Translation
on account of the mercy that comes from deep inside the heart
Go to footnote numberof our God, by which the dawn
Go to footnote numberwill look upon us
Go to footnote numberfrom on high,
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
because of the intense and deeply felt compassion of our God through which the arrival of life-giving light will look upon us favorably from heaven,
Footnotes
1: “heart”
This word can mean “spleen, liver, heart, intestines, or simply internal organs in general.” It is the Greek word from which we get our English word “spleen.” The Greek literally says, “on account of the mercy of our God’s internal organs.” However, in this context it points to those inner parts as the seat of strong emotion, therefore this is a reference to deeply felt, and strongly felt compassion or mercy. In the translation column I use the word “heart” because that is something we can English readers can understand.
2
This word means “rising.” It usually refers to “the dawn,” but by extension it can mean “the East.” Here it is symbolism and encapsulates everything that light is and does. Light is necessary for life of all kinds, especially spiritual life. Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, therefore He was the dawning of God’s special light, God’s provision for spiritual life.
3
This word means “to see or to look” at someone or “to come or to visit,” because you visit someone in order “to see” them. It was used at the beginning of this prophetic utterance by Zachariah (vs 68) and here again at the end, forming brackets that encapsulate the entire statement. Therefore, this concept of “looking with favor upon us” summarizes all of Zachariah’s words.
4: “on high”
This was code language for “heaven.”