“And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.”
He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth — the joy language is Luke's distinctive characteristic: joy (chara) and rejoicing (agalliasis) pervade the birth narratives and the Gospel's closing chapters (24:52). The many who rejoice communicates that John's birth is not merely a private family blessing but a public event with implications for all Israel. The birth announcement frames John's arrival as the beginning of a season of joy that was not possible while the forerunner had not yet appeared.
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