There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Ver. 5. In the days of Herod] Herod a stranger, upon the death of Antigonus, last of the Maccabeans, by Augustus' favour, was made King of Judea, and reigned 34 years. After his and his son's death, Judea was again reduced into a Roman province, and the government thereof committed unto Pontius Pilate, then to Petronius, after him to Felix, Festus, Albinus, and Florus, whose cruelty provoked the Jews to rebellion and war, to their utter overthrow.
Of the course of Abia] According to their weekly waitings at the altar, 1 Chronicles 24:7,18. God would not have his ministers over wrought, though he require them to labour according to their strength, even to weariness. But how thankless is their labour that do wilfully overspend themselves!