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Text -- Luke 1:26-80 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah
1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth ,
1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph , a descendant descendant of David , and the virgin’s name was Mary .
1:28 The angel came to her and said , “Greetings , favored one, the Lord is with you !”
1:29 But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting .
1:30 So the angel said to her , “Do not be afraid , Mary , for you have found favor with God !
1:31 Listen : You will become pregnant and give birth to a son , and you will name him Jesus .
1:32 He will be great , and will be called the Son of the Most High , and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David .
1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever , and his kingdom will never end .”
1:34 Mary said to the angel , “How will this be , since I have not had sexual relations with a man ?”
1:35 The angel replied , “The Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Most High will overshadow you . Therefore the child to be born will be holy ; he will be called the Son of God .
1:36 “And look , your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren , she is now in her sixth month !
1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God .”
1:38 So Mary said , “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord ; let this happen to me according to your word .” Then the angel departed from her .
Mary and Elizabeth
1:39 In those days Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country , to a town of Judah ,
1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth .
1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting , the baby leaped in her womb , and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit .
1:42 She exclaimed with a loud voice , “Blessed are you among women , and blessed is the child in your womb !
1:43 And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me ?
1:44 For the instant the sound of your greeting reached my ears , the baby in my womb leaped for joy .
1:45 And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled .”
Mary’s Hymn of Praise
1:46 And Mary said , “My soul exalts the Lord ,
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior ,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant . For from now on all generations will call me blessed ,
1:49 because he who is mighty has done great things for me , and holy is his name ;
1:50 from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him .
1:51 He has demonstrated power with his arm ; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts .
1:52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones , and has lifted up those of lowly position ;
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things , and has sent the rich away empty .
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel , remembering his mercy ,
1:55 as he promised to our ancestors , to Abraham and to his descendants forever .”
1:56 So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home .
The Birth of John
1:57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby , and she gave birth to a son .
1:58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her , and they rejoiced with her .
1:59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child , and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father .
1:60 But his mother replied , “No ! He must be named John .”
1:61 They said to her , “But none of your relatives bears this name .”
1:62 So they made signs to the baby’s father , inquiring what he wanted to name his son .
1:63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote , “His name is John .” And they were all amazed .
1:64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke , blessing God .
1:65 All their neighbors were filled with fear , and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about.
1:66 All who heard these things kept them in their hearts , saying , “What then will this child be ?” For the Lord’s hand was indeed with him .
Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction
1:67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied ,
1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , because he has come to help and has redeemed his people .
1:69 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ,
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago ,
1:71 that we should be saved from our enemies , and from the hand of all who hate us .
1:72 He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors , and to remember his holy covenant –
1:73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham . This oath grants
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies , may serve him without fear ,
1:75 in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live .
1:76 And you , child , will be called the prophet of the Most High . For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways ,
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins .
1:78 Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death , to guide our feet into the way of peace .”
1:80 And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit , and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Elisabeth |
Zacharias |
Jonah, Book of |
Mary |
JESUS CHRIST, 4A |
Miracles |
Joy |
Jesus, The Christ |
JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY |
Women |
Psalms |
Angel |
Poetry |
Readings, Select |
Songs |
Magnificat |
Praise |
ZACHARIAS (2) |
God |
John |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Luk 1:26; Luk 1:26; Luk 1:26; Luk 1:26; Luk 1:26; Luk 1:27; Luk 1:27; Luk 1:27; Luk 1:28; Luk 1:28; Luk 1:28; Luk 1:28; Luk 1:28; Luk 1:29; Luk 1:29; Luk 1:29; Luk 1:30; Luk 1:30; Luk 1:30; Luk 1:30; Luk 1:31; Luk 1:31; Luk 1:31; Luk 1:31; Luk 1:31; Luk 1:31; Luk 1:32; Luk 1:32; Luk 1:32; Luk 1:32; Luk 1:33; Luk 1:33; Luk 1:33; Luk 1:34; Luk 1:34; Luk 1:35; Luk 1:35; Luk 1:35; Luk 1:35; Luk 1:35; Luk 1:36; Luk 1:36; Luk 1:36; Luk 1:36; Luk 1:37; Luk 1:38; Luk 1:38; Luk 1:38; Luk 1:38; Luk 1:38; Luk 1:38; Luk 1:39; Luk 1:39; Luk 1:41; Luk 1:41; Luk 1:41; Luk 1:41; Luk 1:42; Luk 1:42; Luk 1:42; Luk 1:42; Luk 1:43; Luk 1:44; Luk 1:44; Luk 1:44; Luk 1:45; Luk 1:45; Luk 1:45; Luk 1:45; Luk 1:45; Luk 1:46; Luk 1:46; Luk 1:46; Luk 1:46; Luk 1:47; Luk 1:48; Luk 1:48; Luk 1:48; Luk 1:48; Luk 1:49; Luk 1:50; Luk 1:50; Luk 1:50; Luk 1:51; Luk 1:51; Luk 1:52; Luk 1:52; Luk 1:52; Luk 1:53; Luk 1:53; Luk 1:54; Luk 1:54; Luk 1:55; Luk 1:55; Luk 1:55; Luk 1:56; Luk 1:56; Luk 1:56; Luk 1:57; Luk 1:57; Luk 1:58; Luk 1:58; Luk 1:58; Luk 1:59; Luk 1:59; Luk 1:59; Luk 1:60; Luk 1:60; Luk 1:60; Luk 1:60; Luk 1:61; Luk 1:61; Luk 1:61; Luk 1:62; Luk 1:62; Luk 1:62; Luk 1:62; Luk 1:63; Luk 1:63; Luk 1:63; Luk 1:63; Luk 1:64; Luk 1:64; Luk 1:64; Luk 1:64; Luk 1:65; Luk 1:65; Luk 1:66; Luk 1:66; Luk 1:66; Luk 1:66; Luk 1:66; Luk 1:67; Luk 1:67; Luk 1:67; Luk 1:68; Luk 1:68; Luk 1:68; Luk 1:68; Luk 1:69; Luk 1:69; Luk 1:69; Luk 1:69; Luk 1:70; Luk 1:71; Luk 1:71; Luk 1:72; Luk 1:72; Luk 1:72; Luk 1:72; Luk 1:73; Luk 1:73; Luk 1:73; Luk 1:74; Luk 1:74; Luk 1:75; Luk 1:75; Luk 1:76; Luk 1:76; Luk 1:76; Luk 1:76; Luk 1:76; Luk 1:76; Luk 1:77; Luk 1:77; Luk 1:78; Luk 1:78; Luk 1:78; Luk 1:78; Luk 1:79; Luk 1:79; Luk 1:80; Luk 1:80; Luk 1:80; Luk 1:80
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NET Notes: Luk 1:27 The Greek word order here favors connecting Davidic descent to Joseph, not Mary, in this remark.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:29 Grk “to wonder what kind of greeting this might be.” Luke often uses the optative this way to reveal a figure’s thinking (3:15; 8:9;...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:30 The expression found favor is a Semitism, common in the OT (Gen 6:8; 18:3; 43:14; 2 Sam 15:25). God has chosen to act on this person’s behalf.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:31 You will name him Jesus. This verse reflects the birth announcement of a major figure; see 1:13; Gen 16:7; Judg 13:5; Isa 7:14. The Greek form of the ...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:33 The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:34 Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:35 Or “Therefore the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God.” There are two ways to understand the Greek phrase τὸ ...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:36 Grk “and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.” Yet another note on Elizabeth’s loss of reproach also becomes a sig...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:37 In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rJhma, “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:38 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:39 The author does not say exactly where Elizabeth stayed. The location is given generally as a town of Judah. Judah is about a three day trip south of N...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:41 The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:43 Grk “From where this to me?” The translation suggests the note of humility and surprise that Elizabeth feels in being a part of these even...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:44 On the statement the baby in my womb leaped for joy see both 1:14 and 1:47. This notes a fulfillment of God’s promised word.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:46 This psalm (vv. 46-55) is one of the few praise psalms in the NT. Mary praises God and then tells why both in terms of his care for her (vv. 46-49) an...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:47 Or “rejoices.” The translation renders this aorist, which stands in contrast to the previous line’s present tense, as ingressive, wh...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:48 Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:50 That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:51 Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. He...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:52 The contrast between the mighty and those of lowly position is fundamental for Luke. God cares for those that the powerful ignore (Luke 4:18-19).
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NET Notes: Luk 1:53 Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).
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NET Notes: Luk 1:56 As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:57 The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:58 The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, ...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:59 This could be understood as a conative imperfect, expressing an unrealized desire (“they were trying to name him”). It has been given more...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:60 “No! He must be named John.” By insisting on the name specified by the angel, Elizabeth (v. 60) and Zechariah (v. 63) have learned to obey...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:63 The response, they were all amazed, expresses a mixture of surprise and reflection in this setting where they were so certain of what the child’...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:64 “Released” is implied; in the Greek text both στόμα (stoma) and γλῶσσα (glwssa) ar...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:65 Fear is the emotion that comes when one recognizes something unusual, even supernatural, has taken place.
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NET Notes: Luk 1:66 The reference to the Lord’s hand indicates that the presence, direction, and favor of God was with him (Acts 7:9b).
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NET Notes: Luk 1:67 Prophesied. The reference to prophecy reflects that Zechariah is enabled by the Spirit to speak God’s will. He does so in this case through a pr...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:68 Has redeemed is a reference to redemption, but it anticipates the total release into salvation that the full work of Messiah will bring for Israel. Th...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:69 In the house of his servant David is a reference to Messiah’s Davidic descent. Zechariah is more interested in Jesus than his own son John at th...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:71 The theme of being saved from our enemies is like the release Jesus preached in Luke 4:18-19. Luke’s narrative shows that one of the enemies in ...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:72 The promises of God can be summarized as being found in the one promise (the oath that he swore) to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).
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NET Notes: Luk 1:73 Again for reasons of English style, the infinitival clause “to grant us” has been translated “This oath grants” and made the b...
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NET Notes: Luk 1:74 This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.
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