Discovery BoxLuke 1:38-80
Context1:38 So 1 Mary said, “Yes, 2 I am a servant 3 of the Lord; let this happen to me 4 according to your word.” 5 Then 6 the angel departed from her.
1:39 In those days 7 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 8 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 9 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 10 in her 11 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 12 1:42 She 13 exclaimed with a loud voice, 14 “Blessed are you among women, 15 and blessed is the child 16 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 17 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 18 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 19 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 20 1:45 And blessed 21 is she who believed that 22 what was spoken to her by 23 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 24
“My soul exalts 27 the Lord, 28
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 29 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 30
For 31 from now on 32 all generations will call me blessed, 33
1:49 because he who is mighty 34 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 35 generation to generation he is merciful 36 to those who fear 37 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 38 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 39 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 40 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 41
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 42 and has sent the rich away empty. 43
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 44 his mercy, 45
1:55 as he promised 46 to our ancestors, 47 to Abraham and to his descendants 48 forever.”
1:56 So 49 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 50 about three months 51 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 52 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 53 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 54 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 55 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 56 with her.
1:59 On 57 the eighth day 58 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 59 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 60 his mother replied, 61 “No! He must be named 62 John.” 63 1:61 They 64 said to her, “But 65 none of your relatives bears this name.” 66 1:62 So 67 they made signs to the baby’s 68 father, 69 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 70 1:63 He 71 asked for a writing tablet 72 and wrote, 73 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 74 1:64 Immediately 75 Zechariah’s 76 mouth was opened and his tongue 77 released, 78 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 79 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 80 who heard these things 81 kept them in their hearts, 82 saying, “What then will this child be?” 83 For the Lord’s hand 84 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 85 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 86
1:68 “Blessed 87 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 88 and has redeemed 89 his people.
1:69 For 90 he has raised up 91 a horn of salvation 92 for us in the house of his servant David, 93
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 94
1:71 that we should be saved 95 from our enemies, 96
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 97 to show mercy 98 to our ancestors, 99
and to remember his holy covenant 100 –
1:73 the oath 101 that he swore to our ancestor 102 Abraham.
This oath grants 103
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 104 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 105
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 106 before him for as long as we live. 107
1:76 And you, child, 108 will be called the prophet 109 of the Most High. 110
For you will go before 111 the Lord to prepare his ways, 112
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 113 through the forgiveness 114 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 115 our God’s tender mercy 116
the dawn 117 will break 118 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 119
to guide our feet into the way 120 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 121 and becoming strong 122 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 123 until the day he was revealed 124 to Israel.
[1:38] 1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[1:38] 3 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] 4 tn Grk “let this be to me.”
[1:38] 5 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] 6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[1:39] 7 sn The expression In those days is another general time reference, though the sense of the context is that the visit came shortly after Mary miraculously conceived and shortly after the announcement about Jesus.
[1:39] 8 sn 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 Nazareth.
[1:41] 9 tn Grk “And it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here either.
[1:41] 10 sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.
[1:41] 11 tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.
[1:41] 12 sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.
[1:42] 13 tn Grk “and she.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:42] 14 tn Grk “and she exclaimed with a great cry and said.” The verb εἶπεν (eipen, “said”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.
[1:42] 15 sn The commendation Blessed are you among women means that Mary has a unique privilege to be the mother of the promised one of God.
[1:42] 16 tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.
[1:43] 17 tn Grk “From where this to me?” The translation suggests the note of humility and surprise that Elizabeth feels in being a part of these events. The ἵνα (Jina) clause which follows explains what “this” is. A literal translation would read “From where this to me, that is, that the mother of my Lord comes to visit me?”
[1:44] 18 tn Grk “for behold.”
[1:44] 19 tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”
[1:44] 20 sn 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.
[1:45] 21 sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.
[1:45] 22 tn This ὅτι (Joti) clause, technically indirect discourse after πιστεύω (pisteuw), explains the content of the faith, a belief in God’s promise coming to pass.
[1:45] 23 tn That is, “what was said to her (by the angel) at the Lord’s command” (BDAG 756 s.v. παρά A.2).
[1:45] 24 tn Grk “that there would be a fulfillment of what was said to her from the Lord.”
[1:46] 25 tc A few witnesses, especially Latin
[1:46] 26 sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
[1:46] 27 tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”
[1:46] 28 sn 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) and for others, including Israel (vv. 50-55). Its traditional name, the “Magnificat,” comes from the Latin for the phrase My soul magnifies the Lord at the hymn’s start.
[1:47] 29 tn Or “rejoices.” The translation renders this aorist, which stands in contrast to the previous line’s present tense, as ingressive, which highlights Mary’s joyous reaction to the announcement. A comprehensive aorist is also possible here.
[1:48] 30 tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.
[1:48] 31 tn Grk “for behold.”
[1:48] 32 sn From now on is a favorite phrase of Luke’s, showing how God’s acts change things from this point on (5:10; 12:52; 22:18, 69; Acts 18:6).
[1:48] 33 sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.
[1:49] 34 tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”
[1:50] 35 tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.
[1:50] 36 sn God’s mercy refers to his “loyal love” or “steadfast love,” expressed in faithful actions, as the rest of the psalm illustrates.
[1:50] 37 tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.
[1:51] 38 tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.
[1:51] 39 tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.
[1:52] 41 tn Or “those of humble position”
[1:53] 42 sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.
[1:53] 43 sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).
[1:54] 44 tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.
[1:54] 45 tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”
[1:55] 46 tn Grk “as he spoke.” Since this is a reference to the covenant to Abraham, ἐλάλησεν (elalhsen) can be translated in context “as he promised.” God keeps his word.
[1:55] 48 tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).
[1:56] 49 tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.
[1:56] 50 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:56] 51 sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.
[1:57] 52 tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”
[1:57] 53 tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.
[1:58] 54 tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:58] 55 tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”
[1:58] 56 tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”
[1:59] 57 tn Grk “And it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:59] 58 sn They were following OT law (Lev 12:3) which prescribed that a male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day.
[1:59] 59 tn This could be understood as a conative imperfect, expressing an unrealized desire (“they were trying to name him”). It has been given more of a voluntative nuance in the translation.
[1:60] 60 tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.
[1:60] 61 tn Grk “his mother answering, said.” The combination of participle and finite verb is redundant in English and has been simplified to “replied” in the translation.
[1:60] 62 tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”
[1:60] 63 sn “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 God (see Luke 1:13).
[1:61] 64 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:61] 65 tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:61] 66 tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”
[1:62] 67 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.
[1:62] 68 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:62] 69 sn The crowd was sure there had been a mistake, so they appealed to the child’s father. But custom was not to be followed here, since God had spoken. The fact they needed to signal him (made signs) shows that he was deaf as well as unable to speak.
[1:62] 70 tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”
[1:63] 71 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:63] 72 sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.
[1:63] 73 tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.
[1:63] 74 sn 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’s name would be.
[1:64] 75 tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:64] 76 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:64] 77 sn The mention of both mouth and tongue here is a figure called zeugma and emphasizes that the end of the temporary judgment came instantly and fully upon Zechariah’s expression of faith in naming the child. He had learned to trust and obey God during his short period of silence. He had learned from his trial.
[1:64] 78 tn “Released” is implied; in the Greek text both στόμα (stoma) and γλῶσσα (glwssa) are subjects of ἀνεῴχθη (anewcqh), but this would be somewhat redundant in English.
[1:65] 79 tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[1:66] 80 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence was begun at this point in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.
[1:66] 81 tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:66] 82 tn Grk “heart.” The term “heart” (καρδία, kardia) could also be translated as “mind,” or “thoughts,” and the entire phrase be rendered as “kept them in mind,” “thought about,” or the like. But the immediate context is clearly emotive, suggesting that much more is at work than merely the mental processes of thinking or reasoning about “these things.” There is a sense of joy and excitement (see the following question, “What then will this child be?”) and even fear. Further, the use of καρδία in 1:66 suggests connections with the same term in 2:19 where deep emotion is being expressed as well. Therefore, recognizing both the dramatic nature of the immediate context and the literary connections to 2:19, the translation renders the term in 1:66 as “hearts” to capture both the cognitive and emotive aspects of the people’s response.
[1:66] 83 tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”
[1:66] 84 sn The reference to the Lord’s hand indicates that the presence, direction, and favor of God was with him (Acts 7:9b).
[1:67] 85 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[1:67] 86 tn Grk “and he prophesied, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[1:68] 87 sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).
[1:68] 88 sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).
[1:68] 89 tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”
[1:69] 90 tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.
[1:69] 91 sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.
[1:69] 92 sn The horn of salvation is a figure that refers to the power of Messiah and his ability to protect, as the horn refers to what an animal uses to attack and defend (Ps 75:4-5, 10; 148:14; 2 Sam 22:3). Thus the meaning of the figure is “a powerful savior.”
[1:69] 93 sn 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 this point.
[1:70] 94 tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”
[1:71] 95 tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”
[1:71] 96 sn 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 view is Satan and his cohorts, with the grip they have on humanity.
[1:72] 97 tn The words “He has done this” (referring to the raising up of the horn of salvation from David’s house) are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to allow a new sentence to be started in the translation. The Greek sentence is lengthy and complex at this point, while contemporary English uses much shorter sentences.
[1:72] 98 sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.
[1:72] 99 tn Or “our forefathers”; Grk “our fathers.” This begins with the promise to Abraham (vv. 55, 73), and thus refers to many generations of ancestors.
[1:72] 100 sn 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).
[1:73] 101 tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.
[1:73] 102 tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”
[1:73] 103 tn Again for reasons of English style, the infinitival clause “to grant us” has been translated “This oath grants” and made the beginning of a new sentence in the translation.
[1:74] 104 tc Many important early
[1:74] 105 tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.
[1:75] 106 sn The phrases that we…might serve him…in holiness and righteousness from Luke 1:74-75 well summarize a basic goal for a believer in the eyes of Luke. Salvation frees us up to serve God without fear through a life full of ethical integrity.
[1:75] 107 tn Grk “all our days.”
[1:76] 108 sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.
[1:76] 109 tn Or “a prophet”; but since Greek nouns can be definite without the article, and since in context this is a reference to the eschatological forerunner of the Messiah (cf. John 1:17), the concept is better conveyed to the English reader by the use of the definite article “the.”
[1:76] 110 sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.
[1:76] 111 tc Most
[1:76] 112 tn This term is often translated in the singular, looking specifically to the forerunner role, but the plural suggests the many elements in that salvation.
[1:77] 113 sn John’s role, to give his people knowledge of salvation, is similar to that of Jesus (Luke 3:1-14; 5:31-32).
[1:77] 114 sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).
[1:78] 115 tn For reasons of style, a new sentence has been started in the translation at this point. God’s mercy is ultimately seen in the deliverance John points to, so v. 78a is placed with the reference to Jesus as the light of dawning day.
[1:78] 116 sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.
[1:78] 117 sn The Greek term translated dawn (ἀνατολή, anatolh) can be a reference to the morning star or to the sun. The Messiah is pictured as a saving light that shows the way. The Greek term was also used to translate the Hebrew word for “branch” or “sprout,” so some see a double entendre here with messianic overtones (see Isa 11:1-10; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12).
[1:78] 118 tn Grk “shall visit us.”
[1:79] 119 sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.
[1:80] 121 tn This verb is imperfect.
