The Benedictus of Zechariah, Luke 1: 68-79, the Canticle of Zechariah is popularly called the Benedictus because of the opening words in the Latin translation: "Benedictus Deus Israhel"—"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel." ... The Benedictus is a hymn of praise which celebrates the redemption of God through Jesus, the Davidic Messiah. It celebrates the primary virtues of God as a covenant partner: his mercy-kindness in choosing his partners (Abraham, David, the people of Israel) and his fidelity to the covenant. It recapitulates the saving interventions of God in the past. ... It is also a prophecy, as it points to the role of the prophet-precursor: the child John. But like anything else in the Gospel, the real point is Christological: it focuses on the "daybreak from on high" in whom God has visited his people and shown his mercy, namely, Jesus Christ, whose ways John will prepare.

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