Lukas 3:1

The Ministry of John the Baptist

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, ¹  when Pontius Pilate ²  was governor of Judea, and Herod ³  was tetrarch ⁴  of Galilee, and his brother Philip ⁵  was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ⁶  was tetrarch of Abilene,

Lukas 1:1

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ⁷  many have undertaken to compile an account ⁸  of the things ⁹  that have been fulfilled ¹⁰  among us,

Lukas 1:1-80

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ¹¹  many have undertaken to compile an account ¹²  of the things ¹³  that have been fulfilled ¹⁴  among us, 1:2 like the accounts ¹⁵  passed on ¹⁶  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ¹⁷  from the beginning. ¹⁸  1:3 So ¹⁹  it seemed good to me as well, ²⁰  because I have followed ²¹  all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account ²²  for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain ²³  the things you were taught. ²⁴ 

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

1:5 During the reign ²⁵  of Herod ²⁶  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ²⁷  the priestly division of Abijah, ²⁸  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ²⁹  who was a descendant of Aaron. ³⁰  1:6 They ³¹  were both righteous in the sight of God, following ³²  all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. ³³  1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ³⁴  and they were both very old. ³⁵ 

1:8 Now ³⁶  while Zechariah ³⁷  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ³⁸  1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, ³⁹  to enter ⁴⁰  the holy place ⁴¹  of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now ⁴²  the whole crowd ⁴³  of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ⁴⁴  1:11 An ⁴⁵  angel of the Lord, ⁴⁶  standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared ⁴⁷  to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ⁴⁸  was seized with fear. ⁴⁹  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ⁵⁰  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ⁵¹  will name him John. ⁵²  1:14 Joy and gladness will come ⁵³  to you, and many will rejoice at ⁵⁴  his birth, ⁵⁵  1:15 for he will be great in the sight of ⁵⁶  the Lord. He ⁵⁷  must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ⁵⁸  1:16 He ⁵⁹  will turn ⁶⁰  many of the people ⁶¹  of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord ⁶²  in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ⁶³  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

1:18 Zechariah ⁶⁴  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ⁶⁵  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ⁶⁶  1:19 The ⁶⁷  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ⁶⁸  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ⁶⁹  you this good news. 1:20 And now, ⁷⁰  because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, ⁷¹  you will be silent, unable to speak, ⁷²  until the day these things take place.”

1:21 Now ⁷³  the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder ⁷⁴  why he was delayed in the holy place. ⁷⁵  1:22 When ⁷⁶  he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They ⁷⁷  realized that he had seen a vision ⁷⁸  in the holy place, ⁷⁹  because ⁸⁰  he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. ⁸¹  1:23 When his time of service was over, ⁸²  he went to his home.

1:24 After some time ⁸³  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ⁸⁴  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ⁸⁵  She said, ⁸⁶  1:25 “This is what ⁸⁷  the Lord has done for me at the time ⁸⁸  when he has been gracious to me, ⁸⁹  to take away my disgrace ⁹⁰  among people.” ⁹¹ 

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ⁹²  the angel Gabriel ⁹³  was sent by ⁹⁴  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ⁹⁵  1:27 to a virgin engaged ⁹⁶  to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, ⁹⁷  and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The ⁹⁸  angel ⁹⁹  came ¹⁰⁰  to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, ¹⁰¹  the Lord is with you!” ¹⁰²  1:29 But ¹⁰³  she was greatly troubled ¹⁰⁴  by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. ¹⁰⁵  1:30 So ¹⁰⁶  the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ¹⁰⁷  Mary, for you have found favor ¹⁰⁸  with God! 1:31 Listen: ¹⁰⁹  You will become pregnant ¹¹⁰  and give birth to ¹¹¹  a son, and you will name him ¹¹²  Jesus. ¹¹³  1:32 He ¹¹⁴  will be great, ¹¹⁵  and will be called the Son of the Most High, ¹¹⁶  and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father ¹¹⁷  David. 1:33 He ¹¹⁸  will reign over the house of Jacob ¹¹⁹  forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary ¹²⁰  said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with ¹²¹  a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, ¹²²  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow ¹²³  you. Therefore the child ¹²⁴  to be born ¹²⁵  will be holy; ¹²⁶  he will be called the Son of God.

1:36 “And look, ¹²⁷  your relative ¹²⁸  Elizabeth has also become pregnant with ¹²⁹  a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! ¹³⁰  1:37 For nothing ¹³¹  will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So ¹³²  Mary said, “Yes, ¹³³  I am a servant ¹³⁴  of the Lord; let this happen to me ¹³⁵  according to your word.” ¹³⁶  Then ¹³⁷  the angel departed from her.

Mary and Elizabeth

1:39 In those days ¹³⁸  Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ¹³⁹  1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When ¹⁴⁰  Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped ¹⁴¹  in her ¹⁴²  womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁴³  1:42 She ¹⁴⁴  exclaimed with a loud voice, ¹⁴⁵  “Blessed are you among women, ¹⁴⁶  and blessed is the child ¹⁴⁷  in your womb! 1:43 And who am I ¹⁴⁸  that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant ¹⁴⁹  the sound of your greeting reached my ears, ¹⁵⁰  the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ¹⁵¹  1:45 And blessed ¹⁵²  is she who believed that ¹⁵³  what was spoken to her by ¹⁵⁴  the Lord would be fulfilled.” ¹⁵⁵ 

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

1:46 And Mary ¹⁵⁶  said, ¹⁵⁷ 

“My soul exalts ¹⁵⁸  the Lord, ¹⁵⁹ 

1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice ¹⁶⁰  in God my Savior,

1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ¹⁶¹ 

For ¹⁶²  from now on ¹⁶³  all generations will call me blessed, ¹⁶⁴ 

1:49 because he who is mighty ¹⁶⁵  has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

1:50 from ¹⁶⁶  generation to generation he is merciful ¹⁶⁷  to those who fear ¹⁶⁸  him.

1:51 He has demonstrated power ¹⁶⁹  with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance ¹⁷⁰  of their hearts.

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ¹⁷¹  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ¹⁷² 

1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, ¹⁷³  and has sent the rich away empty. ¹⁷⁴ 

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ¹⁷⁵  his mercy, ¹⁷⁶ 

1:55 as he promised ¹⁷⁷  to our ancestors, ¹⁷⁸  to Abraham and to his descendants ¹⁷⁹  forever.”

1:56 So ¹⁸⁰  Mary stayed with Elizabeth ¹⁸¹  about three months ¹⁸²  and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John

1:57 Now the time came ¹⁸³  for Elizabeth to have her baby, ¹⁸⁴  and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her ¹⁸⁵  neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown ¹⁸⁶  great mercy to her, and they rejoiced ¹⁸⁷  with her.

1:59 On ¹⁸⁸  the eighth day ¹⁸⁹  they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name ¹⁹⁰  him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But ¹⁹¹  his mother replied, ¹⁹²  “No! He must be named ¹⁹³  John.” ¹⁹⁴  1:61 They ¹⁹⁵  said to her, “But ¹⁹⁶  none of your relatives bears this name.” ¹⁹⁷  1:62 So ¹⁹⁸  they made signs to the baby’s ¹⁹⁹  father, ²⁰⁰  inquiring what he wanted to name his son. ²⁰¹  1:63 He ²⁰²  asked for a writing tablet ²⁰³  and wrote, ²⁰⁴  “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ²⁰⁵  1:64 Immediately ²⁰⁶  Zechariah’s ²⁰⁷  mouth was opened and his tongue ²⁰⁸  released, ²⁰⁹  and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All ²¹⁰  their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All ²¹¹  who heard these things ²¹²  kept them in their hearts, ²¹³  saying, “What then will this child be?” ²¹⁴  For the Lord’s hand ²¹⁵  was indeed with him.

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

1:67 Then ²¹⁶  his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ²¹⁷ 

1:68 “Blessed ²¹⁸  be the Lord God of Israel,

because he has come to help ²¹⁹  and has redeemed ²²⁰  his people.

1:69 For ²²¹  he has raised up ²²²  a horn of salvation ²²³  for us in the house of his servant David, ²²⁴ 

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, ²²⁵ 

1:71 that we should be saved ²²⁶  from our enemies, ²²⁷ 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 He has done this ²²⁸  to show mercy ²²⁹  to our ancestors, ²³⁰ 

and to remember his holy covenant ²³¹  –

1:73 the oath ²³²  that he swore to our ancestor ²³³  Abraham.

This oath grants ²³⁴ 

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our ²³⁵  enemies,

may serve him without fear, ²³⁶ 

1:75 in holiness and righteousness ²³⁷  before him for as long as we live. ²³⁸ 

1:76 And you, child, ²³⁹  will be called the prophet ²⁴⁰  of the Most High. ²⁴¹ 

For you will go before ²⁴²  the Lord to prepare his ways, ²⁴³ 

1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation ²⁴⁴  through the forgiveness ²⁴⁵  of their sins.

1:78 Because of ²⁴⁶  our God’s tender mercy ²⁴⁷ 

the dawn ²⁴⁸  will break ²⁴⁹  upon us from on high

1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, ²⁵⁰ 

to guide our feet into the way ²⁵¹  of peace.”

1:80 And the child kept growing ²⁵²  and becoming strong ²⁵³  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ²⁵⁴  until the day he was revealed ²⁵⁵  to Israel.

Lukas 1:1

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ²⁵⁶  many have undertaken to compile an account ²⁵⁷  of the things ²⁵⁸  that have been fulfilled ²⁵⁹  among us,

Lukas 1:1-80

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ²⁶⁰  many have undertaken to compile an account ²⁶¹  of the things ²⁶²  that have been fulfilled ²⁶³  among us, 1:2 like the accounts ²⁶⁴  passed on ²⁶⁵  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ²⁶⁶  from the beginning. ²⁶⁷  1:3 So ²⁶⁸  it seemed good to me as well, ²⁶⁹  because I have followed ²⁷⁰  all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account ²⁷¹  for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain ²⁷²  the things you were taught. ²⁷³ 

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

1:5 During the reign ²⁷⁴  of Herod ²⁷⁵  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ²⁷⁶  the priestly division of Abijah, ²⁷⁷  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ²⁷⁸  who was a descendant of Aaron. ²⁷⁹  1:6 They ²⁸⁰  were both righteous in the sight of God, following ²⁸¹  all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. ²⁸²  1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ²⁸³  and they were both very old. ²⁸⁴ 

1:8 Now ²⁸⁵  while Zechariah ²⁸⁶  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ²⁸⁷  1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, ²⁸⁸  to enter ²⁸⁹  the holy place ²⁹⁰  of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now ²⁹¹  the whole crowd ²⁹²  of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ²⁹³  1:11 An ²⁹⁴  angel of the Lord, ²⁹⁵  standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared ²⁹⁶  to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ²⁹⁷  was seized with fear. ²⁹⁸  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ²⁹⁹  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ³⁰⁰  will name him John. ³⁰¹  1:14 Joy and gladness will come ³⁰²  to you, and many will rejoice at ³⁰³  his birth, ³⁰⁴  1:15 for he will be great in the sight of ³⁰⁵  the Lord. He ³⁰⁶  must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ³⁰⁷  1:16 He ³⁰⁸  will turn ³⁰⁹  many of the people ³¹⁰  of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord ³¹¹  in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ³¹²  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

1:18 Zechariah ³¹³  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ³¹⁴  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ³¹⁵  1:19 The ³¹⁶  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ³¹⁷  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ³¹⁸  you this good news. 1:20 And now, ³¹⁹  because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, ³²⁰  you will be silent, unable to speak, ³²¹  until the day these things take place.”

1:21 Now ³²²  the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder ³²³  why he was delayed in the holy place. ³²⁴  1:22 When ³²⁵  he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They ³²⁶  realized that he had seen a vision ³²⁷  in the holy place, ³²⁸  because ³²⁹  he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. ³³⁰  1:23 When his time of service was over, ³³¹  he went to his home.

1:24 After some time ³³²  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ³³³  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ³³⁴  She said, ³³⁵  1:25 “This is what ³³⁶  the Lord has done for me at the time ³³⁷  when he has been gracious to me, ³³⁸  to take away my disgrace ³³⁹  among people.” ³⁴⁰ 

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ³⁴¹  the angel Gabriel ³⁴²  was sent by ³⁴³  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ³⁴⁴  1:27 to a virgin engaged ³⁴⁵  to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, ³⁴⁶  and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The ³⁴⁷  angel ³⁴⁸  came ³⁴⁹  to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, ³⁵⁰  the Lord is with you!” ³⁵¹  1:29 But ³⁵²  she was greatly troubled ³⁵³  by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. ³⁵⁴  1:30 So ³⁵⁵  the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ³⁵⁶  Mary, for you have found favor ³⁵⁷  with God! 1:31 Listen: ³⁵⁸  You will become pregnant ³⁵⁹  and give birth to ³⁶⁰  a son, and you will name him ³⁶¹  Jesus. ³⁶²  1:32 He ³⁶³  will be great, ³⁶⁴  and will be called the Son of the Most High, ³⁶⁵  and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father ³⁶⁶  David. 1:33 He ³⁶⁷  will reign over the house of Jacob ³⁶⁸  forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary ³⁶⁹  said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with ³⁷⁰  a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, ³⁷¹  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow ³⁷²  you. Therefore the child ³⁷³  to be born ³⁷⁴  will be holy; ³⁷⁵  he will be called the Son of God.

1:36 “And look, ³⁷⁶  your relative ³⁷⁷  Elizabeth has also become pregnant with ³⁷⁸  a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! ³⁷⁹  1:37 For nothing ³⁸⁰  will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So ³⁸¹  Mary said, “Yes, ³⁸²  I am a servant ³⁸³  of the Lord; let this happen to me ³⁸⁴  according to your word.” ³⁸⁵  Then ³⁸⁶  the angel departed from her.

Mary and Elizabeth

1:39 In those days ³⁸⁷  Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ³⁸⁸  1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When ³⁸⁹  Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped ³⁹⁰  in her ³⁹¹  womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ³⁹²  1:42 She ³⁹³  exclaimed with a loud voice, ³⁹⁴  “Blessed are you among women, ³⁹⁵  and blessed is the child ³⁹⁶  in your womb! 1:43 And who am I ³⁹⁷  that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant ³⁹⁸  the sound of your greeting reached my ears, ³⁹⁹  the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁰⁰  1:45 And blessed ⁴⁰¹  is she who believed that ⁴⁰²  what was spoken to her by ⁴⁰³  the Lord would be fulfilled.” ⁴⁰⁴ 

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

1:46 And Mary ⁴⁰⁵  said, ⁴⁰⁶ 

“My soul exalts ⁴⁰⁷  the Lord, ⁴⁰⁸ 

1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice ⁴⁰⁹  in God my Savior,

1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ⁴¹⁰ 

For ⁴¹¹  from now on ⁴¹²  all generations will call me blessed, ⁴¹³ 

1:49 because he who is mighty ⁴¹⁴  has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

1:50 from ⁴¹⁵  generation to generation he is merciful ⁴¹⁶  to those who fear ⁴¹⁷  him.

1:51 He has demonstrated power ⁴¹⁸  with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance ⁴¹⁹  of their hearts.

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ⁴²⁰  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ⁴²¹ 

1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, ⁴²²  and has sent the rich away empty. ⁴²³ 

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ⁴²⁴  his mercy, ⁴²⁵ 

1:55 as he promised ⁴²⁶  to our ancestors, ⁴²⁷  to Abraham and to his descendants ⁴²⁸  forever.”

1:56 So ⁴²⁹  Mary stayed with Elizabeth ⁴³⁰  about three months ⁴³¹  and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John

1:57 Now the time came ⁴³²  for Elizabeth to have her baby, ⁴³³  and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her ⁴³⁴  neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown ⁴³⁵  great mercy to her, and they rejoiced ⁴³⁶  with her.

1:59 On ⁴³⁷  the eighth day ⁴³⁸  they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name ⁴³⁹  him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But ⁴⁴⁰  his mother replied, ⁴⁴¹  “No! He must be named ⁴⁴²  John.” ⁴⁴³  1:61 They ⁴⁴⁴  said to her, “But ⁴⁴⁵  none of your relatives bears this name.” ⁴⁴⁶  1:62 So ⁴⁴⁷  they made signs to the baby’s ⁴⁴⁸  father, ⁴⁴⁹  inquiring what he wanted to name his son. ⁴⁵⁰  1:63 He ⁴⁵¹  asked for a writing tablet ⁴⁵²  and wrote, ⁴⁵³  “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ⁴⁵⁴  1:64 Immediately ⁴⁵⁵  Zechariah’s ⁴⁵⁶  mouth was opened and his tongue ⁴⁵⁷  released, ⁴⁵⁸  and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All ⁴⁵⁹  their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All ⁴⁶⁰  who heard these things ⁴⁶¹  kept them in their hearts, ⁴⁶²  saying, “What then will this child be?” ⁴⁶³  For the Lord’s hand ⁴⁶⁴  was indeed with him.

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

1:67 Then ⁴⁶⁵  his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ⁴⁶⁶ 

1:68 “Blessed ⁴⁶⁷  be the Lord God of Israel,

because he has come to help ⁴⁶⁸  and has redeemed ⁴⁶⁹  his people.

1:69 For ⁴⁷⁰  he has raised up ⁴⁷¹  a horn of salvation ⁴⁷²  for us in the house of his servant David, ⁴⁷³ 

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, ⁴⁷⁴ 

1:71 that we should be saved ⁴⁷⁵  from our enemies, ⁴⁷⁶ 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 He has done this ⁴⁷⁷  to show mercy ⁴⁷⁸  to our ancestors, ⁴⁷⁹ 

and to remember his holy covenant ⁴⁸⁰  –

1:73 the oath ⁴⁸¹  that he swore to our ancestor ⁴⁸²  Abraham.

This oath grants ⁴⁸³ 

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our ⁴⁸⁴  enemies,

may serve him without fear, ⁴⁸⁵ 

1:75 in holiness and righteousness ⁴⁸⁶  before him for as long as we live. ⁴⁸⁷ 

1:76 And you, child, ⁴⁸⁸  will be called the prophet ⁴⁸⁹  of the Most High. ⁴⁹⁰ 

For you will go before ⁴⁹¹  the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁴⁹² 

1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation ⁴⁹³  through the forgiveness ⁴⁹⁴  of their sins.

1:78 Because of ⁴⁹⁵  our God’s tender mercy ⁴⁹⁶ 

the dawn ⁴⁹⁷  will break ⁴⁹⁸  upon us from on high

1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, ⁴⁹⁹ 

to guide our feet into the way ⁵⁰⁰  of peace.”

1:80 And the child kept growing ⁵⁰¹  and becoming strong ⁵⁰²  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ⁵⁰³  until the day he was revealed ⁵⁰⁴  to Israel.

Lukas 1:1-80

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ⁵⁰⁵  many have undertaken to compile an account ⁵⁰⁶  of the things ⁵⁰⁷  that have been fulfilled ⁵⁰⁸  among us, 1:2 like the accounts ⁵⁰⁹  passed on ⁵¹⁰  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ⁵¹¹  from the beginning. ⁵¹²  1:3 So ⁵¹³  it seemed good to me as well, ⁵¹⁴  because I have followed ⁵¹⁵  all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account ⁵¹⁶  for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain ⁵¹⁷  the things you were taught. ⁵¹⁸ 

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

1:5 During the reign ⁵¹⁹  of Herod ⁵²⁰  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ⁵²¹  the priestly division of Abijah, ⁵²²  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ⁵²³  who was a descendant of Aaron. ⁵²⁴  1:6 They ⁵²⁵  were both righteous in the sight of God, following ⁵²⁶  all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. ⁵²⁷  1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ⁵²⁸  and they were both very old. ⁵²⁹ 

1:8 Now ⁵³⁰  while Zechariah ⁵³¹  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ⁵³²  1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, ⁵³³  to enter ⁵³⁴  the holy place ⁵³⁵  of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now ⁵³⁶  the whole crowd ⁵³⁷  of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ⁵³⁸  1:11 An ⁵³⁹  angel of the Lord, ⁵⁴⁰  standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared ⁵⁴¹  to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ⁵⁴²  was seized with fear. ⁵⁴³  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ⁵⁴⁴  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ⁵⁴⁵  will name him John. ⁵⁴⁶  1:14 Joy and gladness will come ⁵⁴⁷  to you, and many will rejoice at ⁵⁴⁸  his birth, ⁵⁴⁹  1:15 for he will be great in the sight of ⁵⁵⁰  the Lord. He ⁵⁵¹  must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ⁵⁵²  1:16 He ⁵⁵³  will turn ⁵⁵⁴  many of the people ⁵⁵⁵  of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord ⁵⁵⁶  in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ⁵⁵⁷  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

1:18 Zechariah ⁵⁵⁸  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ⁵⁵⁹  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ⁵⁶⁰  1:19 The ⁵⁶¹  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ⁵⁶²  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ⁵⁶³  you this good news. 1:20 And now, ⁵⁶⁴  because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, ⁵⁶⁵  you will be silent, unable to speak, ⁵⁶⁶  until the day these things take place.”

1:21 Now ⁵⁶⁷  the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder ⁵⁶⁸  why he was delayed in the holy place. ⁵⁶⁹  1:22 When ⁵⁷⁰  he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They ⁵⁷¹  realized that he had seen a vision ⁵⁷²  in the holy place, ⁵⁷³  because ⁵⁷⁴  he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. ⁵⁷⁵  1:23 When his time of service was over, ⁵⁷⁶  he went to his home.

1:24 After some time ⁵⁷⁷  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ⁵⁷⁸  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ⁵⁷⁹  She said, ⁵⁸⁰  1:25 “This is what ⁵⁸¹  the Lord has done for me at the time ⁵⁸²  when he has been gracious to me, ⁵⁸³  to take away my disgrace ⁵⁸⁴  among people.” ⁵⁸⁵ 

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ⁵⁸⁶  the angel Gabriel ⁵⁸⁷  was sent by ⁵⁸⁸  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ⁵⁸⁹  1:27 to a virgin engaged ⁵⁹⁰  to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, ⁵⁹¹  and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The ⁵⁹²  angel ⁵⁹³  came ⁵⁹⁴  to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, ⁵⁹⁵  the Lord is with you!” ⁵⁹⁶  1:29 But ⁵⁹⁷  she was greatly troubled ⁵⁹⁸  by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. ⁵⁹⁹  1:30 So ⁶⁰⁰  the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ⁶⁰¹  Mary, for you have found favor ⁶⁰²  with God! 1:31 Listen: ⁶⁰³  You will become pregnant ⁶⁰⁴  and give birth to ⁶⁰⁵  a son, and you will name him ⁶⁰⁶  Jesus. ⁶⁰⁷  1:32 He ⁶⁰⁸  will be great, ⁶⁰⁹  and will be called the Son of the Most High, ⁶¹⁰  and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father ⁶¹¹  David. 1:33 He ⁶¹²  will reign over the house of Jacob ⁶¹³  forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary ⁶¹⁴  said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with ⁶¹⁵  a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, ⁶¹⁶  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow ⁶¹⁷  you. Therefore the child ⁶¹⁸  to be born ⁶¹⁹  will be holy; ⁶²⁰  he will be called the Son of God.

1:36 “And look, ⁶²¹  your relative ⁶²²  Elizabeth has also become pregnant with ⁶²³  a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! ⁶²⁴  1:37 For nothing ⁶²⁵  will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So ⁶²⁶  Mary said, “Yes, ⁶²⁷  I am a servant ⁶²⁸  of the Lord; let this happen to me ⁶²⁹  according to your word.” ⁶³⁰  Then ⁶³¹  the angel departed from her.

Mary and Elizabeth

1:39 In those days ⁶³²  Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ⁶³³  1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When ⁶³⁴  Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped ⁶³⁵  in her ⁶³⁶  womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁶³⁷  1:42 She ⁶³⁸  exclaimed with a loud voice, ⁶³⁹  “Blessed are you among women, ⁶⁴⁰  and blessed is the child ⁶⁴¹  in your womb! 1:43 And who am I ⁶⁴²  that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant ⁶⁴³  the sound of your greeting reached my ears, ⁶⁴⁴  the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁶⁴⁵  1:45 And blessed ⁶⁴⁶  is she who believed that ⁶⁴⁷  what was spoken to her by ⁶⁴⁸  the Lord would be fulfilled.” ⁶⁴⁹ 

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

1:46 And Mary ⁶⁵⁰  said, ⁶⁵¹ 

“My soul exalts ⁶⁵²  the Lord, ⁶⁵³ 

1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice ⁶⁵⁴  in God my Savior,

1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ⁶⁵⁵ 

For ⁶⁵⁶  from now on ⁶⁵⁷  all generations will call me blessed, ⁶⁵⁸ 

1:49 because he who is mighty ⁶⁵⁹  has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

1:50 from ⁶⁶⁰  generation to generation he is merciful ⁶⁶¹  to those who fear ⁶⁶²  him.

1:51 He has demonstrated power ⁶⁶³  with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance ⁶⁶⁴  of their hearts.

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ⁶⁶⁵  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ⁶⁶⁶ 

1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, ⁶⁶⁷  and has sent the rich away empty. ⁶⁶⁸ 

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ⁶⁶⁹  his mercy, ⁶⁷⁰ 

1:55 as he promised ⁶⁷¹  to our ancestors, ⁶⁷²  to Abraham and to his descendants ⁶⁷³  forever.”

1:56 So ⁶⁷⁴  Mary stayed with Elizabeth ⁶⁷⁵  about three months ⁶⁷⁶  and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John

1:57 Now the time came ⁶⁷⁷  for Elizabeth to have her baby, ⁶⁷⁸  and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her ⁶⁷⁹  neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown ⁶⁸⁰  great mercy to her, and they rejoiced ⁶⁸¹  with her.

1:59 On ⁶⁸²  the eighth day ⁶⁸³  they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name ⁶⁸⁴  him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But ⁶⁸⁵  his mother replied, ⁶⁸⁶  “No! He must be named ⁶⁸⁷  John.” ⁶⁸⁸  1:61 They ⁶⁸⁹  said to her, “But ⁶⁹⁰  none of your relatives bears this name.” ⁶⁹¹  1:62 So ⁶⁹²  they made signs to the baby’s ⁶⁹³  father, ⁶⁹⁴  inquiring what he wanted to name his son. ⁶⁹⁵  1:63 He ⁶⁹⁶  asked for a writing tablet ⁶⁹⁷  and wrote, ⁶⁹⁸  “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ⁶⁹⁹  1:64 Immediately ⁷⁰⁰  Zechariah’s ⁷⁰¹  mouth was opened and his tongue ⁷⁰²  released, ⁷⁰³  and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All ⁷⁰⁴  their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All ⁷⁰⁵  who heard these things ⁷⁰⁶  kept them in their hearts, ⁷⁰⁷  saying, “What then will this child be?” ⁷⁰⁸  For the Lord’s hand ⁷⁰⁹  was indeed with him.

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

1:67 Then ⁷¹⁰  his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ⁷¹¹ 

1:68 “Blessed ⁷¹²  be the Lord God of Israel,

because he has come to help ⁷¹³  and has redeemed ⁷¹⁴  his people.

1:69 For ⁷¹⁵  he has raised up ⁷¹⁶  a horn of salvation ⁷¹⁷  for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷¹⁸ 

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, ⁷¹⁹ 

1:71 that we should be saved ⁷²⁰  from our enemies, ⁷²¹ 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 He has done this ⁷²²  to show mercy ⁷²³  to our ancestors, ⁷²⁴ 

and to remember his holy covenant ⁷²⁵  –

1:73 the oath ⁷²⁶  that he swore to our ancestor ⁷²⁷  Abraham.

This oath grants ⁷²⁸ 

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our ⁷²⁹  enemies,

may serve him without fear, ⁷³⁰ 

1:75 in holiness and righteousness ⁷³¹  before him for as long as we live. ⁷³² 

1:76 And you, child, ⁷³³  will be called the prophet ⁷³⁴  of the Most High. ⁷³⁵ 

For you will go before ⁷³⁶  the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷³⁷ 

1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation ⁷³⁸  through the forgiveness ⁷³⁹  of their sins.

1:78 Because of ⁷⁴⁰  our God’s tender mercy ⁷⁴¹ 

the dawn ⁷⁴²  will break ⁷⁴³  upon us from on high

1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, ⁷⁴⁴ 

to guide our feet into the way ⁷⁴⁵  of peace.”

1:80 And the child kept growing ⁷⁴⁶  and becoming strong ⁷⁴⁷  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ⁷⁴⁸  until the day he was revealed ⁷⁴⁹  to Israel.

[3:1]  ¹ tn Or “Emperor Tiberius” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[3:1]  sn Tiberius Caesar was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus, who ruled from a.d. 14-37.

[3:1]  ² sn The rule of Pontius Pilate is also described by Josephus, J. W. 2.9.2-4 (2.169-177) and Ant. 18.3.1 (18.55-59).

[3:1]  ³ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He ruled from 4 b.c.-a.d. 39, sharing the rule of his father’s realm with his two brothers. One brother, Archelaus (Matt 2:22) was banished in a.d. 6 and died in a.d. 18; the other brother, Herod Philip (mentioned next) died in a.d. 34.

[3:1]  ⁴ sn A tetrarch was a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, who ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod tetrarch of Galilee is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage.

[3:1]  ⁵ sn Philip refers to Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great and brother of Herod Antipas. Philip ruled as tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis from 4 b.c.-a.d. 34.

[3:1]  ⁶ sn Nothing else is known about Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.

[1:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

[1:1]  ⁸ tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

[1:1]  ⁹ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ¹⁰ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

[1:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

[1:1]  ¹² tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

[1:2]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ¹⁶ tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ¹⁷ sn The phrase eyewitnesses and servants of the word refers to a single group of people who faithfully passed on the accounts about Jesus. The language about delivery (passed on) points to accounts faithfully passed on to the early church.

[1:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “like the accounts those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word passed on to us.” The location of “in the beginning” in the Greek shows that the tradition is rooted in those who were with Jesus from the start.

[1:3]  ¹⁹ tn The conjunction “so” is supplied here to bring out the force of the latter part of this Greek sentence, which the translation divides up because of English style. Luke, in compiling his account, is joining a tradition with good precedent.

[1:3]  ²⁰ sn When Luke says it seemed good to me as well he is not being critical of the earlier accounts, but sees himself stepping into a tradition of reporting about Jesus to which he will add uniquely a second volume on the early church when he writes the Book of Acts.

[1:3]  ²¹ tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parhkolouqhkoti) has been translated causally.

[1:3]  ²² sn An orderly account does not necessarily mean that all events are recorded in the exact chronological sequence in which they occurred, but that the account produced is an orderly one. This could include, for example, thematic or topical order rather than strict chronological order.

[1:4]  ²³ tn Or “know the truth about”; or “know the certainty of.” The issue of the context is psychological confidence; Luke’s work is trying to encourage Theophilus. So in English this is better translated as “know for certain” than “know certainty” or “know the truth,” which sounds too cognitive. “Certain” assumes the truth of the report. On this term, see Acts 2:36; 21:34; 22:30; and 25:26. The meaning “have assurance concerning” is also possible here.

[1:4]  ²⁴ tn Or “you heard about.” This term can refer merely to a report of information (Acts 21:24) or to instruction (Acts 18:25). The scope of Luke’s Gospel as a whole, which calls for perseverance in the faith and which assumes much knowledge of the OT, suggests Theophilus had received some instruction and was probably a believer.

[1:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “It happened that in the days.” 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.

[1:5]  ²⁶ sn Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.

[1:5]  ²⁷ tn Grk “of”; but the meaning of the preposition ἐκ (ek) is more accurately expressed in contemporary English by the relative clause “who belonged to.”

[1:5]  ²⁸ sn There were twenty-four divisions of priesthood and the priestly division of Abijah was eighth on the list according to 1 Chr 24:10.

[1:5]  ²⁹ tn Grk “and her name was Elizabeth.”

[1:5]  ³⁰ tn Grk “a wife of the daughters of Aaron.”

[1:5]  sn It was not unusual for a priest to have a wife from a priestly family (a descendant of Aaron); this was regarded as a special blessing.

[1:6]  ³¹ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

[1:6]  ³² tn Grk “walking in” (an idiom for one’s lifestyle).

[1:6]  sn The description of Zechariah and Elizabeth as following… blamelessly was not to say that they were sinless, but that they were faithful and pious. Thus a practical righteousness is meant here (Gen 6:8; Deut 28:9).

[1:6]  ³³ tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).

[1:7]  ³⁴ sn Elizabeth was barren. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are regarded by Luke as righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly (v. 6). With this language, reminiscent of various passages in the OT, Luke is probably drawing implicit comparisons to the age and barrenness of such famous OT personalities as Abraham and Sarah (see, e.g., Gen 18:9-15), the mother of Samson (Judg 13:2-5), and Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-20). And, as it was in the case of these OT saints, so it is with Elizabeth: After much anguish and seeking the Lord, she too is going to have a son in her barrenness. In that day it was a great reproach to be childless, for children were a sign of God’s blessing (cf. Gen 1:28; Lev 20:20-21; Pss 127 and 128; Jer 22:30). As the dawn of salvation draws near, however, God will change this elderly couple’s grief into great joy and grant them the one desire time had rendered impossible.

[1:7]  ³⁵ tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:8]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Now 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.

[1:8]  ³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ³⁸ tn Grk “serving as priest in the order of his division before God.”

[1:8]  sn Zechariah’s division would be on duty twice a year for a week at a time.

[1:9]  ³⁹ tn Grk “according to the custom of the priesthood it fell to him by lot.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to make it clear that the prepositional phrase κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας (kata to eqo" th" Jierateia", “according to the custom of the priesthood”) modifies the phrase “it fell to him by lot” rather than the preceding clause.

[1:9]  ⁴⁰ tn This is an aorist participle and is temporally related to the offering of incense, not to when the lot fell.

[1:9]  ⁴¹ tn Or “temple.” Such sacrifices, which included the burning of incense, would have occurred in the holy place according to the Mishnah (m. Tamid 1.2; 3.1; 5-7). A priest would have given this sacrifice, which was offered for the nation, once in one’s career. It would be offered either at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m., since it was made twice a day.

[1:10]  ⁴² tn Grk “And,” but “now” better represents the somewhat parenthetical nature of this statement in the flow of the narrative.

[1:10]  ⁴³ tn Grk “all the multitude.” While “assembly” is sometimes used here to translate πλῆθος (plhqo"), that term usually implies in English a specific or particular group of people. However, this was simply a large group gathered outside, which was not unusual, especially for the afternoon offering.

[1:10]  ⁴⁴ tn The “hour of the incense offering” is another way to refer to the time of sacrifice.

[1:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “And an angel.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[1:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[1:11]  ⁴⁷ sn This term is often used to describe a supernatural appearance (24:34; Acts 2:3; 7:2, 30, 35; 9:17; 13:31; 16:9; 26:16).

[1:12]  ⁴⁸ tn The words “the angel” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “and he was afraid”; Grk “fear fell upon him.” Fear is common when supernatural agents appear (1:29-30, 65; 2:9; 5:8-10; 9:34; 24:38; Exod 15:16; Judg 6:22-23; 13:6, 22; 2 Sam 6:9).

[1:13]  ⁵⁰ tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.

[1:13]  sn Your prayer has been heard. Zechariah’s prayer while offering the sacrifice would have been for the nation, but the answer to the prayer also gave them a long hoped-for child, a hope they had abandoned because of their old age.

[1:13]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:13]  ⁵² tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.

[1:13]  sn “Do not be afraid…you must call his name John.” This is a standard birth announcement (see Gen 16:11; Isa 7:14; Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).

[1:14]  ⁵³ tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”

[1:14]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “because of.”

[1:14]  ⁵⁵ tn “At his birth” is more precise as the grammatical subject (1:58), though “at his coming” is a possible force, since it is his mission, as the following verses note, that will really bring joy.

[1:15]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “before.”

[1:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “and he”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[1:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “even from his mother’s womb.” While this idiom may be understood to refer to the point of birth (“even from his birth”), Luke 1:41 suggests that here it should be understood to refer to a time before birth.

[1:15]  sn He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. This is the language of the birth of a prophet (Judg 13:5, 7; Isa 49:1; Jer 1:5; Sir 49:7); see 1:41 for the first fulfillment.

[1:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:16]  ⁶⁰ sn The word translated will turn is a good summary term for repentance and denotes John’s call to a change of direction (Luke 3:1-14).

[1:16]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “sons”; but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.

[1:17]  ⁶² tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ⁶³ sn These two lines cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner.

[1:18]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:18]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

[1:18]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:19]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

[1:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:20]  ⁷¹ sn The predicted fulfillment in the expression my words, which will be fulfilled in their time takes place in Luke 1:63-66.

[1:20]  ⁷² sn Silent, unable to speak. Actually Zechariah was deaf and mute as 1:61-63 indicates, since others had to use gestures to communicate with him.

[1:21]  ⁷³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:21]  ⁷⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[1:21]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ⁷⁸ tn That is, “he had had a supernatural encounter in the holy place,” since the angel came to Zechariah by the altar. This was not just a “mental experience.”

[1:22]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.

[1:22]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.

[1:23]  ⁸² tn Grk “And it happened that as the days of his service were ended.” 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.

[1:24]  ⁸³ tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ⁸⁵ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:26]  ⁹² 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]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ 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.

[1:26]  map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

[1:27]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “promised in marriage.”

[1:27]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “Joseph, of the house of David.”

[1:27]  sn The Greek word order here favors connecting Davidic descent to Joseph, not Mary, in this remark.

[1:28]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:28]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:28]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “coming to her, he said.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:28]  ¹⁰¹ tn The address, “favored one” (a perfect participle, Grk “Oh one who is favored”) points to Mary as the recipient of God’s grace, not a bestower of it. She is a model saint in this passage, one who willingly receives God’s benefits. The Vulgate rendering “full of grace” suggests something more of Mary as a bestower of grace, but does not make sense here contextually.

[1:28]  ¹⁰² tc Most mss (A C D Θ Ë¹³ 33 Ï latt sy) read here εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν (euloghmenh su en gunaixin, “blessed are you among women”) which also appears in 1:42 (where it is textually certain). This has the earmarks of a scribal addition for balance; the shorter reading, attested by the most important witnesses and several others (א B L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 700 1241 pc co), is thus preferred.

[1:29]  ¹⁰³ tc Most mss (A C Θ 0130 ˹³ Ï lat sy) have ἰδοῦσα (idousa, “when [she] saw [the angel]”) here as well, making Mary’s concern the appearance of the angel. This construction is harder than the shorter reading since it adds a transitive verb without an explicit object. However, the shorter reading has significant support (א B D L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 1241 sa) and on balance should probably be considered authentic.

[1:29]  ¹⁰⁴ sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.

[1:29]  ¹⁰⁵ tn 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; 18:36; 22:23).

[1:30]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Gabriel’s statement is a response to Mary’s perplexity over the greeting.

[1:30]  ¹⁰⁷ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

[1:30]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “grace.”

[1:30]  sn 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.

[1:31]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “And behold.”

[1:31]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”

[1:31]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “and bear.”

[1:31]  ¹¹² tn Grk “you will call his name.”

[1:31]  ¹¹³ tn See v. 13 for a similar construction.

[1:31]  sn 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 name Ihsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.

[1:32]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:32]  ¹¹⁵ sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.

[1:32]  ¹¹⁶ sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.

[1:32]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “ancestor.”

[1:33]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence is begun here in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek.

[1:33]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “over Israel.”

[1:33]  sn The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.

[1:34]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:34]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text, and the euphemistic expression is really more explicit, referring specifically to sexual relations.

[1:35]  ¹²² tn Grk “And the angel said to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The pronoun αὐτῇ (auth, “to her”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.

[1:35]  ¹²³ sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).

[1:35]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “the one born holy will be called the Son of God.” The wording of this phrase depends on whether the adjective is a predicate adjective, as in the text, or is an adjective modifying the participle serving as the subject. The absence of an article with the adjective speaks for a predicate position. Other less appealing options supply a verb for “holy”; thus “the one who is born will be holy”; or argue that both “holy” and “Son of God” are predicates, so “The one who is born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

[1:35]  ¹²⁵ tc A few mss (C* Θ Ë¹ 33 pc) add “by you” here. This looks like a scribal addition to bring symmetry to the first three clauses of the angel’s message (note the second person pronoun in the previous two clauses), and is too poorly supported to be seriously considered as authentic.

[1:35]  ¹²⁶ tn 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 γεννώμενον ἅγιον (to gennwmenon {agion) here. First, τὸ γεννώμενον could be considered a substantival participle with ἅγιον as an adjective in the second predicate position, thus making a complete sentence; this interpretation is reflected in the translation above. Second, τὸ ἅγιον could be considered a substantival adjective with γεννώμενον acting as an adjectival participle, thus making the phrase the subject of the verb κληθήσεται (klhqhsetai); this interpretation is reflected in the alternative reading. Treating the participle γεννώμενον as adjectival is a bit unnatural for the very reason that it forces one to understand ἅγιον as substantival; this introduces a new idea in the text with ἅγιον when an already new topic is being introduced with γεννώμενον. Semantically this would overload the new subject introduced at this point. For this reason the first interpretation is preferred.

[1:36]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:36]  ¹²⁸ tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

[1:36]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “has conceived.”

[1:36]  ¹³⁰ 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.

[1:37]  ¹³¹ tn In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rJhma, “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as the lesson in the entire discussion. The remark is a call for faith.

[1:38]  ¹³² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:38]  ¹³³ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:38]  ¹³⁴ 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]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

[1:38]  ¹³⁶ 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]  ¹³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:39]  ¹³⁸ 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]  ¹³⁹ 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]  ¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁴¹ sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.

[1:41]  ¹⁴² tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.

[1:41]  ¹⁴³ sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.

[1:42]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.

[1:43]  ¹⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:44]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”

[1:44]  ¹⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁵² sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.

[1:45]  ¹⁵³ 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]  ¹⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Grk “that there would be a fulfillment of what was said to her from the Lord.”

[1:45]  sn This term speaks of completion of something planned (2 Chr 29:35).

[1:46]  ¹⁵⁶ tc A few witnesses, especially Latin mss, (a b l* Ir^arm Or^lat mss Nic) read “Elizabeth” here, since she was just speaking, but the ms evidence overwhelmingly supports “Mary” as the speaker.

[1:46]  ¹⁵⁷ 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]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”

[1:46]  ¹⁵⁹ 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]  ¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹⁶¹ tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

[1:48]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:48]  ¹⁶³ 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]  ¹⁶⁴ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

[1:49]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”

[1:50]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.

[1:50]  ¹⁶⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁸ tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.

[1:51]  ¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰ 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]  ¹⁷¹ tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ¹⁷² tn Or “those of humble position”

[1:52]  sn 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).

[1:53]  ¹⁷³ sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

[1:53]  ¹⁷⁴ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

[1:54]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:55]  ¹⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “fathers.”

[1:55]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

[1:56]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[1:56]  ¹⁸¹ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:56]  ¹⁸² sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.

[1:57]  ¹⁸³ tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”

[1:57]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[1:58]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:58]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”

[1:58]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”

[1:59]  ¹⁸⁸ 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]  ¹⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁹⁰ 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]  ¹⁹¹ tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.

[1:60]  ¹⁹² 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]  ¹⁹³ tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”

[1:60]  ¹⁹⁴ 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]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:61]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:61]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”

[1:62]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.

[1:62]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:62]  ²⁰⁰ 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]  ²⁰¹ tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”

[1:63]  ²⁰² tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:63]  ²⁰³ sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.

[1:63]  ²⁰⁴ tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

[1:63]  ²⁰⁵ 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]  ²⁰⁶ tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:64]  ²⁰⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:64]  ²⁰⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁹ 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]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:65]  sn Fear is the emotion that comes when one recognizes something unusual, even supernatural, has taken place.

[1:66]  ²¹¹ 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]  ²¹² tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:66]  ²¹³ 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]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”

[1:66]  ²¹⁵ 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]  ²¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:67]  ²¹⁷ tn Grk “and he prophesied, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[1:67]  sn 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 praise psalm, which calls for praise and then gives the reason why God should be praised.

[1:68]  ²¹⁸ sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

[1:68]  ²¹⁹ sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

[1:68]  ²²⁰ tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”

[1:68]  sn 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. This involves both spiritual and material benefits eventually.

[1:69]  ²²¹ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ²²² sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ²²³ 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]  ²²⁴ 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]  ²²⁵ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

[1:71]  ²²⁶ tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

[1:71]  ²²⁷ 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]  ²²⁸ 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]  ²²⁹ sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

[1:72]  ²³⁰ 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]  ²³¹ 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]  ²³² tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ²³³ tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ²³⁴ 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]  ²³⁵ tc Many important early mss (א B L W [0130] Ë^1,13 565 892 pc) lack “our,” while most (A C D [K] Θ Ψ 0177 33 Ï pc) supply it. Although the addition is most likely not authentic, “our” has been included in the translation due to English stylistic requirements.

[1:74]  ²³⁶ tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

[1:75]  ²³⁷ 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]  ²³⁸ tn Grk “all our days.”

[1:76]  ²³⁹ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ²⁴⁰ 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]  ²⁴¹ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ²⁴² tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro proswpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (Ì⁴ א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

[1:76]  ²⁴³ 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.

[1:76]  sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3-5 and Luke 3:1-6.

[1:77]  ²⁴⁴ 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]  ²⁴⁵ sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).

[1:78]  ²⁴⁶ 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]  ²⁴⁷ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

[1:78]  ²⁴⁸ 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]  ²⁴⁹ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

[1:79]  ²⁵⁰ sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

[1:79]  ²⁵¹ tn Or “the path.”

[1:80]  ²⁵² tn This verb is imperfect.

[1:80]  ²⁵³ tn This verb is also imperfect.

[1:80]  ²⁵⁴ tn Or “desert.”

[1:80]  ²⁵⁵ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

[1:1]  ²⁵⁶ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

[1:1]  ²⁵⁷ tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

[1:1]  ²⁵⁸ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ²⁵⁹ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

[1:1]  ²⁶⁰ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

[1:1]  ²⁶¹ tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

[1:1]  ²⁶² tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ²⁶³ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

[1:2]  ²⁶⁴ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ²⁶⁶ sn The phrase eyewitnesses and servants of the word refers to a single group of people who faithfully passed on the accounts about Jesus. The language about delivery (passed on) points to accounts faithfully passed on to the early church.

[1:2]  ²⁶⁷ tn Grk “like the accounts those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word passed on to us.” The location of “in the beginning” in the Greek shows that the tradition is rooted in those who were with Jesus from the start.

[1:3]  ²⁶⁸ tn The conjunction “so” is supplied here to bring out the force of the latter part of this Greek sentence, which the translation divides up because of English style. Luke, in compiling his account, is joining a tradition with good precedent.

[1:3]  ²⁶⁹ sn When Luke says it seemed good to me as well he is not being critical of the earlier accounts, but sees himself stepping into a tradition of reporting about Jesus to which he will add uniquely a second volume on the early church when he writes the Book of Acts.

[1:3]  ²⁷⁰ tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parhkolouqhkoti) has been translated causally.

[1:3]  ²⁷¹ sn An orderly account does not necessarily mean that all events are recorded in the exact chronological sequence in which they occurred, but that the account produced is an orderly one. This could include, for example, thematic or topical order rather than strict chronological order.

[1:4]  ²⁷² tn Or “know the truth about”; or “know the certainty of.” The issue of the context is psychological confidence; Luke’s work is trying to encourage Theophilus. So in English this is better translated as “know for certain” than “know certainty” or “know the truth,” which sounds too cognitive. “Certain” assumes the truth of the report. On this term, see Acts 2:36; 21:34; 22:30; and 25:26. The meaning “have assurance concerning” is also possible here.

[1:4]  ²⁷³ tn Or “you heard about.” This term can refer merely to a report of information (Acts 21:24) or to instruction (Acts 18:25). The scope of Luke’s Gospel as a whole, which calls for perseverance in the faith and which assumes much knowledge of the OT, suggests Theophilus had received some instruction and was probably a believer.

[1:5]  ²⁷⁴ tn Grk “It happened that in the days.” 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.

[1:5]  ²⁷⁵ sn Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.

[1:5]  ²⁷⁶ tn Grk “of”; but the meaning of the preposition ἐκ (ek) is more accurately expressed in contemporary English by the relative clause “who belonged to.”

[1:5]  ²⁷⁷ sn There were twenty-four divisions of priesthood and the priestly division of Abijah was eighth on the list according to 1 Chr 24:10.

[1:5]  ²⁷⁸ tn Grk “and her name was Elizabeth.”

[1:5]  ²⁷⁹ tn Grk “a wife of the daughters of Aaron.”

[1:5]  sn It was not unusual for a priest to have a wife from a priestly family (a descendant of Aaron); this was regarded as a special blessing.

[1:6]  ²⁸⁰ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

[1:6]  ²⁸¹ tn Grk “walking in” (an idiom for one’s lifestyle).

[1:6]  sn The description of Zechariah and Elizabeth as following… blamelessly was not to say that they were sinless, but that they were faithful and pious. Thus a practical righteousness is meant here (Gen 6:8; Deut 28:9).

[1:6]  ²⁸² tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).

[1:7]  ²⁸³ sn Elizabeth was barren. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are regarded by Luke as righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly (v. 6). With this language, reminiscent of various passages in the OT, Luke is probably drawing implicit comparisons to the age and barrenness of such famous OT personalities as Abraham and Sarah (see, e.g., Gen 18:9-15), the mother of Samson (Judg 13:2-5), and Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-20). And, as it was in the case of these OT saints, so it is with Elizabeth: After much anguish and seeking the Lord, she too is going to have a son in her barrenness. In that day it was a great reproach to be childless, for children were a sign of God’s blessing (cf. Gen 1:28; Lev 20:20-21; Pss 127 and 128; Jer 22:30). As the dawn of salvation draws near, however, God will change this elderly couple’s grief into great joy and grant them the one desire time had rendered impossible.

[1:7]  ²⁸⁴ tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:8]  ²⁸⁵ tn Grk “Now 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.

[1:8]  ²⁸⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ²⁸⁷ tn Grk “serving as priest in the order of his division before God.”

[1:8]  sn Zechariah’s division would be on duty twice a year for a week at a time.

[1:9]  ²⁸⁸ tn Grk “according to the custom of the priesthood it fell to him by lot.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to make it clear that the prepositional phrase κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας (kata to eqo" th" Jierateia", “according to the custom of the priesthood”) modifies the phrase “it fell to him by lot” rather than the preceding clause.

[1:9]  ²⁸⁹ tn This is an aorist participle and is temporally related to the offering of incense, not to when the lot fell.

[1:9]  ²⁹⁰ tn Or “temple.” Such sacrifices, which included the burning of incense, would have occurred in the holy place according to the Mishnah (m. Tamid 1.2; 3.1; 5-7). A priest would have given this sacrifice, which was offered for the nation, once in one’s career. It would be offered either at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m., since it was made twice a day.

[1:10]  ²⁹¹ tn Grk “And,” but “now” better represents the somewhat parenthetical nature of this statement in the flow of the narrative.

[1:10]  ²⁹² tn Grk “all the multitude.” While “assembly” is sometimes used here to translate πλῆθος (plhqo"), that term usually implies in English a specific or particular group of people. However, this was simply a large group gathered outside, which was not unusual, especially for the afternoon offering.

[1:10]  ²⁹³ tn The “hour of the incense offering” is another way to refer to the time of sacrifice.

[1:11]  ²⁹⁴ tn Grk “And an angel.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[1:11]  ²⁹⁵ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[1:11]  ²⁹⁶ sn This term is often used to describe a supernatural appearance (24:34; Acts 2:3; 7:2, 30, 35; 9:17; 13:31; 16:9; 26:16).

[1:12]  ²⁹⁷ tn The words “the angel” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:12]  ²⁹⁸ tn Or “and he was afraid”; Grk “fear fell upon him.” Fear is common when supernatural agents appear (1:29-30, 65; 2:9; 5:8-10; 9:34; 24:38; Exod 15:16; Judg 6:22-23; 13:6, 22; 2 Sam 6:9).

[1:13]  ²⁹⁹ tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.

[1:13]  sn Your prayer has been heard. Zechariah’s prayer while offering the sacrifice would have been for the nation, but the answer to the prayer also gave them a long hoped-for child, a hope they had abandoned because of their old age.

[1:13]  ³⁰⁰ tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:13]  ³⁰¹ tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.

[1:13]  sn “Do not be afraid…you must call his name John.” This is a standard birth announcement (see Gen 16:11; Isa 7:14; Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).

[1:14]  ³⁰² tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”

[1:14]  ³⁰³ tn Or “because of.”

[1:14]  ³⁰⁴ tn “At his birth” is more precise as the grammatical subject (1:58), though “at his coming” is a possible force, since it is his mission, as the following verses note, that will really bring joy.

[1:15]  ³⁰⁵ tn Grk “before.”

[1:15]  ³⁰⁶ tn Grk “and he”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[1:15]  ³⁰⁷ tn Grk “even from his mother’s womb.” While this idiom may be understood to refer to the point of birth (“even from his birth”), Luke 1:41 suggests that here it should be understood to refer to a time before birth.

[1:15]  sn He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. This is the language of the birth of a prophet (Judg 13:5, 7; Isa 49:1; Jer 1:5; Sir 49:7); see 1:41 for the first fulfillment.

[1:16]  ³⁰⁸ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:16]  ³⁰⁹ sn The word translated will turn is a good summary term for repentance and denotes John’s call to a change of direction (Luke 3:1-14).

[1:16]  ³¹⁰ tn Grk “sons”; but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.

[1:17]  ³¹¹ tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ³¹² sn These two lines cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner.

[1:18]  ³¹³ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:18]  ³¹⁴ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

[1:18]  ³¹⁵ tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:19]  ³¹⁶ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ³¹⁷ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ³¹⁸ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

[1:20]  ³¹⁹ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:20]  ³²⁰ sn The predicted fulfillment in the expression my words, which will be fulfilled in their time takes place in Luke 1:63-66.

[1:20]  ³²¹ sn Silent, unable to speak. Actually Zechariah was deaf and mute as 1:61-63 indicates, since others had to use gestures to communicate with him.

[1:21]  ³²² tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:21]  ³²³ tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[1:21]  ³²⁴ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ³²⁵ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ³²⁶ tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ³²⁷ tn That is, “he had had a supernatural encounter in the holy place,” since the angel came to Zechariah by the altar. This was not just a “mental experience.”

[1:22]  ³²⁸ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ³²⁹ tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.

[1:22]  ³³⁰ tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.

[1:23]  ³³¹ tn Grk “And it happened that as the days of his service were ended.” 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.

[1:24]  ³³² tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ³³³ tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ³³⁴ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ³³⁵ 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]  ³³⁶ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ³³⁷ tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ³³⁸ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ³³⁹ 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]  ³⁴⁰ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:26]  ³⁴¹ 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]  ³⁴² 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]  ³⁴³ 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]  ³⁴⁴ 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.

[1:26]  map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

[1:27]  ³⁴⁵ tn Or “promised in marriage.”

[1:27]  ³⁴⁶ tn Grk “Joseph, of the house of David.”

[1:27]  sn The Greek word order here favors connecting Davidic descent to Joseph, not Mary, in this remark.

[1:28]  ³⁴⁷ tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:28]  ³⁴⁸ tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:28]  ³⁴⁹ tn Grk “coming to her, he said.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:28]  ³⁵⁰ tn The address, “favored one” (a perfect participle, Grk “Oh one who is favored”) points to Mary as the recipient of God’s grace, not a bestower of it. She is a model saint in this passage, one who willingly receives God’s benefits. The Vulgate rendering “full of grace” suggests something more of Mary as a bestower of grace, but does not make sense here contextually.

[1:28]  ³⁵¹ tc Most mss (A C D Θ Ë¹³ 33 Ï latt sy) read here εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν (euloghmenh su en gunaixin, “blessed are you among women”) which also appears in 1:42 (where it is textually certain). This has the earmarks of a scribal addition for balance; the shorter reading, attested by the most important witnesses and several others (א B L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 700 1241 pc co), is thus preferred.

[1:29]  ³⁵² tc Most mss (A C Θ 0130 ˹³ Ï lat sy) have ἰδοῦσα (idousa, “when [she] saw [the angel]”) here as well, making Mary’s concern the appearance of the angel. This construction is harder than the shorter reading since it adds a transitive verb without an explicit object. However, the shorter reading has significant support (א B D L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 1241 sa) and on balance should probably be considered authentic.

[1:29]  ³⁵³ sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.

[1:29]  ³⁵⁴ tn 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; 18:36; 22:23).

[1:30]  ³⁵⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Gabriel’s statement is a response to Mary’s perplexity over the greeting.

[1:30]  ³⁵⁶ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

[1:30]  ³⁵⁷ tn Or “grace.”

[1:30]  sn 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.

[1:31]  ³⁵⁸ tn Grk “And behold.”

[1:31]  ³⁵⁹ tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”

[1:31]  ³⁶⁰ tn Or “and bear.”

[1:31]  ³⁶¹ tn Grk “you will call his name.”

[1:31]  ³⁶² tn See v. 13 for a similar construction.

[1:31]  sn 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 name Ihsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.

[1:32]  ³⁶³ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:32]  ³⁶⁴ sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.

[1:32]  ³⁶⁵ sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.

[1:32]  ³⁶⁶ tn Or “ancestor.”

[1:33]  ³⁶⁷ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence is begun here in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek.

[1:33]  ³⁶⁸ tn Or “over Israel.”

[1:33]  sn The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.

[1:34]  ³⁶⁹ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:34]  ³⁷⁰ tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text, and the euphemistic expression is really more explicit, referring specifically to sexual relations.

[1:35]  ³⁷¹ tn Grk “And the angel said to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The pronoun αὐτῇ (auth, “to her”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.

[1:35]  ³⁷² sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).

[1:35]  ³⁷³ tn Or “the one born holy will be called the Son of God.” The wording of this phrase depends on whether the adjective is a predicate adjective, as in the text, or is an adjective modifying the participle serving as the subject. The absence of an article with the adjective speaks for a predicate position. Other less appealing options supply a verb for “holy”; thus “the one who is born will be holy”; or argue that both “holy” and “Son of God” are predicates, so “The one who is born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

[1:35]  ³⁷⁴ tc A few mss (C* Θ Ë¹ 33 pc) add “by you” here. This looks like a scribal addition to bring symmetry to the first three clauses of the angel’s message (note the second person pronoun in the previous two clauses), and is too poorly supported to be seriously considered as authentic.

[1:35]  ³⁷⁵ tn 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 γεννώμενον ἅγιον (to gennwmenon {agion) here. First, τὸ γεννώμενον could be considered a substantival participle with ἅγιον as an adjective in the second predicate position, thus making a complete sentence; this interpretation is reflected in the translation above. Second, τὸ ἅγιον could be considered a substantival adjective with γεννώμενον acting as an adjectival participle, thus making the phrase the subject of the verb κληθήσεται (klhqhsetai); this interpretation is reflected in the alternative reading. Treating the participle γεννώμενον as adjectival is a bit unnatural for the very reason that it forces one to understand ἅγιον as substantival; this introduces a new idea in the text with ἅγιον when an already new topic is being introduced with γεννώμενον. Semantically this would overload the new subject introduced at this point. For this reason the first interpretation is preferred.

[1:36]  ³⁷⁶ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:36]  ³⁷⁷ tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

[1:36]  ³⁷⁸ tn Or “has conceived.”

[1:36]  ³⁷⁹ 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.

[1:37]  ³⁸⁰ tn In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rJhma, “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as the lesson in the entire discussion. The remark is a call for faith.

[1:38]  ³⁸¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:38]  ³⁸² tn Grk “behold.”

[1:38]  ³⁸³ 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]  ³⁸⁴ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

[1:38]  ³⁸⁵ 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]  ³⁸⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:39]  ³⁸⁷ 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]  ³⁸⁸ 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]  ³⁸⁹ 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]  ³⁹⁰ sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.

[1:41]  ³⁹¹ tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.

[1:41]  ³⁹² sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.

[1:42]  ³⁹³ 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]  ³⁹⁴ 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]  ³⁹⁵ 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]  ³⁹⁶ tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.

[1:43]  ³⁹⁷ 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]  ³⁹⁸ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:44]  ³⁹⁹ tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”

[1:44]  ⁴⁰⁰ 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]  ⁴⁰¹ sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.

[1:45]  ⁴⁰² 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]  ⁴⁰³ 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]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Grk “that there would be a fulfillment of what was said to her from the Lord.”

[1:45]  sn This term speaks of completion of something planned (2 Chr 29:35).

[1:46]  ⁴⁰⁵ tc A few witnesses, especially Latin mss, (a b l* Ir^arm Or^lat mss Nic) read “Elizabeth” here, since she was just speaking, but the ms evidence overwhelmingly supports “Mary” as the speaker.

[1:46]  ⁴⁰⁶ 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]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”

[1:46]  ⁴⁰⁸ 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]  ⁴⁰⁹ 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]  ⁴¹⁰ tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

[1:48]  ⁴¹¹ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:48]  ⁴¹² 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]  ⁴¹³ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

[1:49]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”

[1:50]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.

[1:50]  ⁴¹⁶ 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]  ⁴¹⁷ tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.

[1:51]  ⁴¹⁸ 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]  ⁴¹⁹ 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]  ⁴²⁰ tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ⁴²¹ tn Or “those of humble position”

[1:52]  sn 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).

[1:53]  ⁴²² sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

[1:53]  ⁴²³ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

[1:54]  ⁴²⁴ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ⁴²⁵ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:55]  ⁴²⁶ 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]  ⁴²⁷ tn Grk “fathers.”

[1:55]  ⁴²⁸ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

[1:56]  ⁴²⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[1:56]  ⁴³⁰ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:56]  ⁴³¹ sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.

[1:57]  ⁴³² tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”

[1:57]  ⁴³³ tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[1:58]  ⁴³⁴ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:58]  ⁴³⁵ tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”

[1:58]  ⁴³⁶ tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”

[1:59]  ⁴³⁷ 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]  ⁴³⁸ 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]  ⁴³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.

[1:60]  ⁴⁴¹ 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]  ⁴⁴² tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”

[1:60]  ⁴⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:61]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:61]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”

[1:62]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.

[1:62]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:62]  ⁴⁴⁹ 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]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”

[1:63]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:63]  ⁴⁵² sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.

[1:63]  ⁴⁵³ tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

[1:63]  ⁴⁵⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:64]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:64]  ⁴⁵⁷ 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]  ⁴⁵⁸ 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]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:65]  sn Fear is the emotion that comes when one recognizes something unusual, even supernatural, has taken place.

[1:66]  ⁴⁶⁰ 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]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:66]  ⁴⁶² 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]  ⁴⁶³ tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”

[1:66]  ⁴⁶⁴ 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]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:67]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Grk “and he prophesied, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[1:67]  sn 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 praise psalm, which calls for praise and then gives the reason why God should be praised.

[1:68]  ⁴⁶⁷ sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

[1:68]  ⁴⁶⁸ sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

[1:68]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”

[1:68]  sn 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. This involves both spiritual and material benefits eventually.

[1:69]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ⁴⁷¹ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ⁴⁷² 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]  ⁴⁷³ 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]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

[1:71]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

[1:71]  ⁴⁷⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷⁷ 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]  ⁴⁷⁸ sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

[1:72]  ⁴⁷⁹ 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]  ⁴⁸⁰ 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]  ⁴⁸¹ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ⁴⁸² tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ⁴⁸³ 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]  ⁴⁸⁴ tc Many important early mss (א B L W [0130] Ë^1,13 565 892 pc) lack “our,” while most (A C D [K] Θ Ψ 0177 33 Ï pc) supply it. Although the addition is most likely not authentic, “our” has been included in the translation due to English stylistic requirements.

[1:74]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

[1:75]  ⁴⁸⁶ 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]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Grk “all our days.”

[1:76]  ⁴⁸⁸ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ⁴⁸⁹ 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]  ⁴⁹⁰ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ⁴⁹¹ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro proswpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (Ì⁴ א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

[1:76]  ⁴⁹² 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.

[1:76]  sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3-5 and Luke 3:1-6.

[1:77]  ⁴⁹³ 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]  ⁴⁹⁴ sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).

[1:78]  ⁴⁹⁵ 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]  ⁴⁹⁶ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

[1:78]  ⁴⁹⁷ 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]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

[1:79]  ⁴⁹⁹ sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

[1:79]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Or “the path.”

[1:80]  ⁵⁰¹ tn This verb is imperfect.

[1:80]  ⁵⁰² tn This verb is also imperfect.

[1:80]  ⁵⁰³ tn Or “desert.”

[1:80]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

[1:1]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

[1:1]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

[1:2]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ⁵¹¹ sn The phrase eyewitnesses and servants of the word refers to a single group of people who faithfully passed on the accounts about Jesus. The language about delivery (passed on) points to accounts faithfully passed on to the early church.

[1:2]  ⁵¹² tn Grk “like the accounts those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word passed on to us.” The location of “in the beginning” in the Greek shows that the tradition is rooted in those who were with Jesus from the start.

[1:3]  ⁵¹³ tn The conjunction “so” is supplied here to bring out the force of the latter part of this Greek sentence, which the translation divides up because of English style. Luke, in compiling his account, is joining a tradition with good precedent.

[1:3]  ⁵¹⁴ sn When Luke says it seemed good to me as well he is not being critical of the earlier accounts, but sees himself stepping into a tradition of reporting about Jesus to which he will add uniquely a second volume on the early church when he writes the Book of Acts.

[1:3]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parhkolouqhkoti) has been translated causally.

[1:3]  ⁵¹⁶ sn An orderly account does not necessarily mean that all events are recorded in the exact chronological sequence in which they occurred, but that the account produced is an orderly one. This could include, for example, thematic or topical order rather than strict chronological order.

[1:4]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Or “know the truth about”; or “know the certainty of.” The issue of the context is psychological confidence; Luke’s work is trying to encourage Theophilus. So in English this is better translated as “know for certain” than “know certainty” or “know the truth,” which sounds too cognitive. “Certain” assumes the truth of the report. On this term, see Acts 2:36; 21:34; 22:30; and 25:26. The meaning “have assurance concerning” is also possible here.

[1:4]  ⁵¹⁸ tn Or “you heard about.” This term can refer merely to a report of information (Acts 21:24) or to instruction (Acts 18:25). The scope of Luke’s Gospel as a whole, which calls for perseverance in the faith and which assumes much knowledge of the OT, suggests Theophilus had received some instruction and was probably a believer.

[1:5]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Grk “It happened that in the days.” 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.

[1:5]  ⁵²⁰ sn Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.

[1:5]  ⁵²¹ tn Grk “of”; but the meaning of the preposition ἐκ (ek) is more accurately expressed in contemporary English by the relative clause “who belonged to.”

[1:5]  ⁵²² sn There were twenty-four divisions of priesthood and the priestly division of Abijah was eighth on the list according to 1 Chr 24:10.

[1:5]  ⁵²³ tn Grk “and her name was Elizabeth.”

[1:5]  ⁵²⁴ tn Grk “a wife of the daughters of Aaron.”

[1:5]  sn It was not unusual for a priest to have a wife from a priestly family (a descendant of Aaron); this was regarded as a special blessing.

[1:6]  ⁵²⁵ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

[1:6]  ⁵²⁶ tn Grk “walking in” (an idiom for one’s lifestyle).

[1:6]  sn The description of Zechariah and Elizabeth as following… blamelessly was not to say that they were sinless, but that they were faithful and pious. Thus a practical righteousness is meant here (Gen 6:8; Deut 28:9).

[1:6]  ⁵²⁷ tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).

[1:7]  ⁵²⁸ sn Elizabeth was barren. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are regarded by Luke as righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly (v. 6). With this language, reminiscent of various passages in the OT, Luke is probably drawing implicit comparisons to the age and barrenness of such famous OT personalities as Abraham and Sarah (see, e.g., Gen 18:9-15), the mother of Samson (Judg 13:2-5), and Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-20). And, as it was in the case of these OT saints, so it is with Elizabeth: After much anguish and seeking the Lord, she too is going to have a son in her barrenness. In that day it was a great reproach to be childless, for children were a sign of God’s blessing (cf. Gen 1:28; Lev 20:20-21; Pss 127 and 128; Jer 22:30). As the dawn of salvation draws near, however, God will change this elderly couple’s grief into great joy and grant them the one desire time had rendered impossible.

[1:7]  ⁵²⁹ tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:8]  ⁵³⁰ tn Grk “Now 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.

[1:8]  ⁵³¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ⁵³² tn Grk “serving as priest in the order of his division before God.”

[1:8]  sn Zechariah’s division would be on duty twice a year for a week at a time.

[1:9]  ⁵³³ tn Grk “according to the custom of the priesthood it fell to him by lot.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to make it clear that the prepositional phrase κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας (kata to eqo" th" Jierateia", “according to the custom of the priesthood”) modifies the phrase “it fell to him by lot” rather than the preceding clause.

[1:9]  ⁵³⁴ tn This is an aorist participle and is temporally related to the offering of incense, not to when the lot fell.

[1:9]  ⁵³⁵ tn Or “temple.” Such sacrifices, which included the burning of incense, would have occurred in the holy place according to the Mishnah (m. Tamid 1.2; 3.1; 5-7). A priest would have given this sacrifice, which was offered for the nation, once in one’s career. It would be offered either at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m., since it was made twice a day.

[1:10]  ⁵³⁶ tn Grk “And,” but “now” better represents the somewhat parenthetical nature of this statement in the flow of the narrative.

[1:10]  ⁵³⁷ tn Grk “all the multitude.” While “assembly” is sometimes used here to translate πλῆθος (plhqo"), that term usually implies in English a specific or particular group of people. However, this was simply a large group gathered outside, which was not unusual, especially for the afternoon offering.

[1:10]  ⁵³⁸ tn The “hour of the incense offering” is another way to refer to the time of sacrifice.

[1:11]  ⁵³⁹ tn Grk “And an angel.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[1:11]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[1:11]  ⁵⁴¹ sn This term is often used to describe a supernatural appearance (24:34; Acts 2:3; 7:2, 30, 35; 9:17; 13:31; 16:9; 26:16).

[1:12]  ⁵⁴² tn The words “the angel” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:12]  ⁵⁴³ tn Or “and he was afraid”; Grk “fear fell upon him.” Fear is common when supernatural agents appear (1:29-30, 65; 2:9; 5:8-10; 9:34; 24:38; Exod 15:16; Judg 6:22-23; 13:6, 22; 2 Sam 6:9).

[1:13]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.

[1:13]  sn Your prayer has been heard. Zechariah’s prayer while offering the sacrifice would have been for the nation, but the answer to the prayer also gave them a long hoped-for child, a hope they had abandoned because of their old age.

[1:13]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:13]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.

[1:13]  sn “Do not be afraid…you must call his name John.” This is a standard birth announcement (see Gen 16:11; Isa 7:14; Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).

[1:14]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”

[1:14]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Or “because of.”

[1:14]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn “At his birth” is more precise as the grammatical subject (1:58), though “at his coming” is a possible force, since it is his mission, as the following verses note, that will really bring joy.

[1:15]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Grk “before.”

[1:15]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Grk “and he”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[1:15]  ⁵⁵² tn Grk “even from his mother’s womb.” While this idiom may be understood to refer to the point of birth (“even from his birth”), Luke 1:41 suggests that here it should be understood to refer to a time before birth.

[1:15]  sn He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. This is the language of the birth of a prophet (Judg 13:5, 7; Isa 49:1; Jer 1:5; Sir 49:7); see 1:41 for the first fulfillment.

[1:16]  ⁵⁵³ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:16]  ⁵⁵⁴ sn The word translated will turn is a good summary term for repentance and denotes John’s call to a change of direction (Luke 3:1-14).

[1:16]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Grk “sons”; but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.

[1:17]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ⁵⁵⁷ sn These two lines cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner.

[1:18]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:18]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

[1:18]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:19]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ⁵⁶² tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ⁵⁶³ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

[1:20]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:20]  ⁵⁶⁵ sn The predicted fulfillment in the expression my words, which will be fulfilled in their time takes place in Luke 1:63-66.

[1:20]  ⁵⁶⁶ sn Silent, unable to speak. Actually Zechariah was deaf and mute as 1:61-63 indicates, since others had to use gestures to communicate with him.

[1:21]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:21]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[1:21]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ⁵⁷² tn That is, “he had had a supernatural encounter in the holy place,” since the angel came to Zechariah by the altar. This was not just a “mental experience.”

[1:22]  ⁵⁷³ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.

[1:22]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.

[1:23]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn Grk “And it happened that as the days of his service were ended.” 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.

[1:24]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ⁵⁷⁹ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ⁵⁸⁰ 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]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁸² tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁸³ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ⁵⁸⁴ 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]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸⁶ 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]  ⁵⁸⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸⁸ 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]  ⁵⁸⁹ 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.

[1:26]  map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

[1:27]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Or “promised in marriage.”

[1:27]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Grk “Joseph, of the house of David.”

[1:27]  sn The Greek word order here favors connecting Davidic descent to Joseph, not Mary, in this remark.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹² tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹³ tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Grk “coming to her, he said.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn The address, “favored one” (a perfect participle, Grk “Oh one who is favored”) points to Mary as the recipient of God’s grace, not a bestower of it. She is a model saint in this passage, one who willingly receives God’s benefits. The Vulgate rendering “full of grace” suggests something more of Mary as a bestower of grace, but does not make sense here contextually.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹⁶ tc Most mss (A C D Θ Ë¹³ 33 Ï latt sy) read here εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν (euloghmenh su en gunaixin, “blessed are you among women”) which also appears in 1:42 (where it is textually certain). This has the earmarks of a scribal addition for balance; the shorter reading, attested by the most important witnesses and several others (א B L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 700 1241 pc co), is thus preferred.

[1:29]  ⁵⁹⁷ tc Most mss (A C Θ 0130 ˹³ Ï lat sy) have ἰδοῦσα (idousa, “when [she] saw [the angel]”) here as well, making Mary’s concern the appearance of the angel. This construction is harder than the shorter reading since it adds a transitive verb without an explicit object. However, the shorter reading has significant support (א B D L W Ψ Ë¹ 565 579 1241 sa) and on balance should probably be considered authentic.

[1:29]  ⁵⁹⁸ sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.

[1:29]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn 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; 18:36; 22:23).

[1:30]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Gabriel’s statement is a response to Mary’s perplexity over the greeting.

[1:30]  ⁶⁰¹ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

[1:30]  ⁶⁰² tn Or “grace.”

[1:30]  sn 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.

[1:31]  ⁶⁰³ tn Grk “And behold.”

[1:31]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”

[1:31]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Or “and bear.”

[1:31]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Grk “you will call his name.”

[1:31]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn See v. 13 for a similar construction.

[1:31]  sn 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 name Ihsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.

[1:32]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:32]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.

[1:32]  ⁶¹⁰ sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.

[1:32]  ⁶¹¹ tn Or “ancestor.”

[1:33]  ⁶¹² tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence is begun here in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek.

[1:33]  ⁶¹³ tn Or “over Israel.”

[1:33]  sn The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.

[1:34]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:34]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text, and the euphemistic expression is really more explicit, referring specifically to sexual relations.

[1:35]  ⁶¹⁶ tn Grk “And the angel said to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The pronoun αὐτῇ (auth, “to her”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.

[1:35]  ⁶¹⁷ sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).

[1:35]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Or “the one born holy will be called the Son of God.” The wording of this phrase depends on whether the adjective is a predicate adjective, as in the text, or is an adjective modifying the participle serving as the subject. The absence of an article with the adjective speaks for a predicate position. Other less appealing options supply a verb for “holy”; thus “the one who is born will be holy”; or argue that both “holy” and “Son of God” are predicates, so “The one who is born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

[1:35]  ⁶¹⁹ tc A few mss (C* Θ Ë¹ 33 pc) add “by you” here. This looks like a scribal addition to bring symmetry to the first three clauses of the angel’s message (note the second person pronoun in the previous two clauses), and is too poorly supported to be seriously considered as authentic.

[1:35]  ⁶²⁰ tn 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 γεννώμενον ἅγιον (to gennwmenon {agion) here. First, τὸ γεννώμενον could be considered a substantival participle with ἅγιον as an adjective in the second predicate position, thus making a complete sentence; this interpretation is reflected in the translation above. Second, τὸ ἅγιον could be considered a substantival adjective with γεννώμενον acting as an adjectival participle, thus making the phrase the subject of the verb κληθήσεται (klhqhsetai); this interpretation is reflected in the alternative reading. Treating the participle γεννώμενον as adjectival is a bit unnatural for the very reason that it forces one to understand ἅγιον as substantival; this introduces a new idea in the text with ἅγιον when an already new topic is being introduced with γεννώμενον. Semantically this would overload the new subject introduced at this point. For this reason the first interpretation is preferred.

[1:36]  ⁶²¹ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:36]  ⁶²² tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

[1:36]  ⁶²³ tn Or “has conceived.”

[1:36]  ⁶²⁴ 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.

[1:37]  ⁶²⁵ tn In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rJhma, “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as the lesson in the entire discussion. The remark is a call for faith.

[1:38]  ⁶²⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:38]  ⁶²⁷ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:38]  ⁶²⁸ 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]  ⁶²⁹ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

[1:38]  ⁶³⁰ 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]  ⁶³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:39]  ⁶³² 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]  ⁶³³ 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]  ⁶³⁴ 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]  ⁶³⁵ sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.

[1:41]  ⁶³⁶ tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.

[1:41]  ⁶³⁷ sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.

[1:42]  ⁶³⁸ 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]  ⁶³⁹ 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]  ⁶⁴⁰ 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]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.

[1:43]  ⁶⁴² 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]  ⁶⁴³ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:44]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”

[1:44]  ⁶⁴⁵ 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]  ⁶⁴⁶ sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.

[1:45]  ⁶⁴⁷ 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]  ⁶⁴⁸ 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]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn Grk “that there would be a fulfillment of what was said to her from the Lord.”

[1:45]  sn This term speaks of completion of something planned (2 Chr 29:35).

[1:46]  ⁶⁵⁰ tc A few witnesses, especially Latin mss, (a b l* Ir^arm Or^lat mss Nic) read “Elizabeth” here, since she was just speaking, but the ms evidence overwhelmingly supports “Mary” as the speaker.

[1:46]  ⁶⁵¹ 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]  ⁶⁵² tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”

[1:46]  ⁶⁵³ 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]  ⁶⁵⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

[1:48]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:48]  ⁶⁵⁷ 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]  ⁶⁵⁸ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

[1:49]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”

[1:50]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.

[1:50]  ⁶⁶¹ 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]  ⁶⁶² tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.

[1:51]  ⁶⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn Or “those of humble position”

[1:52]  sn 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).

[1:53]  ⁶⁶⁷ sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

[1:53]  ⁶⁶⁸ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

[1:54]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:55]  ⁶⁷¹ 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]  ⁶⁷² tn Grk “fathers.”

[1:55]  ⁶⁷³ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

[1:56]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[1:56]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:56]  ⁶⁷⁶ sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.

[1:57]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”

[1:57]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[1:58]  ⁶⁷⁹ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:58]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”

[1:58]  ⁶⁸¹ tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”

[1:59]  ⁶⁸² 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]  ⁶⁸³ 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]  ⁶⁸⁴ 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]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.

[1:60]  ⁶⁸⁶ 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]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”

[1:60]  ⁶⁸⁸ 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]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:61]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:61]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”

[1:62]  ⁶⁹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.

[1:62]  ⁶⁹³ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:62]  ⁶⁹⁴ 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]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”

[1:63]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:63]  ⁶⁹⁷ sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.

[1:63]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

[1:63]  ⁶⁹⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:64]  ⁷⁰¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:64]  ⁷⁰² 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]  ⁷⁰³ 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]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:65]  sn Fear is the emotion that comes when one recognizes something unusual, even supernatural, has taken place.

[1:66]  ⁷⁰⁵ 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]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:66]  ⁷⁰⁷ 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]  ⁷⁰⁸ tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”

[1:66]  ⁷⁰⁹ 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]  ⁷¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:67]  ⁷¹¹ tn Grk “and he prophesied, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[1:67]  sn 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 praise psalm, which calls for praise and then gives the reason why God should be praised.

[1:68]  ⁷¹² sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

[1:68]  ⁷¹³ sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

[1:68]  ⁷¹⁴ tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”

[1:68]  sn 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. This involves both spiritual and material benefits eventually.

[1:69]  ⁷¹⁵ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ⁷¹⁶ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ⁷¹⁷ 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]  ⁷¹⁸ 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]  ⁷¹⁹ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

[1:71]  ⁷²⁰ tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

[1:71]  ⁷²¹ 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]  ⁷²² 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]  ⁷²³ sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

[1:72]  ⁷²⁴ 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]  ⁷²⁵ 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]  ⁷²⁶ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ⁷²⁷ tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ⁷²⁸ 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]  ⁷²⁹ tc Many important early mss (א B L W [0130] Ë^1,13 565 892 pc) lack “our,” while most (A C D [K] Θ Ψ 0177 33 Ï pc) supply it. Although the addition is most likely not authentic, “our” has been included in the translation due to English stylistic requirements.

[1:74]  ⁷³⁰ tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

[1:75]  ⁷³¹ 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]  ⁷³² tn Grk “all our days.”

[1:76]  ⁷³³ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ⁷³⁴ 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]  ⁷³⁵ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ⁷³⁶ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro proswpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (Ì⁴ א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

[1:76]  ⁷³⁷ 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.

[1:76]  sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3-5 and Luke 3:1-6.

[1:77]  ⁷³⁸ 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]  ⁷³⁹ sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).

[1:78]  ⁷⁴⁰ 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]  ⁷⁴¹ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

[1:78]  ⁷⁴² 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]  ⁷⁴³ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

[1:79]  ⁷⁴⁴ sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

[1:79]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Or “the path.”

[1:80]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn This verb is imperfect.

[1:80]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn This verb is also imperfect.

[1:80]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Or “desert.”

[1:80]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”