King James Bible
"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,"
Zechariah attributes the coming salvation to God's compassionate heart, literally 'bowels of mercy' in Greek—the deepest seat of emotion. This phrase establishes divine compassion as the driving force behind the Messiah's arrival, not human merit or achievement. The 'dayspring' (Greek: anatole) means dawn or rising sun, a messianic title linking to Old Testament prophecies of a coming light. The phrase 'from on high' emphasizes the heavenly origin of this salvation, contrasting earthly darkness with divine illumination. God's visitation implies personal intervention in human affairs, echoing how He 'visited' Israel during the Exodus. The perfect tense suggests this visitation has already begun through John's birth and will culminate in Christ's coming.