Benedictus (canticle)
The Benedictus (also Song of Zechariah or Canticle of Zachary), given in
The canticle received its name from its first words in Latin ("Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel", “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”).
Structure
The whole canticle naturally falls into two parts. The first (verses 68–75) is a song of thanksgiving for the realization of the
The second part of the canticle is an address by Zechariah to his own son, who was to take so important a part in the scheme of the Redemption; for he was to be a prophet, and to preach the remission of sins before the coming of the Redeemer from on high. The prophecy that he was to "go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways" (v. 76) was of course an allusion to the well-known words of Isaiah 40:3 which John himself afterwards applied to his own mission (John 1:23), and which all three
Use in worship
The Pulpit Commentary refers to a belief that the Benedictus was "first introduced into the public worship of the Church about the middle of the sixth century by St. Caesarius of Arles".[2]
In the
It is one of the canticles in the
Texts
Greek
The Greek version of the canticle appears in the Gospel of Luke 1:68-79:
- Εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ,
- ὁτι ἐπεσκέψατο καὶ ἐποίησεν λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ,
- καὶ ἠγειρεν κέρας σωτηρίας ἡμῖν
- ἐν οἴκῳ Δαυὶδ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ,
- καθὼς ἐλάλησεν διὰ στόματος τῶν ἀγίων ἀπ' αἰῶνος προφητῶν αὐτοῦ,
- σωτηρίαν ἐξ ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν μισούντων ἡμᾶς·
- ποιῆσαι ἔλεος μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν
- καὶ μνησθῆναι διαθήκης ἀγίας αὐτοῦ,
- ὅρκον ὃν ὤμοσεν πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν,
- τοῦ δοῦναι ἡμῖν
- ἀφόβως ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ῥυσθέντας
- λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ἐν ὁσιότητι
- καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἡμῶν.
- Καὶ σὺ δέ, παιδίον, προφήτης ὑψίστου κληθήσῃ,
- προπορεύσῃ γὰρ ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἑτοιμάσαι ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ,
- τοῦ δοῦναι γνῶσιν σωτηρίας τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ
- ἐν ἀφέσει ἀμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν,
- διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους θεοῦ ἡμῶν,
- ἐν οἷς ἐπισκέψεται ἡμᾶς ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὑψους,
- ἐπιφᾶναι τοῖς ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου καθημένοις,
- τοῦ κατευθῦναι τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν εἰς ὁδὸν εἰρήνης.
Latin
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel; quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebis suae
- et erexit cornu salutis nobis, in domo David pueri sui,
- sicut locutus est per os sanctorum, qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius,
- salutem ex inimicis nostris, et de manu omnium, qui oderunt nos;
- ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris, et memorari testamenti sui sancti,
- iusiurandum, quod iuravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum, daturum se nobis,
- ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum nostrum liberati, serviamus illi
- in sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso omnibus diebus nostris.
- Et tu, puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis: praeibis enim ante faciem Domini parare vias eius,
- ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi eius in remissionem peccatorum eorum,
- per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri, in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto,
- illuminare his, qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent, ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis.
English
International Commission on English in the Liturgy
- Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
- he has come to his people and set them free.
- He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
- born of the house of his servant David.
- Through his holy prophets he promised of old
- that he would save us from our enemies,
- from the hands of all who hate us.
- He promised to show mercy to our fathers
- and to remember his holy covenant.
- This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
- to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
- free to worship him without fear,
- holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
- You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
- for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
- to give his people knowledge of salvation
- by the forgiveness of their sins.
- In the tender compassion of our God
- the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
- to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
- and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The United Methodist Hymnal
- Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
- who has come to set the chosen people free.
- The Lord has raised up for us
- a mighty Savior from the house of David.
- Through the holy prophets, God promised of old
- to save us from our enemies,
- from the hands of all who hate us;
- to show mercy to our forebears
- and to remember the holy covenant.
- This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham
- to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
- free to worship without fear,
- holy and righteous in the Lord's sight,
- all the days of our life. R
- and you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
- for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
- to give God's people knowledge of salvation
- by the forgiveness of their sins.
- In the tender compassion of our God
- the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
- to shine on those who dwell in the darkness and the shadow of death,
- and to guide our feet into the way of peace. R
New American Bible
- Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
- for he has visited and brought redemption to his people.
- He has raised up a horn for our salvation
- within the house of David his servant,
- even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old:
- salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
- to show mercy to our fathers
- and to be mindful of his holy covenant
- and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
- and to grant us that, rescued from the hand of enemies,
- without fear we might worship him in holiness and righteousness
- before him all our days.
- And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
- for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
- to give his people knowledge of salvation
- through the forgiveness of their sins,
- because of the tender mercy of our God
- by which the daybreak from on high will visit us
- to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow,
- to guide our feet into the path of peace.
Douay–Rheims
From the Douay–Rheims Bible (Challoner Revision):[5]
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of His people:
- And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:
- As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:
- Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:
- To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,
- The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,
- That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,
- In holiness and justice before him, all our days.
- And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
- To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins:
- Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
- To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.
Book of Common Prayer
From the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:[6]
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel : for he hath visited, and redeemed his people;
- And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us : in the house of his servant David;
- As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets : which have been since the world began;
- That we should be saved from our enemies : and from the hands of all that hate us;
- To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers : and to remember his holy Covenant;
- To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham : that he would give us;
- That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies : might serve him without fear;
- In holiness and righteousness before him : all the days of our life.
- And thou, Child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
- To give knowledge of salvation unto his people : for the remission of their sins,
- Through the tender mercy of our God : whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
- To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death : and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Ward, Bernard. "The Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 11 Jan. 2014
- ^ Pulpit Commentary on Luke 1, accessed 18 May 2018
- ^ Baumer, Histoire du Bréviaire, I, 253.
- ^ "Neovulgate (official text of the Roman Catholic Church)". Archived from the original on 2010-03-15.
- ^ Douay–Rheims Catholic Bible Online
- ^ The 1662 Book of Common Prayer
External links
- List of available settings at Choral Public Domain Library.
- Order for Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer
- Pope John Paul II, "Reflection on Canticle of Zechariah", General Audience, October 1, 2003
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "The Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary)". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.