Jesus - Day spring or Sunrise?
“Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.” ( Luke 1:78 ) "because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven" NIV "Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us" NASB This is an unusual, but beautiful, name of the coming Savior given Him by Zacharias when he was “filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied” ( Luke 1:67 ). In that same prophecy, Zacharias also called that coming one “the Highest” and “the Lord” who would “give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins” (vv. 76-77). Just six months later, Jesus was born. The Greek word here translated “dayspring” is so translated only this one time. It refers to the metaphorical spring from which the sun springs forth each day, and so is usually translated simply as “the east.” It is interesting that it is used three times in connection with the story of