“Blessed be the Lord!
The God of Israel!
He has looked favorably
On his people.
He has redeemed them.”
Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο καὶ ἐποίησεν λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ,
Luke then had this so-called Benedictus prayer, based on the Latin translation of Εὐλογητὸς. At the same time, this prayer is a prophesy also. First, Zechariah was thankful for all the people of Israel, not just himself. He used the familiar blessing that David said to Abigail in 1 Samuel, chapter 25:32, and to Solomon in 1 Kings, chapter 1:48. Solomon used this same blessing in 1 Kings, chapter 8:35. He said that the Lord was blessed (Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος). He was the God of Israel (ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ) who had visited, intervened, or looked favorably (ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο) on his people (τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ,), since he has saved or brought them redemption (καὶ ἐποίησεν λύτρωσιν). Zechariah had a sense of what the scope of John’s birth would be on all Israel, not just his family. He implied that salvation or redemption had already taken place with the birth of his son John, not waiting for Jesus.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 