 3.

Vers. 70. [Which have been since the World began] Adams calling his wives name Eve, or life, in apprehension of the promise of the seed of the woman, that should break the head of the Serpent: Eves calling her Sons name Cain, a purchase; because she had ob∣tained a man, even the Lord, or the Lord to become a man; and her naming her other Son Seth, or setled, &c. these were Prophecies that spake of Christ, from the beginning of the world.

Vers. 71. [That we should be saved from our enemies] This hath sweet reference to the promise given at the beginning of the World; from which time he had traced Prophecies in the verse preceding. I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman, and between thy seed, and her seed: He shall break thine head, Gen. 3. 15. Where in the former words of the verse, I will set enmity, &c. there is an expression who are our enemies; namely, the Serpent and his seed: and in the latter, he shall break thine head; there is an intimation how we shall be saved; namely, by Christs breaking the head and power of Satan. So that the former verse and this being laid together, they arise unto this sense, that all the Prophets from Adam and upward, had their eye upon the promise in that garden, and spake of salvation and delivered by Christ, by his breaking the head, and destroying the kingdom of the Devil.

Vers. 76. [The Prophet of the Highest] As Aaron to Moses, Exod. 7. 1. Prophecy had been now very long decayed, and but little thereof had been under the second Temple: it is now reviving in an extraordinary manner: and this child is to be the first of this race of Prophets that is in rising, and to be the Harbinger of Christ himself.

Vers. 77. [To give knowledge of salvation by remission, &c.] The knowledge of salva∣tion that the Law held forth at the first view, was by legal righteousness, and absolute performance of what was commanded: but John who was to begin the Gospel, brought in another Doctrine, and gave the people knowledge of salvation by another way; namely, by the remission of sins, as Rom. 4. 6, 7. And this is the tenor of the Gospel.

Vers. 78. [The day spring from an high] Greek: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, used by the LXX to translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The branch, Esa. 4. 2. Jer. 23. 5. Zech. 3. 9. & 6. 12. the name of Christ, and so it may be understood of Christs personal coming and appearance amongst men: as God is said to have visited Sarah, Gen. 21. 1. that is, not only in merciful dealing with her, as to give her a child, but also in personally coming unto her in visible appearance, as Chap∣ter 18. 14. At the time appointed I will return, &c. Or it may be taken in connexion to the sense of the Verses preceding: That after the defect of Prophecy, the dawning of that gift, and after the darkness of the Doctrine of Salvation, as it was in the Law, the day∣spring of it from an high came now to visit us, in the brightness of the Gospel.

Vers. 80. [And was in the deserts] Of Ziph and Maon, 1 Sam. 23. 14. 25. which were places not far from Hebron, where John was born; Josh. 15. 54, 55. His education was not in the Schools at Jerusalem, but in these plain Country Towns and Villages in the Wilderness.

[Till the day of his shewing unto Israel] That is, when at thirty years of age he was to be brought to the Sanctuary service; Numb. 4. 3. to which he did not apply himself as the custom was, but betook himself to another course.