Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 2]
2:29 {Now lettest thou} (\nun apolueis\). Present active
indicative, {Thou art letting}. The _Nunc Dimittis_, adoration
and praise. It is full of rapture and vivid intensity (Plummer)
like the best of the Psalms. The verb \apolu•\ was common for the
manumission of slaves and Simeon here calls himself "thy slave
(\doulon sou\), Lord (\Despota\, our despot)." See 2Pe 2:1.
2:31 {Of all the peoples} (\pant•n t•n la•n\). Not merely Jews.
Another illustration of the universality of Luke's Gospel seen
already in 1:70 in the hymn of Zacharias. The second strophe of
the song according to Plummer showing what the Messiah will be to
the world after having shown what the Messiah is to Simeon.
2:32 {Revelation to the Gentiles} (\apokalupsin ethn•n\).
Objective genitive. The Messiah is to be light (\ph•s\) for the
Gentiles in darkness (1:70) and glory (\doxa\) for Israel (cf.
Ro 9:1-5; Isa 49:6). The word \ethnos\ originally meant just a
crowd or company, then a race or nation, then the nations other
than Israel (the people, \ho laos\) or the people of God. The
word Gentile is Latin from _gens_, a tribe or nation. But the
world-wide mission of the Messiah comes out clearly in these
early chapters in Luke.
2:33 {His father and his mother} (\ho pat•r autou kai h• m•t•r\).
Luke had already used "parents" in 2:27. He by no means intends
to deny the Virgin Birth of Jesus so plainly stated in 1:34-38.
He merely employs here the language of ordinary custom. The late
MSS. wrongly read "and Joseph" instead of "his father." {Were
marvelling} (\•n thaumazontes\). The masculine gender includes
the feminine when both are referred to. But \•n\ is singular, not
\•san\, the normal imperfect plural in this periphrastic
imperfect. This is due to the wide space between copula and
participle. The copula \•n\ agrees in number with \ho pat•r\
while the participle coming last agrees with both \ho pater kai
h• m•t•r\ (cf. Mt 17:3; 22:40). If one wonders why they
marvelled at Simeon's words after what they had heard from
Gabriel, Elisabeth, and the Shepherds, he should bear in mind
that every parent is astonished and pleased at the fine things
others see in the child. It is a mark of unusual insight for
others to see so much that is obvious to the parent. Simeon's
prophecy had gone beyond the angel's outline and it was
surprising that he should know anything about the child's
destiny.
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