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RECALLING THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
-- by Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis
Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis of the Kol Ami Congregation in Flower Mound
offered several observations about how Luke's rendering recalls
the traditions of the Old Testament:
- The Scriptures often teach with typological stories, and Mary's
conception would certainly evoke the story of Hannah, not just
in the long awaited child as a gift of God, but also in the poetic
style. Both Hannah's and Mary's prayers are in a standard form
of Hebrew poetry, often referred to as parallelism, in which
the primary poetic elements are parallel semantic structure,
rather than rhyme or strict meter.
- The parallels are clear in verses 46-47: My soul doth magnify
the Lord & my spirit hath rejoiced in God my savior. Longer
parallels are found in verses 48-49, each having divine action
followed by naming: he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
. .all generations shall call me blessed & "he that is mighty
hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
- The Magnificat is also typical of the style and idiom of the
psalms. Very often, there will be a narrowing and widening of
focus from the individual speaker's situation to a broader paean
to God, then back again to the individual.
- The phrasing of the Magnificat also recalls some of the psalms.
For example, Psalm 113 ends with the following: "He raiseth up
the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his
people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a
joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord."
Commentaries:
Rev. R. Roy Baines, St. David's Episcopal:
"The
Birth of the Messiah."
Sally Cunneen, Catholic feminist scholar
"In
Search of Mary": A mosaic in the Jewish
tradition of justice and prophecy.
Brother Barnabas: Ronald D. Curley
Of St. Anthony's Retreat; Florence,
Montana
"The
Magnificat of Mary, Our Mother"
Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis; Kol Ami Congregation, Flower Mound
"Luke's
rendering recalls Old Testament traditions."
Rev. Alton Donsbach, ret. pastor of St. Paul Lutheran:
Reflections
on the Magnificat
Kay Kolb & Pat Miller, School Sisters of Notre Dame:
"Its
many themes touch people's real lives."
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