Psalms 92:10

92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox. ¹ 

I am covered ²  with fresh oil.

Psalms 148:14

148:14 He has made his people victorious, ³ 

and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –

the Israelites, the people who are close to him. ⁴ 

Praise the Lord!

Ezekiel 29:21

29:21 On that day I will make Israel powerful, ⁵  and I will give you the right to be heard ⁶  among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Luke 1:69

1:69 For ⁷  he has raised up ⁸  a horn of salvation ⁹  for us in the house of his servant David, ¹⁰ 

¹ sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).

² tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”

³ tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the Lord gives his people military victory.

⁴ tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.

⁵ tn Heb “I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.” The horn is used as a figure for military power in the OT (Ps 92:10). A similar expression is made about the Davidic dynasty in Ps 132:17.

⁶ tn Heb “I will grant you an open mouth.”

⁷ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

⁸ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

⁹ sn The horn of salvation is a figure that refers to the power of Messiah and his ability to protect, as the horn refers to what an animal uses to attack and defend (Ps 75:4-5, 10; 148:14; 2 Sam 22:3). Thus the meaning of the figure is “a powerful savior.”

¹⁰ sn In the house of his servant David is a reference to Messiah’s Davidic descent. Zechariah is more interested in Jesus than his own son John at this point.