He Was Unable to Speak to Them
They realized he had seen a vision. Luke did not say how they came to this conclusion, but the implication is that they noted the delay and the muteness of Zechariah and assumed that something must have happened in the sanctuary where God dwelt.
Lk. 1:23 This transition verse explains the return of Zechariah and Elizabeth to their home somewhere in Judah (Lk. 1:39).
Lk. 1:24 For five months remained in seclusion. We know of no custom that would have required Elizabeth to do this. During this period her pregnancy apparently was unknown (cf. Lk. 1:36). Some have suggested that Elizabeth went into seclusion in order to avoid reproach from incredulous neighbors during the time when her pregnancy was not obvious. Luke, however, did not explain why Elizabeth remained in seclusion, but this explains Mary’s ignorance of Elizabeth’s pregnancy in Lk. 1:36.
Lk. 1:25 The Lord has done this for me. In typical Jewish piety praise is addressed to God for what he has done. Attention was focused by Elizabeth for her neighbors and by Luke for his readers on the “Bless-or” rather than the blessing. Compare Gen 21:6; Gen. 30:23—“God has.”
He has … taken away my disgrace. Compare Gen 30:23. For childlessness as a disgrace, see comments on Lk. 1:6. (The hoti that begins this sentence should be left untranslated. It is best understood as introducing a quotation rather than a causal clause.)
Stein, Robert H. Luke. Vol. 24. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992. Print. The New American Commentary.
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