1:41 The Baby John Leaps in
Elizabeth’s Womb
John’s Leap a Miraculous
Sign of Faith. Augustine:
We see instances of leaping not only in children but even in animals, although
certainly not for any faith or religion or rational recognition of someone
coming. But this case stands out as utterly uncommon and new, because it took
place in a womb, and at the coming of her who was to bring forth the Savior of
humankind. Therefore this leaping, this greeting, so to speak, offered to the
mother of the Lord is miraculous. It is to be reckoned among the great signs.
It was not effected by human means by the infant, but by divine means in the
infant, as miracles are usually wrought. Letter 187.23.
John Prophesies from the
Womb. Maximus of Turin:
Not yet born, already John prophesies and, while still in the enclosure of his
mother’s womb, confesses the coming of Christ with movements of joy—since he
could not do so with his voice. As Elizabeth says to holy Mary, “As soon as you
greeted me, the child in my womb exulted for joy.” John exults, then, before he
is born. Before his eyes can see what the world looks like, he can recognize
the Lord of the world with his spirit. In this regard, I think that the
prophetic phrase is appropriate: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you.” Thus we ought not to
marvel that after Herod put him in prison, he continued to announce Christ to
his disciples from his confinement, when even confined in the womb he preached
the same Lord by his movements. Sermon 5.4.
The Vivified Womb of
Elizabeth. Ephrem the
Syrian: John jumped for joy to make an announcement concerning his future
preaching. The infant of the barren woman exulted before the infant of the
virgin. He sought out his mother’s tongue and desired to pronounce a prophecy
concerning the Lord. Therefore Elizabeth’s conception was kept hidden from Mary
for six months, until the infant would have limbs sufficiently formed to exult
before the Lord with his jumping and become a witness to Mary through his
exultation. Moreover, that he exulted in the womb of his mother was not of
himself, nor because of his five months, but so that the divine gifts might
show themselves in the barren womb that was now carrying him. It was also so
that the other womb, that of the Virgin, would know the great gifts given to
Elizabeth, and that the two soils might believe in the seeds they had received
through the word of Gabriel, cultivator of both grounds. Since John could not
cry out in his exultation and render witness to his Lord, his mother began to
say, “You are blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Our
Lord prepared his herald in a dead womb, to show that he came after a dead
Adam. He vivified Elizabeth’s womb first, and then vivified the soil of Adam
through his body. Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron 1.30. (Luke, ed. Arthur A. Just [Ancient
Christian Commentary on Scripture [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press,
2005], 21)
