And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the incense offering was a priestly act, the text highlights that this wasn't just a solitary moment for Zacharias; the "whole multitude" was praying outside, mirroring the offering with their own devotion. This emphasizes that the Temple was a place of communal worship, where the prayers of ordinary people were intrinsically linked to the sacred rites happening within.
And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Zechariah, a priest from the division of Abijah, is serving in the Temple on what appears to be a significant religious day, evidenced by the large crowd gathered. While he is inside performing the sacred duty of burning incense, the multitude of people are outside in the temple courts, united in prayer at this specific, appointed time. This scene sets the stage for an extraordinary divine encounter, as an angel is about to appear to Zechariah within the Holy Place, interrupting his priestly task and the people's communal prayer with a life-altering message.
Why were so many people gathered at the Temple, and what was on their hearts?
The text tells us that 'the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.' This wasn't just any ordinary day. The gathering of such a large crowd, especially during the significant ritual of incense burning, strongly suggests it was a special occasion, perhaps a Sabbath or a major festival.
This wasn't a passive crowd; they were actively praying. The Temple, though primarily a place for sacrifice, had become known as a 'House of Prayer.' Their prayers, offered at the specific hour of incense, were deeply symbolic. Incense was burned twice daily, morning and evening, often accompanied by the people's prayers, which were seen as ascending to God like the fragrant smoke.
We can imagine the atmosphere: a vast crowd united in prayer, their hopes and desires rising towards heaven. Many, like Simeon and Anna, were fervently waiting for God to fulfill His promises and bring redemption to Israel. This scene sets the stage for a miraculous intervention.
What was the deeper meaning behind the burning of incense during prayer?
The act of burning incense in the Temple was far more than just a pleasant aroma; it was rich with symbolic meaning, especially concerning prayer. While Zacharias, the priest, was inside burning the incense, the multitude outside was engaged in the very thing the incense represented: prayer.
This ritual was a powerful reminder that our prayers, when offered in the right spirit, ascend to God as a pleasing aroma. It pointed forward to a greater reality: the mediation of Christ. Just as the incense was offered in conjunction with sacrifices and pointed to a divine Mediator, our prayers are made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ's intercession.
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This connection highlights a crucial truth: our access to God is not based on our own merit but on Christ's work. The incense reminds us that God hears our prayers, but it also teaches us that our prayers are most effective when they align with and depend on the ongoing intercession of our High Priest in heaven.
Understand the original words
proseuchomai · Greek Verb
The act of communicating with God through petitions, thanksgiving, or confession. It is an expression of human dependence upon God and faith in His responsiveness to His people.
The specific timing of the incense offering, a daily ritual, highlights the ordinary yet sacred rhythm of Jewish worship, against which this extraordinary angelic visitation stood out dramatically.
c. 19 BC - AD 44
Herod the Great's Reign
Herod the Great, an Idumean appointed king by Rome, ruled Judea during the time of Jesus' birth and the events of Luke 1. His reign, though marked by building projects, was also characterized by political intrigue and ruthlessness.
Early 1st century AD
Priestly Divisions Serve in Temple
King David organized the priesthood into 24 divisions, each serving for a specific period in Jerusalem's Temple. Zacharias belonged to the division of Abijah, which was the eighth division.
Early 1st century AD
High Messianic Expectation
Many devout Jews, like Simeon and Anna, eagerly awaited the coming of the Messiah, believing God would soon bring deliverance to Israel. This created an atmosphere of fervent prayer and expectation.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Angel Appears to Zacharias
During the daily incense offering, an angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias in the Temple, announcing the birth of his son, John, who would prepare the way for the Lord.
This Psalm directly compares prayer to the offering of incense, highlighting the spiritual connection between the outward ritual and the inward devotion of the people.
Revelation 8:3-4This passage in Revelation also uses the imagery of incense to represent the prayers of the saints ascending to God, reinforcing the symbolic meaning of the ritual in Luke.
Exodus 30:7-8This foundational text in Exodus describes the daily offering of incense in the Tabernacle, establishing the practice that the people in Luke were participating in or observing.
Acts 3:1This verse mentions Peter and John going to the temple 'at the hour of prayer, namely, the ninth hour,' showing that specific times for prayer, like the hour of incense, were established practices.
Luke 2:38This verse describes Anna, a prophetess, giving thanks to God and speaking about Jesus to all who were 'waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem,' illustrating the kind of expectant prayer that likely filled the crowd.
cambridgeLuke 1:10: "And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense."
10 . the whole multitude ] This seems to shew that the vision took place either on a sabbath, or some great feast-day. praying ] The Temple was mainly used for sacrifice. Prayer in the Tabernacle is only once mentioned in the Pentateuch ( Deuteronomy 26:12-15 ). But the Temple had naturally become a ‘House of Prayer’ ( Isaiah 56:7 ; Nehemiah 11:17 ; Matthew 21:13 ). One of the Rabbis went so far as t…
calvinLuke 1:5-13: "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."
- In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. And the…
While the incense offering was a priestly act, the text highlights that this wasn't just a solitary moment for Zacharias; the "whole multitude" was praying outside, mirroring the offering with their own devotion. This emphasizes that the Temple was a place of communal worship, where the prayers of ordinary people were intrinsically linked to the sacred rites happening within.
Zechariah, a priest from the division of Abijah, is serving in the Temple on what appears to be a significant religious day, evidenced by the large crowd gathered. While he is inside performing the sacred duty of burning incense, the multitude of people are outside in the temple courts, united in prayer at this specific, appointed time. This scene sets the stage for an extraordinary divine encounter, as an angel is about to appear to Zechariah within the Holy Place, interrupting his priestly task and the people's communal prayer with a life-altering message.
Zechariah, a priest from the division of Abijah, is serving in the Temple on what appears to be a significant religious day, evidenced by the large crowd gathered. While he is inside performing the sacred duty of burning incense, the multitude of people are outside in the temple courts, united in prayer at this specific, appointed time. This scene sets the stage for an extraordinary divine encounter, as an angel is about to appear to Zechariah within the Holy Place, interrupting his priestly task and the people's communal prayer with a life-altering message.
"And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense." — While the incense offering was a priestly act, the text highlights that this wasn't just a solitary moment for Zacharias; the "whole multitude" was praying outside, mirroring the offering with their…
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Last reviewed October 2026