Luke 2:29-32

2:29 “Now, according to your word, ¹  Sovereign Lord, ²  permit ³  your servant ⁴  to depart ⁵  in peace.

2:30 For my eyes have seen your salvation ⁶ 

2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: ⁷ 

2:32 a light, ⁸ 

for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory ⁹  to your people Israel.”

[2:29]  ¹ sn The phrase according to your word again emphasizes that God will perform his promise.

[2:29]  ² tn The Greek word translated here by “Sovereign Lord” is δεσπότης (despoth").

[2:29]  ³ sn This short prophetic declaration is sometimes called the Nunc dimittis, which comes from the opening phrase of the saying in Latin, “now dismiss,” a fairly literal translation of the Greek verb ἀπολύεις (apolueis, “now release”) in this verse.

[2:29]  ⁴ tn Here the Greek word δοῦλος (doulos, “slave”) has been translated “servant” since it acts almost as an honorific term for one specially chosen and appointed to carry out the Lord’s tasks.

[2:29]  ⁵ tn Grk “now release your servant.”

[2:30]  ⁶ sn To see Jesus, the Messiah, is to see God’s salvation.

[2:31]  ⁷ sn Is the phrase all peoples a reference to Israel alone, or to both Israel and the Gentiles? The following verse makes it clear that all peoples includes Gentiles, another key Lukan emphasis (Luke 24:47; Acts 10:34-43).

[2:32]  ⁸ tn The syntax of this verse is disputed. Most read “light” and “glory” in parallelism, so Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and is glory to the people for Israel. Others see “light” (1:78-79) as a summary, while “revelation” and “glory” are parallel, so Jesus is light for all, but is revelation for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. Both readings make good sense and either could be correct, but Luke 1:78-79 and Acts 26:22-23 slightly favor this second option.

[2:32]  ⁹ sn In other words, Jesus is a special cause for praise and honor (“glory”) for the nation.