“Now let your servant depart, Lord,
According to your word, in peace,
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light for revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of your people Israel.”
Simon's prayer was one of heartfelt gratitude. He had been allowed to go on living until he saw the Lord's Messiah, and now here in his arms was the One for Whom Israel had waited for so long. And as he looked down at Him he could probably hardly believe that it at last it was true, and he prayed, and expressed his willingness that he himself might now depart in peace (this suggests that he was old, but he might not have been. He may simply have been saying that his life was now fulfilled whatever his age). His life mission of preparing men for His coming was over. He was no longer needed here. For now he had seen in this little babe God's Salvation, a salvation which was not only for Israel but was for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike (Psalms 98:2-3 may be in mind here. See also Isaiah 52:10). Jesus was to be a light for revealing God to the Gentiles and was to be the glory of His people Israel. His glorious light would come to both. Thus through Him the Shekinah would come to Israel (Isaiah 60:19 compare Isaiah 46:13), but it was not only them, for His glorious light was also to go far off to the Gentiles as Isaiah had prophesied long before (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6).
The word he uses for ‘Lord' is despota which means Master (compare Acts 4:24; Revelation 6:10). It was used of a master with his slave, and here he refers to God as his Master, and he as His slave. It indicated God's sovereignty and right to obedience. Now that his task is done he seeks his release.
‘My eyes have seen --.' He too is an eyewitness to what Christ is. ‘Your salvation.' In other words ‘the Saviour Whom You have sent.'