Luke 1:26

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ¹  the angel Gabriel ²  was sent by ³  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ⁴ 

Luke 1:38

1:38 So ⁵  Mary said, “Yes, ⁶  I am a servant ⁷  of the Lord; let this happen to me ⁸  according to your word.” ⁹  Then ¹⁰  the angel departed from her.

Luke 2:10

2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, ¹¹  for I proclaim to you good news ¹²  that brings great joy to all the people:

[1:26]  ¹ tn Grk “in the sixth month.” The phrase “of Elizabeth’s pregnancy” was supplied in the translation to clarify the exact time meant by this reference. That Elizabeth’s pregnancy is meant is clear from vv. 24-25.

[1:26]  ² sn Gabriel is the same angel mentioned previously in v. 19. He is traditionally identified as an angel who brings revelation (see Dan 8:15-16; 9:21). Gabriel and Michael are the only two good angels named in the Bible.

[1:26]  ³ tn Or “from.” The account suggests God’s planned direction in these events, so “by” is better than “from,” as six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God acts again.

[1:26]  ⁴ sn Nazareth was a town in the region of Galilee, located north of Samaria and Judea. Galilee extended from about 45 to 85 miles north of Jerusalem and was about 30 miles in width. Nazareth was a very small village and was located about 15 miles west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee.

[1:38]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:38]  ⁶ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:38]  ⁷ tn Traditionally, “handmaid”; Grk “slave woman.” Though δούλη (doulh) is normally translated “woman servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free woman serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times… in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. δοῦλος). The most accurate translation is “bondservant,” sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος (doulos), in that it often indicates one who sells himself or herself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:38]  ⁸ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

[1:38]  ⁹ sn The remark according to your word is a sign of Mary’s total submission to God’s will, a response that makes her exemplary.

[1:38]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[2:10]  ⁹ tn Grk “behold.”

[2:10]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “I evangelize to you great joy.”