Teks -- Luke 2:29 (NET)

2:29 “Now, according to your word, Sovereign Lord, permit your servant to depart in peace.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Luk 2:29 - Now lettest thou

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 apoluō was common for the manumission of slaves and Simeon here calls himself "thy slave (doulon sou ), Lord (Despota , our despot)."See 2Pe 2:1.

Vincent: Luk 2:29 - Lettest thou thy servant depart

Lettest thou thy servant depart ( ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου )

Lit., thou dost release. The word is often used of manumitting or setting free on payment of ransom; and as Simeon uses the word for bond-servant, it is evident that his death is conceived by him under the figure of enfranchisement from service. Godet's " release of a sentinel from duty" is fanciful.

Vincent: Luk 2:29 - O Lord

O Lord ( δέσποτα )

See on 2Pe 2:1.

Vincent: Luk 2:29 - In peace

In peace

Rev. properly puts this in its emphatic position at the end of the sentence.

JFB: Luk 2:29 - Lord

"Master," a word rarely used in the New Testament, and selected here with peculiar propriety, when the aged saint, feeling that his last object in wishing to live had now been attained, only awaited his Master's word of command to "depart."

JFB: Luk 2:29 - now lettest, &c.

More clearly, "now Thou art releasing Thy servant"; a patient yet reverential mode of expressing a desire to depart.

Clarke: Luk 2:29 - Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace - Now thou dismissest, απολυεις, loosest him from life; having lived long enough to have the grand end of life accomplished

Clarke: Luk 2:29 - According to thy word

According to thy word - It was promised to him, that he should not die till he had seen the Lord’ s anointed, Luk 2:26; and now, having seen him, he expects to be immediately dismissed in peace into the eternal world; having a full assurance and enjoyment of the salvation of God. Though Simeon means his death, yet the thing itself is not mentioned; for death has not only lost its sting, but its name also, to those who have, even by faith, seen the Lord’ s anointed.

Calvin: Luk 2:29 - Thou now sendest thy servant away

29.Thou now sendest thy servant away From this song it is sufficiently evident, that Simeon looked at the Son of God with different eyes from the eyes of flesh. For the outward beholding of Christ could have produced no feeling but contempt, or, at least, would never have imparted such satisfaction to the mind of the holy man, as to make him joyful and desirous to die, from having reached the summit of his wishes. The Spirit of God enlightened his eyes by faith, to perceive, under a mean and poor dress, the glory of the Son of God. He says, that he would be sent away in peace; which means, that he would die with composure of mind, having obtained all that he desired.

But here a question arises. If he chose rather to depart from life, was it amidst distress of mind and murmuring, as is usually the case with those who die unwillingly, that Simeon was hurried away? I answer: we must attend to the circumstance which is added, according to thy word God had promised that Simeon would behold his Son. He had good reason for continuing in a state of suspense, and must have lived in some anxiety, till he obtained his expectation. This ought to be carefully observed; for there are many who falsely and improperly plead the example of Simeon, and boast that they would willingly die, if this or the other thing were previously granted to them; while they allow themselves to entertain rash wishes at their own pleasure, or to form vain expectations without the authority of the Word of God. If Simeon had said exactly, “Now I shall die with a composed and easy mind, because I have seen the Son of God,” this expression would have indicated the weakness of his faith; but, as he had the word, he might have refused to die until the coming of Christ.

TSK: Luk 2:29 - now // according

now : Gen 15:15, Gen 46:30; Psa 37:37; Isa 57:1, Isa 57:2; Phi 1:23; Rev 14:13

according : Luk 2:26

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Luk 2:29-32 - Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word // depart // According to thy word // in peace // For mine eyes have seen thy salvation // Thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people // A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel // And the glory of thy people Israel

Ver. 29-32. The song consists of an eulogium of Christ, whom Simeon here calls:

1. The Lord’ s salvation;

2. A light to lighten the Gentiles;

3. The glory of Israel;

and a petition, that now the Lord would let him depart in peace. But I shall take the words in order.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word He desireth to die, having now lived to see what alone he desired life for. It is a speech much like Jacob’ s, Gen 46:30 , when he had seen Joseph, whom he thought lost, but spoken here upon a much more weighty consideration. The word translated

depart signifies to absolve, and forgive, Luk 6:37 ; to dismiss, and to deliver as from bondage and misery. It is used to express the death of good men, by the Septuagint, Gen 15:15 Num 20:29 ; and the noun from it is used so by the apostle, 2Pe 1:15 . Simeon owns God to be the Lord of his life, who had the power of it, and could alone dismiss him; and signifieth himself to be an old man, satisfied with days, willing to be at rest from the miseries of this life; but he begs to be dismissed, and to die in peace, that is, happily: see Gen 15:15 2Ki 22:20 Psa 4:8 .

According to thy word that is, thy promise, mentioned Luk 2:26 . But the putting of these words in before those words

in peace seems to import that he could not die in peace before he had seen God’ s word fulfilled to him, in which he had made him to hope.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation that is, thy Christ, according to the revelation I had from thee. Simeon had a special revelation of a corporeal sight of Christ; he could not die happily till he had had that. None of us can die in peace, till we have seen the Lord’ s salvation with a spiritual eye, and made application of the promises of the gospel, in the more general revelation of his word.

Thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people that is, the author of salvation, for there is no salvation in any other, Act 4:12 . Simeon declares that this salvation was prepared for all people. Isa 11:10 , he was prophesied of as an ensign for the people, to it shall the Gentiles seek. So Isa 52:10 , The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. So Psa 98:2 . Simeon speaks the same thing more particularly, Luk 2:32 ,

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel All the people mentioned Luk 2:32 were either Gentiles or Jews. Simeon here prophesieth, that Christ should lighten the Gentiles. The state of the Gentiles (by whom were understood all the people in the world except the Jews) is often in Scripture expressed under the notion of darkness, both in respect of the ignorance of the true God which was amongst them, and of their idolatry and superstition, and their lewd and wicked lives, much proportioned to their religion. Hence Paul is said to be sent to the Gentiles, to turn them from darkness to light, Act 26:18 . Christ is called light; Joh 8:12 , I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. So Joh 9:5 . Conformable to the old prophecies: Isa 60:1-3 , Arise, shine, for thy light is come. Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light. And speaking of Christ, Isa 49:6 , I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. So Isa 42:6 , And give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. See Psa 98:3 Act 13:47 .

And the glory of thy people Israel All the earth is the Lord’ s, but Israel is called his son, his first born, Exo 4:22 . Christ was the minister of the circumcision, Rom 15:8 . To them it was that he was promised, of them it was that he was born, Rom 9:5 . Amongst them it was that he preached and wrought miracles: He came unto his own, Joh 1:11 . It was said of old, I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory, Isa 46:13 . Christ is the glory of any people; the preaching of Christ, the owning and professing of Christ, a living up to his rules, this is a people’ s glory. And as some do this more and better than others, so in God’ s account they differ from others in what is true glory.

Gill: Luk 2:29 - Lord, now lettest thou thy servant // depart in peace // according to thy word

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant,.... He acknowledges him as his Lord, and to have a despotic power over him with respect to life and death; and himself as his servant, which he was, both by creation and grace: and though it expresses humiliation, and a sense of distance and unworthiness, yet to be a servant of the most high God, is a very high and honourable character: what he requests of the Lord is that he might

depart in peace; signifying his hearty desire to die, and with what cheerfulness he should meet death, having obtained all that he could wish for and desire, in seeing and embracing the Saviour: he expresses his death, by a departure out of the world, as in Joh 13:1 Phi 1:21 agreeably to the way of speaking of it among the Jews. See Gill on Phi 1:21 and by a word, which signifies a loosing of bonds; death being a dissolving the bond of union, between soul and body, and a deliverance, as from prison and bondage; the body being, as it were, a prison to the soul in the present state of things: and he also intimates, that whereas, though he had the strongest assurances of the Messiah's coming, and of his coming before his death, by the revelation of the Holy Ghost, and so most firmly believed it, without fluctuation, and hesitation of mind; yet as hope deferred makes the heart sick, he was anxious and restless in his desire, till it was accomplished; but now being come, he could take his leave of the world, and his entrance into eternity, with the greatest calmness and tranquillity of mind, having nothing to disturb him, nor more to desire: he adds,

according to thy word; for he seems to have understood by the revelation made to him, that as he should not die before he saw the Messiah, so, when he had seen him, that he should immediately, or in a very short time after, be removed by death; and which he greatly desired, and in which, he sinned not, because his request was according to the word of God: whereas often, desires of death are not only without the word of God, and due resignation to his will, and any regard to his glory, but to be rid of some trouble, or gratify some lust, as pride, revenge, &c.