Last Sunday I was at a church at which Bach’s Magnificat
was performed. As usual there was a booklet with the order of the service and
the text of the Magnificat. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never really
studied this text: for a theologian – though I did my master in comparative
religion – a bit odd. What follows is not an exhaustive commentary, but some
notes for understanding the text
The Gospel of Luke is the only gospel containing the
Magnificat. Luke has by far the most elaborate narrative about the birth and
childhood of Jesus, which may point to a fairly late date of this gospel (80-110
AD). The setting of the Magnificat is Mary’s
visit to Elisabeth: Elisabeth praises Maria and God with words partly taken
from the Old Testament and Mary answers with the Magnificat. This song is a
combination of various quotes also from the Old Testament. The text is of
course Greek, but it is possible that the original is not taken directly from
the Septuagint, but an Aramaic or Hebrew text. The origin is unknown, but it
could have been an early Christian psalm or a messianic Jewish psalm. This is
however speculation: the only thing sure is that Luke used this text for his
narrative, may be with some adaptations. It is interesting to note that in some
old witnesses (some versions of the Old Latin and an Armenian text) of the
Gospel of Luke the Magnificat is attributed to Elisabeth. It must be wrong, but
the question why this change is speaker is puzzling.
The hymn is clearly eschatological, despite the use of
perfect tenses: it imagines the kingdom of God being already there. The Latin
is not that difficult, but there are some problems due to its Semitic
background and the fact that it is a translation from Greek.
Luke 1. 46-55
46 Magnificat
anima mea Dominum:
47 et
exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
48 Quia
respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ:
ecce enim ex
hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
49 quia fecit
mihi magna qui potens est:
et sanctum
nomen ejus,
50 et
misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies
timentibus
eum.
51 Fecit
potentiam in brachio suo:
dispersit
superbos mente cordis sui.
52 Deposuit
potentes de sede,
et exaltavit
humiles.
53 Esurientes
implevit bonis:
et divites
dimisit inanes.
54 Suscepit Israël puerum suum,
recordatus misericordiæ suæ:
55 sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et
semini ejus in sæcula.
Magnificat…meo:
the structure reminds of the so-called parallellismus
membrorum: saying the same thing twice in different words, a poetic
technique well-known from the psalms, hence anima
and spiritus are variations and do
not refer to two different concepts.
salutare –is
(n.): salvation (apposition to Deo)
respicio respexi
respectum: to have regard for, care for
ex hoc …quia: therefore...because
timentibus eum:
within the Old Testament the notion of fearing God implies awe and respect, not
just fear itself.
potentiam in
brachio suo: the idea of the arm as symbol of strength occurs inter alia in psalm 117.15 and Is. 59.9.
dispergo dispersi
dispersum: to scatter, disperse
mente cordis sui:
mens does not mean `mind’ here, but (mental)
attitude, disposition
depono deposui
depositum: to bring down
exalto: to
raise elevate (mostly used in ecclesiastical Latin)
esurio: to be
hungry
inanis –e:
empty-handed
suscipio suscepi
susceptum: to take, lift up
recordor
recordatus: to remember ( re + cor `to put back in the heart’)
Abraham et semini
ejus: note the change in construction: dative instead of ad.
And now Bach!
