Luke 1:72-73
to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about God remembering His promises; it's about Him acting on them. Zacharias emphasizes that God will "perform the mercy promised" and "remember His holy covenant," highlighting that God's faithfulness isn't passive but an active, purposeful engagement with His people throughout generations. This reveals that God's covenant isn't a mere contract but a dynamic relationship where He continually moves to fulfill His word for us.
Zechariah, now able to speak after his period of silence, breaks out into a prophetic song, praising God for visiting and redeeming His people. This hymn joyfully anticipates the coming salvation, linking it directly to God's long-standing promises and faithfulness to Abraham and the patriarchs.
Zacharias breaks into song, and a core theme is God's 'mercy promised.' But what does it mean for that mercy to be 'performed'?
Zacharias's words, 'to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,' point to God actively bringing to completion what He had spoken long ago. This isn't just about God remembering a promise; it's about Him stepping into history to do it.
Beyond mercy, Zacharias also lifts up God's 'holy covenant.' What makes a covenant 'holy,' and why is it so central to God's plan?
The mention of God's 'holy covenant' is incredibly significant. It's not just a casual agreement but a sacred, divinely established bond.
Understand the original words
eleos · Greek Noun
The disposition of compassion, kindness, or goodwill toward someone in need, often implying a withholding of deserved judgment. In the Bible, it is frequently linked to God's covenant faithfulness toward His people.
diathēkē · Greek Noun
A binding, solemn agreement between God and humanity (or a specific group). It involves mutual obligations, promises, and established relationships, with God often taking the initiative to establish the terms for His people's blessing.
horkos · Greek Noun
A solemn declaration or invocation of God to witness to the truth of a statement or the sincerity of a promise. In the biblical narrative, God’s oaths represent the unchangeable, guaranteed nature of His commitments to His people.
Zechariah’s song reflects the long arc of God’s faithfulness, from His promises to Abraham and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant, through periods of exile and return, culminating in the anticipation of the Messiah and the fulfillment of that ancient covenant.
c. 2000 BC
God's Covenant with Abraham
God establishes a foundational covenant with Abraham, promising descendants, land, and blessing to all nations through him.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus and the Law
God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt, establishing His covenant with them at Mount Sinai and giving them the Law.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and exile much of the population, leading to a period of prophetic disappointment.
c. 539 BC
This passage directly echoes the promise made to Abraham, which Luke 1:72 refers back to, highlighting God's enduring faithfulness to His covenant people.
Jeremiah 31:31-33The prophet Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant, emphasizing God's desire to write His laws on their hearts, which is the ultimate fulfillment of the mercy and covenant mentioned in Luke's passage.
Psalm 105:8-9This psalm recounts God's faithfulness to His covenant and the oath He swore to Abraham, directly mirroring the themes of mercy and remembrance found in Zacharias's song.
Romans 15:8Paul explicitly connects Jesus' ministry to confirming the promises made to the fathers, showing how the mercy and covenant recalled by Zacharias find their definitive Yes in Christ.
barnesLuke 1:72: "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;"
To perform the mercy - To show the mercy promised. The expression in the "original" is, "To make mercy with our fathers" - that is, to show kindness to our fathers; and the propriety of it is founded on the fact that mercy to "children" is regarded as kindness to the "parent." Blessing the "children" was blessing the "nation;" was fulfilling the promises made to the fathers, and "showing" that he regar…
cambridgeLuke 1:72: "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;"
72 . To perform the mercy promised to our fathers ] It is simply to do mercy towards our fathers . The “promised” is a needless addition of the E.V. 72, 73 . mercy … remember … oath ] These three words have been thought by some to be an allusion to the three names John (‘Jehovah’s mercy ’); Zacharias (‘ remembered by Jehovah’), and Elizabeth (see p. 45). Such paronomasiae , or plays on words, are excee…
This verse isn't just about God remembering His promises; it's about Him acting on them. Zacharias emphasizes that God will "perform the mercy promised" and "remember His holy covenant," highlighting that God's faithfulness isn't passive but an active, purposeful engagement with His people throughout generations. This reveals that God's covenant isn't a mere contract but a dynamic relationship where He continually moves to fulfill His word for us.
Zechariah, now able to speak after his period of silence, breaks out into a prophetic song, praising God for visiting and redeeming His people. This hymn joyfully anticipates the coming salvation, linking it directly to God's long-standing promises and faithfulness to Abraham and the patriarchs.
Zechariah, now able to speak after his period of silence, breaks out into a prophetic song, praising God for visiting and redeeming His people. This hymn joyfully anticipates the coming salvation, linking it directly to God's long-standing promises and faithfulness to Abraham and the patriarchs.
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Return from Exile
Many Jewish exiles are permitted to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, a partial fulfillment of God's promises.
c. 6 BC— this verse
Birth of John the Baptist
John the Baptist is miraculously conceived and born to elderly parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, during a period of Roman rule in Judea.
c. AD 28
Ministry of John the Baptist Begins
John begins his public ministry, calling people to repentance and announcing the coming of the Messiah.
"to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us" — This verse isn't just about God remembering His promises; it's about Him acting on them. Zacharias emphasizes that God will "perform the mercy promised" and "remember His holy covenant," highlighti…
