5. King. A title decreed to Herod by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Antony and Octavius. The Greek style now gives place to the Hebraized style. See Introduction.
Course (ébnpepias). Lit., dacly service. The college of priests was divided into twenty-four courses. Each of these did duty for eight days, from one Sabbath to another, once every six months. The service of the week was subdivided among the various families which constituted a course. On Sab- baths the whole course was on duty. On feast-days any priest might come up and join in the ministrations of the sanctuary ; and at the Feast of Tabernacles all the twenty-four courses were bound to be present and officiate. The course of Abijah was the eighth of the twenty-four. See 1 Chron. xxiv. 10.
6. Before God. A Hebrew expression. Compare Gen. vii. Ls Acteaviii. 21:
7. Well stricken (apoBeB8nxores). Lit., advanced. Wyc., had gone far in ther days.
9. His lot was (€Aaye). Four lots were drawn to determine - the order of the ministry of the day: the first, before day- break, to designate the priests who were to cleanse the altar and prepare its fires ; the second for the priest who was to offer the sacrifice and cleanse the candlestick and the altar of incense ;
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the third for the priest who should burn incense ; and the fourth appointing those who were to lay the sacrifice and meat-offering on the altar, and pour out the drink-offering. In drawing the lot for the burning of incense, all were excluded who had previous- ly performed that service, unless all present had so officiated.
Temple (vacv). The sanctuary. See on Matt. iv. 5.
Burn incense (3vusacat). Only here in New Testament. The incensing priest and his assistants went first to the altar of burnt-offering, and filled a golden censer with incense, and placed burning coals from the altar in a golden bowl. As they passed into the court from the Holy Place they struck a large instrument called the Magrephah, which summoned all the min- isters to their places. Ascending the steps to the holy place, the priests spread the coals on the golden altar, and arranged the incense, and the chief officiating priest was then left alone within the Holy Place to await the signal of the president to burn the incense. It was probably at this time that the angel appeared to Zacharias. When the signal was given, the whole multitude withdrew from the inner court, and fell down before the Lord. Silence pervaded the temple, while within, the clouds of incense rose up before Jehovah. (For a more detailed account see Edersheim, “‘ The Temple, its Ministry,” ete.).
13. Is heard (efonxovcIn). If we render the aorist literally, was heard, we avoid the question as to what prayer is referred to. The reference is to the prayer for offspring, which, owing to his extreme years, Zacharias had probably ceased to offer, and which he certainly would not be preferring in that public and solemn service. Hence the aorist is appropriate, referring back to the past actsof prayer. “ That prayer, which thou no longer offerest, was heard.”