Luke 1:24-25

1:24 After some time ¹  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ²  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ³  She said, ⁴  1:25 “This is what ⁵  the Lord has done for me at the time ⁶  when he has been gracious to me, ⁷  to take away my disgrace ⁸  among people.” ⁹ 

Luke 1:36

1:36 “And look, ¹⁰  your relative ¹¹  Elizabeth has also become pregnant with ¹²  a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! ¹³ 

[1:24]  ¹ tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ² tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ³ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “she kept herself in seclusion, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:25]  ⁵ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ⁶ tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ⁷ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ⁸ sn Barrenness was often seen as a reproach or disgrace (Lev 20:20-21; Jer 22:30), but now at her late age (the exact age is never given in Luke’s account), God had miraculously removed it (see also Luke 1:7).

[1:25]  ⁹ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:36]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:36]  ¹¹ tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

[1:36]  ¹² tn Or “has conceived.”

[1:36]  ¹³ tn 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 sign of the truth of the angel’s declaration.