The Benedictus
The Benedictus (also Song of Zechariah or Canticle of Zachary), was the canticle or song of thanksgiving uttered by Zacharias on the occasion of the circumcision of his son, John the Baptist.
It received its name from its first words in Latin ("Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel", “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”).
Zacharias’ prophecy is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses 67-79. This prophecy occurred at the circumcision and naming of his son, John the Baptist, when Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit. The key elements of Zacharias' prophecy include:
Main Themes
Praise and Blessing: Zacharias begins by blessing the Lord God of Israel for visiting and redeeming His people.
Salvation: He prophesies about the coming of a "horn of salvation" from the house of David, referring to the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
Fulfillment of Promises: Zacharias speaks of God remembering His holy covenant and the oath He swore to Abraham.
Deliverance: He foretells that God's people will be delivered from their enemies and will serve Him without fear.
John's Role: Zacharias also prophesies about his son John's role as a prophet who will prepare the way for the Lord.
Significance
Zacharias' prophecy is significant because it:
Connects the Old Testament promises with their New Testament fulfillment
Anticipates the coming of the Messiah and His role in salvation
Highlights the continuity of God's plan throughout history
This prophecy aligns with other messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, particularly those found in the book of Zechariah, which also speak of the coming Messiah as a savior, judge, and righteous king.
Text of the Benedictus
(language slightly modernized)
Praise to you, Lord, God of Israel,
For you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty savior,
Born from the line of your servant David.
Through your holy prophets, you promised long ago
To save us from our enemies,
From the grip of all who hate us.
You pledged to show mercy to our ancestors
And to honor your sacred covenant.
This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
To rescue us from our foes,
And allow us to serve you without fear,
Living holy and righteous lives all our days.
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
For you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people the knowledge of salvation
Through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God's deep compassion,
The light from heaven will break upon us,
To shine on those living in darkness and in death's shadow,
And to guide our steps into the path of peace.
NOTE: This modern version maintains the core message and structure of the original Benedictus while using more contemporary language and phrasing. It aims to make the text more accessible to modern readers while preserving its spiritual significance.
The naming of John the Baptist and the prophecy of Zacharias are dramatized in the following episode from The Life of Jesus Christ video series.
For additional detail and insight, read the recounting of this event as found in Jesus the Christ, a significant work written by James E. Talmage, an early Latter-day Saint scholar.
In due time the child was born, there in the hill country of Judea where Zacharias and Elisabeth had their home; and, on the eighth day following the birth the family assembled in accordance with custom and Mosaic requirement, to name the babe in connection with the rite of circumcision.
All suggestions that he be called after his father were overruled by Zacharias, who wrote with decisive finality: “His name is John.” Thereupon the dumb priest’s tongue was loosed, and being filled with the Holy Ghost he burst forth in prophecy, praise and song; his inspired utterances have been set to music and are sung in worship by many Christian congregations as the Benedictus:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The last words Zacharias had uttered prior to the infliction of dumbness were words of doubt and unbelief, words in which he had called for a sign as proof of authority of one who came from the presence of the Almighty; the words with which he broke his long silence were words of praise unto God in whom he had all assurance, words that were as a sign to all who heard, and the fame whereof spread throughout the region.
The unusual circumstances attending the birth of John, notably the months of dumbness passed by the father and his sudden recovery of speech on the bestowal of the foreappointed name, caused many to marvel and some to fear, as they asked: “What manner of child shall this be!” When, a man grown, John raised his voice in the wilderness, again in fulfillment of prophecy, the people questioned as to whether he was not the Messiah. Of his life between infancy and the beginning of his public ministry, a period of approximately thirty years, we have of record but a single sentence: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.”
