And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed - on his thus showing how entirely the unbelief for which he had been truck dumb had passed away. Probably it ceased immediately on his receiving the sign, so different from what he expected; and as the truth of the promise became palpable in Elizabeth, and was so gloriously confirmed during the visit of Mary, it would ripen doubtless into full assurance. But the words of the angel behoved to be fulfilled to the letter, "Thou shalt be dumb until the day that these things shall be performed;" and since one of these things was "Thou shall call his name John," it was fitting that not before, but "immediately" upon his doing this, his mouth should be opened.
And he spake, and praised God. The song in which he did this being long, the Evangelist postpones it until he has recorded the effect which these strange doings produced upon the neighbourhood.