Luke 1:6

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.

King James Version (1611)
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the Commandements and ordinances of the Lord, blamelesse.

King James Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

English Standard Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

New American Standard Bible
They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

New Century Version
Zechariah and Elizabeth truly did what God said was good. They did everything the Lord commanded and were without fault in keeping his law.

Amplified Bible
They both were righteous (approved) in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and righteous requirements of the Lord.

Berean Standard Bible
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded.

Complete Jewish Bible
Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of Adonai blamelessly.

Darby Translation
And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Easy-to-Read Version
Zechariah and Elizabeth were both good people who pleased God. They did everything the Lord commanded, always following his instructions completely.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Both were iust before God, and walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord, without reproofe.

George Lamsa Translation
They were both righteous before God, and walked in all his commandments, and in the righteousness of the Lord without blame.

Good News Translation
They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.

Lexham English Bible
And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

Literal Translation
And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

American Standard Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Bible in Basic English
They were upright in the eyes of God, keeping all the rules and orders of God, and doing no wrong.

Hebrew Names Version
They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the mitzvot and ordinances of the Lord.

International Standard Version
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, and they lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord.Genesis 7:1; 17:1; 1 Kings 9:4; 2 Kings 20:3; Job 1:1:1; Acts 23:1; 24:16; Philippians 3:6;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And they were both just before Aloha, and walked in all his commandments, and in the righteousness of the Lord, without blame.

Murdock Translation
And they were both upright before God, and walked in all his commandments, and in the righteousness of the Lord, without reproach.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They were both ryghteous before God, and walked in all the lawes and ordinaunces of the Lorde, that no man coulde fynde fault with them.

English Revised Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

World English Bible
They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Weymouth's New Testament
They were both of them upright before God, blamelessly obeying all the Lord's precepts and ordinances.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And bothe weren iust bifor God, goynge in alle the maundementis and iustifiyngis of the Lord, withouten pleynt.

Update Bible Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

New English Translation
They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.

New King James Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

New Living Translation
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations.

New Life Bible
They were right with God and obeyed the Jewish Law and did what the Lord said to do.

New Revised Standard
Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and righteous appointments of the Lord, blameless;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame.

Revised Standard Version
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Booth were perfect before God and walked in all the lawes and ordinaces of the Lorde that no man coulde fynde fawte with them.

Young's Literal Translation
and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They were both righteous before God, and walked in all the commaundementes and statutes of the LORDE vnreproueably.

Mace New Testament (1729)
they were both of them sincerely pious; observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; with unspotted reputation.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Zechariah and Elizabeth were good people. They did everything God ever told 'em to do.

Contextual Overview

⁵During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. ⁸It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. ¹³But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God." Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman." But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time—God's time." Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people. When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said. In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom." Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her. Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly, You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true! And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home. When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives, seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zachariah after his father. But his mother intervened: "No. He is to be called John." "But," they said, "no one in your family is named that." They used sign language to ask Zachariah what he wanted him named. Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, "His name is to be John." That took everyone by surprise. Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah's mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and he was talking, praising God! A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all that Judean hill country people talked about nothing else. Everyone who heard about it took it to heart, wondering, "What will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this." Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free. He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives, and in the very house of David his servant, Just as he promised long ago through the preaching of his holy prophets: Deliverance from our enemies and every hateful hand; Mercy to our fathers, as he remembers to do what he said he'd do, What he swore to our father Abraham— a clean rescue from the enemy camp, So we can worship him without a care in the world, made holy before him as long as we live. And you, my child, "Prophet of the Highest," will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways, Present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins. Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel. ¹⁶ So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught. During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God." Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman." But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time—God's time." Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people. When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said. In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom." Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her. Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly, You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true! And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home. When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives, seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zachariah after his father. But his mother intervened: "No. He is to be called John." "But," they said, "no one in your family is named that." They used sign language to ask Zachariah what he wanted him named. Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, "His name is to be John." That took everyone by surprise. Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah's mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and he was talking, praising God! A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all that Judean hill country people talked about nothing else. Everyone who heard about it took it to heart, wondering, "What will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this." Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free. He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives, and in the very house of David his servant, Just as he promised long ago through the preaching of his holy prophets: Deliverance from our enemies and every hateful hand; Mercy to our fathers, as he remembers to do what he said he'd do, What he swore to our father Abraham— a clean rescue from the enemy camp, So we can worship him without a care in the world, made holy before him as long as we live. And you, my child, "Prophet of the Highest," will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways, Present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins. Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel. ¹⁷ So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught. During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God." ¹⁸ Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman." ¹⁹But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time—God's time." ²¹Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people. ²³When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

righteous: Luke 16:15, Genesis 6:9, Genesis 7:1, Genesis 17:1, Job 1:1, Job 1:8, Job 9:2, Romans 3:9-25, Philippians 3:6-9, Titus 3:3-7

walking: 1 Kings 9:4, 2 Kings 20:3, Psalms 119:6, Acts 23:1, Acts 24:16, 1 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Corinthians 1:12, Philippians 3:6, Titus 2:11-14, 1 John 2:3, 1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:7

blameless: Philippians 2:15, Colossians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 2 Peter 3:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 5:22 - General Genesis 6:11 - before Genesis 21:4 - General Genesis 48:15 - did walk Exodus 36:1 - according Leviticus 18:4 - General Numbers 2:34 - according Deuteronomy 4:1 - unto the statutes Deuteronomy 5:33 - walk Deuteronomy 8:6 - walk Deuteronomy 11:32 - General Deuteronomy 13:4 - walk Deuteronomy 28:1 - to do all 2 Samuel 22:23 - For all 1 Kings 2:4 - walk 1 Kings 15:5 - David 2 Chronicles 6:14 - walk before 2 Chronicles 17:4 - walked 2 Chronicles 33:8 - to do all Psalms 15:2 - He Psalms 26:11 - I will Psalms 89:30 - walk Psalms 103:18 - remember Psalms 116:9 - walk Psalms 119:1 - walk Psalms 128:1 - walketh Proverbs 8:34 - watching Proverbs 16:31 - if Proverbs 20:7 - just Proverbs 31:30 - a woman Ecclesiastes 2:26 - in his sight Ecclesiastes 6:8 - the poor Isaiah 24:5 - changed Isaiah 26:8 - in Isaiah 33:15 - that walketh Isaiah 57:2 - in his uprightness Ezekiel 11:20 - they may Ezekiel 18:9 - walked Ezekiel 18:21 - and keep Ezekiel 33:15 - walk Malachi 2:6 - he walked Matthew 3:15 - for Matthew 6:33 - his Luke 2:25 - just Luke 2:39 - performed Luke 22:8 - Go Romans 13:13 - us Colossians 2:14 - the handwriting 1 Timothy 2:2 - all godliness 1 Timothy 3:2 - blameless Titus 2:12 - live Hebrews 9:1 - had James 1:27 - Pure

Cross-References

Genesis 1:6
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.

Genesis 1:11
God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.

Genesis 1:14
God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was.

Genesis 1:20
God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!" God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!" It was evening, it was morning— Day Five.

Genesis 1:26
God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

Psalms 19:1
A David Psalm God's glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.

Psalms 33:6
The skies were made by God 's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out. He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg.

Psalms 150:1
Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies; Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his magnificent greatness; Praise with a blast on the trumpet, praise by strumming soft strings; Praise him with castanets and dance, praise him with banjo and flute; Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum, praise him with fiddles and mandolin. Let every living, breathing creature praise God ! Hallelujah!

Ecclesiastes 11:3
When the clouds are full of water, it rains. When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls. Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.

Jeremiah 10:10
But God is the real thing— the living God, the eternal King. When he's angry, Earth shakes. Yes, and the godless nations quake.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they were both righteous before God,.... Not as the Pharisees, only righteous before men, but in the sight of God, who sees the heart, and whose judgment is according to truth; and therefore were not justified by the deeds of the law; for by them no man can be justified in the sight of God; but were made righteous through the righteousness of Christ, by which the saints were made righteous before the coming of Christ, as those after it: see

Acts 15:11. God beheld them in his Son, as clothed with that righteousness he engaged to bring in, and as cleansed from all sin in that blood of his which was to be shed: and they appeared to him, and in the eye of his justice, and according to his law, righteous persons: though this character may also regard the internal holiness of their hearts, and the truth and sincerity of grace in them: which God, who trieth the hearts and reins of the children of men, knew, took notice of, and bore testimony to: as likewise their holy, upright walk and conversation before men, and which was observed by God, and acceptable to him, though imperfect, as arising from a principle of grace, being performed in the faith and fear of him, and with a view to his glory, and for the sake, and through the righteousness of his Son.

Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord: this was not the matter of their righteousness before God, but the evidence of it before men: "by the commandments" are meant, all those that are of a moral nature, which regarded their duty to God and man, and which are comprehended in love to both; and by "the ordinances of the Lord", are intended the injunctions and institutions of the ceremonial law, which is called the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, which, though now abolished, were then in force: and it was right and commendable in them to observe them, who, by their "walking" in them, showed they loved them, both one and the other; esteemed them, concerning all things to be right; and had respect to them all, and observed them, and took pleasure in walking in them, which, by the grace of God, they continued to do; for walking not only shows that these commands and ordinances were a way marked out for them, but in which they took pleasure, and made progress: and were

blameless; not that they were without sin, as none are; and it appears from this chapter that Zacharias was not, see Luke 1:20 but they were so in the sight of God; as they were justified by the righteousness of Christ, so they were without fault before the throne, and unreproveable before God; and as to their moral and religious character and conduct before men, they did not indulge themselves in any known sin, but lived in all good conscience among men: nor were they remiss and negligent in the discharge of duty: they were not guilty of any notorious breach of the law of God, or of any remarkable negligence in the business of religious observances: and though they might observe enough in them to charge themselves with, and to humble themselves before God and men; yet so strict were they, in their lives and conversations, that those who were the most intimately acquainted with them, had nothing very material to blame them for.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Both righteous - Both “just” or holy. This means here more than external conformity to the law. It is an honorable testimonial of their “piety” toward God.

Walking in ... - Keeping the commandments. To walk in the way that God commands is “to obey.”

Ordinances - Rites and customs which God had ordained or appointed. These words refer to all the duties of religion which were made known to them.

Blameless - That is, no fault or deficiency could be found in them. They were strict, exact, punctual. Yet this, if it had been mere “external” observance, might have been no proof of piety. Paul, before his conversion, also kept the law “externally” blameless, Philippians 3:6. But in the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth it was real love to God and sincere regard for his law.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 1:6. They were both righteous — Upright and holy in all their outward conduct in civil life.

Before God — Possessing the spirit of the religion they professed; exercising themselves constantly in the presence of their Maker, whose eye, they knew, was upon all their conduct, and who examined all their motives.

Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. — None being able to lay any evil to their charge. They were as exemplary and conscientious in the discharge of their religious duties as they were in the discharge of the offices of civil life. What a sacred pair! they made their duty to God, to their neighbour, and to themselves, walk constantly hand in hand. Matthew 3:15. Perhaps εντολαι, commandments, may here mean the decalogue; and δικαιωματα, ordinances, the ceremonial and judicial laws which were delivered after the decalogue: as all the precepts delivered from Exodus 21:1ff to Exodus 24:1ff are termed δικαιωματα, judgments or ordinances.