“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
English Standard Version (ESV)
Simeon uses a powerful word here, "release," which suggests a slave being set free. He doesn't just see the fulfillment of God's promise in Jesus; he feels personally "manumitted" from the duty of waiting, ready to depart into eternal rest. This isn't just a peaceful death, but a divinely ordained freedom granted exactly as God promised.
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
English Standard Version (ESV)
Simeon, an elderly and righteous man, has been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. After waiting faithfully, he finally sees the infant Jesus brought to the temple by his parents, fulfilling God's specific word to him. Now, with his life's ultimate purpose realized, Simeon joyfully expresses his readiness to depart from this life in peace.
Simeon uses a powerful word for 'letting depart' that hints at more than just dying.
The Greek word used here for 'lettest depart' (apolyō) carries a significant nuance. It's not just a passive allowance of death, but an active 'releasing' or 'setting free.' Think of a master manumitting a slave, setting them free from service. Simeon, who has faithfully served God for years, sees his death not as an end, but as a release from his earthly duty. His long wait is over, and he is now being freed to go. This reframes death for believers – not as a fearful end, but as a homecoming and a release into God's presence.
Simeon's peace isn't just a calm feeling; it's rooted in God's faithfulness.
Simeon's profound peace comes from seeing God's promise fulfilled. He had been promised he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Anointed (Luke 2:26). Now, holding the infant Jesus, he can declare, 'according to your word.' This is the bedrock of his peace: God is true to His promises. It’s a peace that settles the soul because it rests on the unshakeable character of God. He knew the Messiah had come, and therefore, his life's purpose was complete.
Simeon addresses God with a title that emphasizes His ultimate authority.
Simeon calls God 'Despotes,' a term often translated as 'Master' and used for the owner of slaves. It’s a title that underscores God's absolute sovereignty over life and death. Simeon, his earthly service fulfilled, willingly submits to his Master's command to depart. This isn't a timid plea; it's a confident acknowledgment of God's right and power to dismiss him. In a world where death can seem terrifyingly out of control, Simeon reminds us that our lives are in the hands of the ultimate Master, who orchestrates even our final moments.
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Understand the original words
Despota · Greek Noun
A title indicating absolute sovereignty, authority, and ownership; in the New Testament, it is frequently used to address God or Jesus as the supreme Master to whom all devotion is owed.
doulon · Greek Noun
One who is in a position of complete submission to the authority and will of another, often used to describe the voluntary, loving bond between a believer and God.
eirēnē · Greek Noun
A state of wholeness, harmony, and reconciliation—specifically the reconciliation between God and humanity—which results from being in right relationship with Him through faith.
Simeon's song isn't just a personal moment of peace; it's a profound declaration that God's ancient promises, stretching back centuries to prophets like Isaiah, have now been visibly fulfilled in the arrival of the Messiah.
~700 BC
Prophecies of a Suffering Servant
Prophets like Isaiah foretold a coming 'Servant' who would bring salvation and light to all nations, including Gentiles.
c. 20 BC - 1 BC
Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem
Jesus, the promised Messiah, is born in Bethlehem during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus.
c. AD 0 - AD 1— this verse
Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, fulfilling Mosaic Law.
c. AD 1
Simeon's Prophecy
The devout Simeon, guided by the Holy Spirit, recognizes the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah and utters his prophetic song, the Nunc Dimittis.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus is crucified and resurrected, fulfilling the prophecies of salvation for all people.
Jacob expresses a similar sentiment of fulfilled longing before his death, stating 'Now I am ready to die, since I have seen that you are still alive.'
Isaiah 40:1This verse speaks of comfort and preparation for God's people, echoing Simeon's sense of peace and readiness to depart after witnessing God's promised salvation.
Acts 7:59Stephen, like Simeon, cries out to the Lord Jesus as he is being stoned, asking Him to receive his spirit, demonstrating a peaceful departure in the Lord.
Philippians 1:21Paul echoes Simeon's desire, stating that 'to live is Christ, and to die is gain,' highlighting that for a believer, departure can be a transition to something even better.
Hebrews 11:13This chapter describes many faithful ancestors who died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them from afar and acknowledging themselves as strangers and exiles, similar to Simeon's perspective before seeing the Messiah.
barnesLuke 2:29: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:"
Now lettest - Now thou "dost" let or permit. This word is in the indicative mood, and signifies that God was permitting him to die in peace, by having relieved his anxieties, allayed his fears, fulfilled the promises, and having by the appearing of the Messiah, removed every reason why he should live any longer, and every wish to live. Depart - Die. According to thy word - Thy promise made by revelation. God…
cambridgeLuke 2:29: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:"
29 . Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ] Rather, Now art Thou setting free Thy slave, O Master, according to Thy word, in peace . This rapturous Psalm—the Nunc Dimittis —has formed a part of Christian evening worship certainly since the fifth century. Despotes is not often used of God ( Acts 4:24 ; Revelation 6:10 ). In peace ] On leaving a dying person the Jews said, ‘Go in peace ’ ( Be sha…
Simeon uses a powerful word here, "release," which suggests a slave being set free. He doesn't just see the fulfillment of God's promise in Jesus; he feels personally "manumitted" from the duty of waiting, ready to depart into eternal rest. This isn't just a peaceful death, but a divinely ordained freedom granted exactly as God promised.
Simeon, an elderly and righteous man, has been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. After waiting faithfully, he finally sees the infant Jesus brought to the temple by his parents, fulfilling God's specific word to him. Now, with his life's ultimate purpose realized, Simeon joyfully expresses his readiness to depart from this life in peace.
Simeon, an elderly and righteous man, has been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. After waiting faithfully, he finally sees the infant Jesus brought to the temple by his parents, fulfilling God's specific word to him. Now, with his life's ultimate purpose realized, Simeon joyfully expresses his readiness to depart from this life in peace.
"“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;" — Simeon uses a powerful word here, "release," which suggests a slave being set free. He doesn't just see the fulfillment of God's promise in Jesus; he feels personally "manumitted" from the duty of wa…
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Last reviewed October 2026