Luke 1:78

Luke 1:78 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
• New International Version (NIV)because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
• English Standard Version (ESV)because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
• New King James Version (NKJV)Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

Context of Luke 1:78

76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord (the Messiah) to prepare His ways; 77To give His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise (the Messiah) from on high will dawn and visit us, 79To shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet [in a straight line] into the way of peace and serenity.” 80The child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel [as John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah].

Luke 1:78 word by word

διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐν οἷς ἐπισκέψεται ἡμᾶς ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὕψους,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• theἔλεοςeleos · mercyG1656
• tenderσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
• ofθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• wherebyἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the dayspringἀνατολήanatolē · eastG395
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• on highὕψοςhupsos · heightG5311
• hath visitedἐπισκέπτομαιepiskeptomai · to visit/care forG1980

Cross-references for Luke 1:78

• Psalms 25:6Remember, O Lord, Your [tender] compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.
• Isaiah 63:7I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has done for us, And His great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has shown them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.
• John 3:16“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
• Ephesians 2:4But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us,
• Philippians 1:8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus [whose great love fills me].
• Philippians 2:1Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion,
• Colossians 3:12So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper];
• 1 John 3:17But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?
• 1 John 4:9By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him.
• Numbers 24:17I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel And shall crush the forehead of Moab And destroy all the sons of Sheth.
• Isaiah 11:1Then a Shoot (the Messiah) will spring from the stock of Jesse [David’s father], And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
• Zechariah 3:8Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, you and your colleagues who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol [of what is to come]—for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch [in Messianic glory].
• Zechariah 6:12Then say to Joshua, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold (look, keep in sight, watch), a Man (Messiah) whose name is Branch, for He shall branch out from His place (Israel, the Davidic line); and He shall build the [ultimate] temple of the Lord.
• Malachi 4:2But for you who fear My name [with awe-filled reverence] the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go forward and leap [joyfully] like calves [released] from the stall.
• Revelation 22:16“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you and to give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and bright Morning Star.”

Commentaries on Luke 1:78

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 78Whereby the dayspring … - The word “dayspring” means the morning light, the aurora, the rising of the sun. It is called the dayspring “from on high” because the light of the gospel shines forth from heaven. God is its Author, and through His mercy it shines upon people. There is here, doubtless, a reference to Isaiah 60:1-2; indeed, almost the very words of that place are quoted. Compare also Revelation 22:16.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 67-80Verses 67-80 Zacharias uttered a prophecy concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah. The gospel brings light with it; in it the day dawns. In John the Baptist it began to break, and increased apace to the perfect day. The gospel is discovering; it shows that about which we were utterly in the dark; it is to give light to those that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is reviving; it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 78the Dawn will visit us from on high: The Old Testament identifies the Messiah (Christ) as a light shining in darkness (Isaiah 9:2; 42:6–7; 49:6; Malachi 4:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 68-7968-79. There is not a word in this noble burst of divine song about his own child; like Elisabeth losing sight entirely of self, in the glory of a Greater than both. Lord God of Israel--the ancient covenant God of the peculiar people. visited and redeemed--that is, in order to redeem: returned after long absence, and broken His long silence (see Mt 15:31). In the Old Testament, God is said to "visit" chiefly for judgment, in the New Testament for mercy…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 1:78

• God Continued...
• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• John
• Joy
• Miracles
• Poetry
• Psalms
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Wisdom
• Zacharias (Zechariah)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Begin
• Certainty
• Conceive
• Dayspring
• Estate
• Ministration
• Noise
• Righteousness

Commentaries on Luke 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings