Luk 2:22-38 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 22. Days of her purification ] That is, thirty-three days after what was termed the seven days of her uncleanness- forty days in all: for that was the time appointed by the law, after the birth of a male child. See . The MSS. and versions differ much in the pronoun in this place: some reading αυτης, HER purification ; others αυτου, HIS purification; others αυτων, THEIR purification ; and others αυτοιν, the purification of THEM BOTH. Two versions and two of the fathers omit the pronoun, αυτων, their , and αυτου, his , have the greatest authorities in their support, and the former is received into most of the modern editions. A needless scrupulosity was, in my opinion, the origin of these various readings. Some would not allow that both needed purification, and referred the matter to Mary alone. Others thought neither could be supposed to be legally impure, and therefore omitted the pronoun entirely, leaving the meaning indeterminate. As there could be no moral defilement in the case, and what was done being for the performance of a legal ceremony, it is of little consequence which of the readings is received into the text. The purification of every mother and child, which the law enjoined, is a powerful argument in proof of that original corruption and depravity which every human being brings into the world. The woman to be purified was placed in the east gate of the court, called Nicanor's gate , and was there sprinkled with blood: thus she received the atonement . See Lightfoot .

‏ Luke 2:22-38

Verse 22. Days of her purification] That is, thirty-three days after what was termed the seven days of her uncleanness-forty days in all: for that was the time appointed by the law, after the birth of a male child. See Le 12:2, 6.

The MSS. and versions differ much in the pronoun in this place: some reading αυτης, HER purification; others αυτου, HIS purification; others αυτων, THEIR purification; and others αυτοιν, the purification of THEM BOTH. Two versions and two of the fathers omit the pronoun, αυτων, their, and αυτου, his, have the greatest authorities in their support, and the former is received into most of the modern editions. A needless scrupulosity was, in my opinion, the origin of these various readings. Some would not allow that both needed purification, and referred the matter to Mary alone. Others thought neither could be supposed to be legally impure, and therefore omitted the pronoun entirely, leaving the meaning indeterminate. As there could be no moral defilement in the case, and what was done being for the performance of a legal ceremony, it is of little consequence which of the readings is received into the text.

The purification of every mother and child, which the law enjoined, is a powerful argument in proof of that original corruption and depravity which every human being brings into the world. The woman to be purified was placed in the east gate of the court, called Nicanor's gate, and was there sprinkled with blood: thus she received the atonement. See Lightfoot.

Verse 24. And to offer a sacrifice] Neither mother nor child was considered as in the Lord's covenant, or under the Divine protection, till these ceremonies, prescribed by the law, had been performed.

A pair of turtle doves, &c.] One was for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering: see Le 12:8. The rich were required to bring a lamb, but the poor and middling classes were required to bring either two turtle doves, or two pigeons. This is a proof that the holy family were not in affluence. Jesus sanctified the state of poverty, which is the general state of man, by passing through it. Therefore the poor have the Gospel preached unto them; and the poor are they who principally receive it.

Though neither Mary nor her son needed any of these purifications, for she was immaculate, and He was the Holy One, yet, had she not gone through the days of purification according to the law, she could not have appeared in the public worship of the Most High, and would have been considered as an apostate from the faith of the Israel of God; and had not He been circumcised and publicly presented in the temple, he could not have been permitted to enter either synagogue or temple, and no Jew would have heard him preach, or had any intercourse or connection with him. These reasons are sufficient to account for the purification of the holy virgin, and for the circumcision of the most holy Jesus.

Verse 25. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem] This man is distinguished because of his singular piety. There can be no doubt that there were many persons in Jerusalem named Simeon, besides this man; but there was none of the name who merited the attention of God so much as he in the text. Such persevering exemplary piety was very rare, and therefore the inspired penman ushers in the account with behold! Several learned men are of the opinion that he was son to the famous Hillel, one of the most celebrated doctors and philosophers which had ever appeared in the Jewish nation since the time of Moses. Simeon is supposed also to have been the AB or president of the grand Sanhedrin.

The same man was just] He steadily regulated all his conduct by the law of his God: and devout-he had fully consecrated himself to God, so that he added a pious heart to a righteous conduct. The original word ευλαβης, signifies also a person of good report-one well received among the people, or one cautious and circumspect in matters of religion; from ευ, well, and λαμβανω, I take: it properly denotes, one who takes any thing that is held out to him, well and carefully. He so professed and practised the religion of his fathers that he gave no cause for a friend to mourn on his account, or an enemy to triumph.

Several excellent MSS. read ευσεβης, pious or godly, from ευ, well, and σεβομαι, I worship; one who worships God well, i.e. in spirit and in truth.

Waiting for the consolation of Israel] That is, the Messiah, who was known among the pious Jews by this character: he was to be the consolation of Israel, because he was to be its redemption. This consolation of Israel was so universally expected that the Jews swore by it: So let me see the Consolation, if such a thing be not so, or so. See the forms in Lightfoot.

The Holy Ghost was upon him] He was a man divinely inspired, overshadowed, and protected by the power and influence of the Most High.

Verse 26. It was revealed unto him] He was divinely informed, κεχρηματιστισμενον-he had an express communication from God concerning the subject. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. The soul of a righteous and devout man is a proper habitation for the Holy Spirit.

He should not see death] They that seek shall find: it is impossible that a man who is earnestly seeking the salvation of God, should be permitted to die without finding it.

The Lord's Christ.] Rather, the Lord's anointed. That prophet, priest, and king, who was typified by so many anointed persons under the old covenant; and who was appointed to come in the fulness of time, to accomplish all that was written in the law, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning him. See Clarke on Lu 2:11.

Verse 27. He came by the Spirit into the temple] Probably he had in view the prophecy of Malachi, Mal 3:1, The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple. In this messenger of the covenant, the soul of Simeon delighted. Now the prophecy was just going to be fulfilled; and the Holy Spirit, who dwelt in the soul of this righteous man, directed him to go and see its accomplishment. Those who come, under the influence of God's Spirit, to places of public worship, will undoubtedly meet with him who is the comfort and salvation of Israel.

After the custom of the law] To present him to the Lord, and then redeem him by paying five shekels, Nu 18:15, 16, and to offer those sacrifices appointed by the law. See Lu 2:24.

Verse 28. Then took he him up in his arms] What must the holy soul of this man have felt in this moment! O inestimable privilege! And yet ours need not be inferior: If a man love me, says Christ, he will keep my word; and I and the Father will come in unto him, and make our abode with him. And indeed even Christ in the arms could not avail a man, if he were not formed in his heart.

Verse 29. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace] Now thou dismissest, απολυεις, loosest him from life; having lived long enough to have the grand end of life accomplished.

According to thy word] It was promised to him, that he should not die till he had seen the Lord's anointed, Lu 2:26; and now, having seen him, he expects to be immediately dismissed in peace into the eternal world; having a full assurance and enjoyment of the salvation of God. Though Simeon means his death, yet the thing itself is not mentioned; for death has not only lost its sting, but its name also, to those who have, even by faith, seen the Lord's anointed.

Verse 30. Thy salvation] That Saviour which it became the goodness of God to bestow upon man, and which the necessities of the human race required. Christ is called our salvation, as he is called our life, our peace, our hope; i.e. he is the author of all these, to them who believe.

Verse 31. Which thou hast prepared] οητοιμασας, which thou hast MADE READY before the face, in the presence, of all people. Here salvation is represented under the notion of a feast, which God himself has provided for the whole world; and to partake of which he has invited all the nations of the earth. There seems a direct allusion here to Isa 25:6, &c. "In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things," &c. Salvation is properly the food of the soul, by which it is nourished unto eternal life; he that receiveth not this, must perish for ever.

Verse 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles] φωςειςαποκαλοψιν εθνων-A light of the Gentiles, for revelation. By Moses and the prophets, a light of revelation was given to the Jews, in the blessedness of which the Gentiles did not partake. By Christ and his apostles, a luminous revelation is about to be given unto the Gentiles, from the blessedness of which the Jews in general, by their obstinacy and unbelief, shall be long excluded. But to all true Israelites it shall be a glory, an evident fulfilment of all the predictions of the prophets, relative to the salvation of a lost world; and the first offers of it shall be made to the Jewish people, who may see in it the truth of their own Scriptures indisputably evinced.

Verse 33. Joseph and his mother marvelled] For they did not as yet fully know the counsels of God, relative to the salvation which Christ was to procure; nor the way in which the purchase was to be made: but to this Simeon refers in the following verses.

Verse 34. This child is set for the fall] This seems an allusion to Isa 8:14, 15: Jehovah, God of hosts, shall be-for a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to both houses of Israel; and many among them shall stumble and fall, &c. As Christ did not come as a temporal deliverer, in which character alone the Jews expected him, the consequence should be, they would reject him, and so fall by the Romans. See Ro 11:11, 12, and Mt 24:1ff. But in the fulness of time there shall be a rising again of many in Israel. See Ro 11:26.

And for a sign] A mark or butt to shoot at-a metaphor taken from archers. Or perhaps Simeon refers to Isa 11:10-12. There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ENSIGN of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek:-intimating that the Jews would reject it, while the Gentiles should flock to it as their ensign of honour, under which they were to enjoy a glorious rest.

That the thoughts (or reasonings) of many hearts may be revealed.] I have transposed this clause to the place to which I believe it belongs. The meaning appears to me to be this: The rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish rulers will sufficiently prove that they sought the honour which comes from the world, and not that honour which comes from God: because they rejected Jesus, merely for the reason that he did not bring them a temporal deliverance. So the very Pharisees, who were loud in their professions of sanctity and devotedness to God, rejected Jesus, and got him crucified, because his kingdom was not of this world. Thus the reasonings of many hearts were revealed.

Verse 35. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also] Probably meaning, Thou also, as well as thy son, shall die a martyr for the truth. But as this is a metaphor used by the most respectable Greek writers to express the most pungent sorrow, it may here refer to the anguish Mary must have felt when standing beside the cross of her tortured son: Joh 19:25.

Verse 36. Anna, a prophetess] It does not appear that this person was a prophetess in the strict sense of the word, i.e. one who could foretell future events; but rather a holy woman; who, from her extensive knowledge and deep experience in Divine things, was capable of instructing others; according to the use of the word προφητευω, 1Co 14:3: He that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, and to exhortation, and to comfort. So we find this holy widow proclaiming Jesus to all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem, Lu 2:38.

The tribe of Asher] This was one of the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel, several families of which had returned from their idolatry unto God, in the time that Hezekiah proclaimed the passover in Jerusalem, which is mentioned 2Ch 30:1-11. Though her family might have been a distinguished one in Jerusalem, yet we find that it was her very exemplary piety that entitled her to be thus honourably mentioned in the sacred history. It is an honourable thing indeed to have one's name written in the sacred records; but to be written in the book of life is of infinitely greater moment.

Seven years] She was a pure virgin when married, was favoured with her husband but seven years, and was now in all, taking in the time of her virginity, marriage, and widowhood, eighty-four years of age. At such an age, it might be supposed she was reasonably exempted from performing the severer duties of religion; but her spirit of piety continued still to burn with a steady and undiminished fame.

Verse 37. Departed not from the temple] Attended constantly at the hours of prayer, which were nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. See Ac 2:15; 3:1. It does not appear that women had any other functions to perform in that holy place.

With fastings] She accompanied her devotion with frequent fastings, probably not oftener than twice in the week; for this was the custom of the most rigid Pharisees: see Lu 18:12.

Verse 38. Coming in that instant] αυτητηωρα, at that very time-while Simeon held the blessed Redeemer in his arms, and was singing his departing and triumphal song.

Gave thanks likewise] She, as well as Simeon, returned God public thanks, for having sent this Saviour to Israel.

Spake of him] Of the nature and design of his mission; and the glory that should take place in the land.

To all them that looked for redemption] As Daniel's seventy weeks were known to be now completed, the more pious Jews were in constant expectation of the promised Messiah. They were expecting redemption, λυτρωσις; such a redemption as was to be brought about by an atonement, or expiatory victim, or ransom price. See Clarke on Lu 1:68.

In Jerusalem.] It is probable she went about from house to house, testifying the grace of God. In the margin of our common version, Israel is put instead of Jerusalem, which the translators thought was nearly as eligible as the word they received into the text. This marginal reading is supported by several MSS., all the Arabic and Persic versions, the Vulgate, and most copies of the Itala. Were this reading to be received, it would make a very essential alteration in the meaning of the text, as it would intimate that this excellent woman travelled over the land of Israel, proclaiming the advent of Christ. At all events, it appears that this widow was one of the first publishers of the Gospel of Christ, and it is likely that she travelled with it from house to house through the city of Jerusalem, where she knew they dwelt who were expecting the salvation of God.