(39) The hill country . . . a city of Juda.--The description is too vague to be identified with any certainty. The form of the proper noun is the same as that in "Bethlehem, of the land of Juda," in Matthew 2:6. The city may have been one of those assigned to the priests within the limits of the tribe of Judah, and if so, it is interesting to think of the Virgin as undertaking a journey which brought her not far from the very spot in which she was to give birth to the divine Child. No city of the name of Juda is known, but there is a Juttah in Joshua 15:55; Joshua 21:16, in the neighbourhood of Maon and the Judaean Carmel, and therefore in the "hill country," which may possibly be that which is here referred to.
Verse 39. - Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste. Between the annunciation and this journey of Mary to visit her cousin Elisabeth, we must interpose the events narrated in St. Matthew's Gospel, viz. the natural suspicion of her betrothed future husband, Joseph. his action in the matter; and then the dream of Joseph, in which her innocence was vindicated. As we believe that St. Luke's story here was derived from Mary's own narrative, we can understand well that these details, related by St. Matthew, were scarcely touched upon, and the mother would hurry on to the real points of interest in that eventful past of hers. The hill country here alluded to is the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin, and Mount Ephraim, in contradistinction to the low maritime plain on the east - the old Philistia. Into a city of Juda. There is no such city known as "Juda." Some have supposed that the text is corrupt here, and that for "Yuda" we should read "Jutta," which, according to Joshua 15:55, was a priestly city in the hill country. There is a rabbinical tradition in the Talmud which places the residence of Zacharias at Hebron. It is very probable that Hebron, the great priestly city, is here signified.
1:39-56 It is very good for those who have the work of grace begun in their souls, to communicate one to another. On Mary's arrival, Elisabeth was conscious of the approach of her who was to be the mother of the great Redeemer. At the same time she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and under his influence declared that Mary and her expected child were most blessed and happy, as peculiarly honoured of and dear to the Most High God. Mary, animated by Elisabeth's address, and being also under the influence of the Holy Ghost, broke out into joy, admiration, and gratitude. She knew herself to be a sinner who needed a Saviour, and that she could no otherwise rejoice in God than as interested in his salvation through the promised Messiah. Those who see their need of Christ, and are desirous of righteousness and life in him, he fills with good things, with the best things; and they are abundantly satisfied with the blessings he gives. He will satisfy the desires of the poor in spirit who long for spiritual blessings, while the self-sufficient shall be sent empty away.
And Mary arose in those days,.... The Ethiopic version renders it, "in that day"; directly, immediately, as soon as the angel was gone from her; partly to know the truth of things, and to make use of the sign which had been given her, for the further confirmation of her faith, which was very right and proper for her to do; and partly to converse with Elisabeth about the great things which God had done for each of them, and to praise his name together: "and went into the hill country with haste"; the same which is called the country of the hills, and the hills, and the mountains, in Joshua 10:40 where the Septuagint use the same word as here: the land of Judea was divided into three parts, "the mountain", or hill country, the champaign country, and the valley (b): from Betboron to Emmaus is "the hill country"; from Emmaus to Lud, or Lydda, is the champaign country; and from Lydda to the sea, the valley (c). This place is frequently called, in the Jewish writings (d), the king's mountain, or the royal mountain, and is said to be very full of cities: ten thousand cities, they say (e), were in the king's mountain, and a thousand of them belonged to R. Eleazer ben Harsum: yea, they say (f), that king Jannai had sixty myriads of cities in the mountain of the king. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, "went to the mountain", to this mountain, and which is called the mountain, or, as we read it, the hill country of Judah, Joshua 21:11 on which Hebron was situated; and seems to be the city next mentioned: into a city of Judah; for that was given to the children of Aaron and so may reasonably be thought to be the city where Zacharias dwelt, and not Jerusalem, which was in the tribe of Benjamin. Hebron was a city peculiar to the priests; whereas Jerusalem was not; and it was in the hill country of Judea; it was remarkable for the goodness of its stones. It is said (g).
"you have no stones in all the land of Israel harder than at Hebron; hence they buried the dead there.
(b) Misn. Sheviith, c. 9. sect. 2. Maimon & Bartenora in ib. (c) T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 38. 4. (d) Targum in Jud. iv. 5. T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4. (e) T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 69. 1.((f) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 57. 1.((g) T. Bab. Sota, fol. 34. 2. & Cetnbot, fol. 112. 1.
"you have no stones in all the land of Israel harder than at Hebron; hence they buried the dead there.
(b) Misn. Sheviith, c. 9. sect. 2. Maimon & Bartenora in ib. (c) T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 38. 4. (d) Targum in Jud. iv. 5. T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4. (e) T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 69. 1.((f) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 57. 1.((g) T. Bab. Sota, fol. 34. 2. & Cetnbot, fol. 112. 1.