Benedictus (canticle)

For other uses, see Benedictus (disambiguation).
Detail of Zechariah writing down the name of his son (Domenico Ghirlandaio, 15th century, Tornabuoni Chapel, Italy).
At the church of St. John in the Mountains - the birthplace of St. John

The Benedictus (also Song of Zechariah or Canticle of Zachary), given in Gospel of Luke 1:68–79, is one of the three canticles in the first two chapters of this Gospel, the other two being the "Magnificat" and the "Nunc dimittis". The Benedictus was the song of thanksgiving uttered by Zechariah on the occasion of the circumcision of his son, John the Baptist.[1]

The canticle received its name from its first words in Latin ("Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel", “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”).

  1. ^ Ward, Bernard. "The Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 11 Jan. 2014