Luke 1:18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And Zacharias said, &c.— In the Old Testament there are instances of holy men, who, on occasions like this, spake as Zacharias is said to have done; and who, instead of being reproved, are greatly commended for their faith. (Compare Genesis 15:8 with Romans 4:19-20.) Nevertheless, the treatment which he met with, will not appear hard, when it is considered that the dispositions of his mind were very different from those of the persons mentioned. They believed the messages which were brought them, and desired to be confirmed in the faith thereof; consequently the language of their demand was, "Lord, I believe; help mine unbelief." Whereas Zacharias hardly believed at all, or was exceedingly doubtful. This we are expressly told, Luke 1:20. His sin therefore was great, and his punishment just; and the more so, as he could not but often have read the account which the Scripture gives of the births of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, &c. all descended from mothers who had been long barren. The resemblance in circumstances might well have produced a peculiar regard to them, and one would have imagined that he should immediately have recollected the history of the angel's appearance to Manoah in particular. See Judges 13:2-14.