Luke 1:12 kjv
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Luke 1:12 nkjv
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Luke 1:12 niv
When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
Luke 1:12 esv
And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
Luke 1:12 nlt
Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
Luke 1 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 10:7-9 | "I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision... so a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled... so I was left alone..." | Daniel's men flee in fear of angelic presence. |
| Matt 17:6 | "When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified." | Disciples' terror at divine voice, Mount of Transfiguration. |
| Rev 1:17 | "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead..." | John's collapse at sight of glorified Christ. |
| Gen 15:12 | "As the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and a great and dreadful darkness fell upon him." | Abraham's terror before covenant revelation. |
| Exod 3:6 | "Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." | Moses's fear before the burning bush. |
| Judges 6:22 | "When Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord, Gideon said, 'Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.'" | Gideon's fear upon realizing angel's identity. |
| Judges 13:20,22 | "The angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar... Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, 'We shall surely die, for we have seen God!'" | Manoah and wife's fear after angel's departure. |
| Luke 1:29 | "But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be." | Mary's trouble, not terror, at Gabriel's greeting. |
| Luke 2:9 | "And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid." | Shepherds' great fear at angelic appearance. |
| Acts 10:4 | "And as he stared at him in terror and said, 'What is it, Lord?'..." | Cornelius's terror at the sight of an angel. |
| Job 4:14 | "Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake." | Eliphaz's terrifying experience of a spirit. |
| Isa 6:5 | "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips... for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" | Isaiah's profound realization and fear in God's presence. |
| Ezek 1:28 | "Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face..." | Ezekiel falling in awe before the glory of the LORD. |
| 1 Sam 5:9 | "And when they had brought it over, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic..." | Panic at the presence of the Ark of God. |
| Gen 28:17 | "And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'" | Jacob's fear and awe at Bethel. |
| Deut 5:24-25 | "The LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire... If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die." | Israel's terror at Sinai. |
| Phil 2:12 | "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..." | Reverential fear and serious attention to faith. |
| Heb 12:28-29 | "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire." | God's consuming fire evokes reverence and godly fear. |
| Ps 119:120 | "My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments." | The Psalmist's awe of God's holy judgments. |
| Amos 3:8 | "The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?" | Fear is a natural response to God's revelation. |
Luke 1 verses
Luke 1 12 Meaning
Luke 1:12 describes Zacharias' immediate, overwhelming reaction to the appearance of the angel Gabriel within the holy space of the Temple. His inner self was deeply agitated and disturbed, followed by an intense and powerful dread or terror that physically fell upon him, signifying a complete engulfment by fear. This reaction highlights the profound human apprehension in the face of the supernatural and divine presence.
Luke 1 12 Context
Luke 1:12 is situated within the narrative of the announcement of John the Baptist's birth to his elderly, childless father, Zacharias, a priest of the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5-7). Zacharias was performing his sacred priestly duty in the Holy Place of the Temple, specifically at the altar of incense, an honor that fell to him by lot only once in his lifetime (Luke 1:8-10). This was the most hallowed part of the daily temple service, symbolizing the prayers of Israel ascending to God. The appearance of the angel Gabriel next to the altar of incense (Luke 1:11) would have been profoundly unexpected and unprecedented, breaking the silence and solemnity of Zacharias's solitary, sacred service. This verse directly precedes Gabriel's significant message about the coming birth of John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for the Lord (Luke 1:13-17). The context underscores the setting as a divine encounter within a profoundly holy space and pivotal moment in salvation history.
Luke 1 12 Word analysis
- And: Kai (Greek). Connects the present scene with the previous verse (Luke 1:11), establishing a narrative flow where the angel's appearance immediately elicits Zacharias's reaction.
- when Zacharias: Refers to the specific individual, an elder priest, chosen by lot for this significant priestly duty. His status highlights that even the pious and those accustomed to the Temple's reverence are overcome by the divine.
- saw him: Idon (Greek: ἰδών). A participle of horaō, meaning "to see, perceive with the eyes." This indicates a direct, visual apprehension of the angel, not a vision or dream, underscoring the reality of the angelic presence. "Him" refers to the angel of the Lord, later identified as Gabriel (Luke 1:19).
- he was troubled: Etarachthe (Greek: ἐταράχθη). Passive aorist indicative of tarassō, meaning "to stir up, agitate, throw into confusion." It denotes a deep inner commotion, distress, or disquiet. This is more than mere surprise; it implies a profound disturbance of his entire being, suggesting emotional upheaval and bewilderment.
- and fear: Phobos (Greek: φόβος). Meaning "fear, terror, dread, panic." While "troubled" refers to internal agitation, "fear" denotes the specific emotion of dread or terror itself. In biblical contexts, phobos in response to God or angels often conveys reverential awe, but here, coupled with "troubled" and "fell upon him," it's clearly initial terror or dread.
- fell upon him: Epepesen ep' auton (Greek: ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ' αὐτόν). Epipiptō means "to fall upon, fall on." This is a strong, dramatic idiom conveying an overwhelming, irresistible sensation. The fear was not just experienced by him; it enveloped him entirely, as if physically pressing down on or seizing him. This imagery emphasizes the intense, involuntary, and consuming nature of his terror.
Luke 1 12 Bonus section
- The profound contrast between Zacharias, a high-ranking priest in a consecrated space, being utterly overwhelmed, and Mary's subsequent response (Luke 1:29). While Mary was "troubled" by the greeting, Luke does not describe terror "falling upon" her in the same intense way, perhaps hinting at her unique readiness or the specific divine grace preparing her.
- This immediate and involuntary fear sets the stage for Zacharias's subsequent, and unbiblical, response of doubt regarding the angel's message (Luke 1:18). While the fear itself was a natural human reaction and not rebuked, his disbelief in the face of a direct angelic pronouncement within the Temple context led to a divine consequence (muteness).
- The dramatic language emphasizes the weightiness of the upcoming revelation, preparing both Zacharias and the reader for something truly extraordinary and divinely initiated.
Luke 1 12 Commentary
Luke 1:12 provides a crucial glimpse into the profound and often terrifying impact of divine encounters on human beings. Zacharias, a devout priest performing his sacred duties in the holiest part of the Temple, would have been familiar with the reverence due to God. Yet, when confronted directly by a divine messenger, his learned piety offered no shield against overwhelming human emotion. The immediate internal trouble (etarachthe) highlights a complete disorientation, a stirring up of his composure, followed by fear (phobos) that fell upon him with immense, suffocating force. This response is not a mark of weakness but a natural human reaction to finite beings encountering infinite, supernatural power and holiness. It underscores the transcendence of God and His emissaries. The scene prepares the reader for the weighty and momentous message the angel is about to deliver, signaling that God is powerfully intervening in history, eliciting a natural, overwhelming awe, and at times, terror, even from the most righteous among us.