Magnificat and Benedictus

The two hymns included here from early Christian literature are modeled on biblical psalms and are continuous in their style and broad purpose with the literary prayers in Second Temple–period Jewish texts. Their original language is Greek. The Magnificat (named for its first word in the Latin translation, “glorifies”) is put into the mouth of Mary, Jesus’ mother, upon learning that she will give birth to a son. There are echoes here of Hannah’s hymn in 1 Samuel 2 and of Psalm 113. The Benedictus (named for its first word in Latin, “blessed be”) is put into the mouth of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, at his son’s circumcision. It emphasizes the theme of God’s faithfulness to the covenant with the ancestors in fulfilling his promises to redeem Israel.