Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Luke 1:18
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And Zacharias said unto the angel, whereby shall I know this? etc.] Notwithstanding such an appearance of an angel to him, which in those times was not so usual, and this in the holy place; and the things themselves which were told him, and these as the return of prayer; yet he distrusted, and wanted a sign, whereby he might know the truth of them, as the Jews were generally desirous of, and as the father of them was; who expressed himself in much such language, on a certain occasion, as this his son did; (see <011508>Genesis 15:8). For I am an old man; at least sixty years of age; for with the Jews, sixty years were reckoned, hnqzl, “for old age” f45; and a man of these years, was accounted an old man: and the Jewish Rabbins observe f46, that the word for old age in (<183002>Job 30:2) is by “gematry, sixty”; that is, the letters of the word, numerically make so much. The Mahometan writers, as before observed on (<420107>Luke 1:7) make him to be ninety nine years of age: he was not discharged from service; the Levites were at fifty, but not the priests; blemishes, as the Jewish writers say f47, made them unfit for service, but years did not: and even the law concerning the Levites, they say f48, only respected the time they carried the sanctuary from place to place, and not future generations; and that they are disqualified neither by blemishes, nor by years, only by voice, for singing of the song; but then they might be among the porters; so that they were not on that account laid aside from all service: and my wife well stricken in years. The Mahometan writers, as before, say, she was “eighty nine”; a like objection Abraham made, though he afterwards got over it, and was strong in faith, giving glory to God, believing in his power and faithfulness; (see <011717>Genesis 17:17).
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