Lukas 8:40-56

Restoration and Healing

8:40 Now when Jesus returned, ¹  the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. 8:41 Then ²  a man named Jairus, who was a ruler ³  of the synagogue, ⁴  came up. Falling ⁵  at Jesus’ feet, he pleaded ⁶  with him to come to his house, 8:42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. ⁷ 

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed ⁸  around him. 8:43 Now ⁹  a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage ¹⁰  for twelve years ¹¹  but could not be healed by anyone. 8:44 She ¹²  came up behind Jesus ¹³  and touched the edge ¹⁴  of his cloak, ¹⁵  and at once the bleeding ¹⁶  stopped. 8:45 Then ¹⁷  Jesus asked, ¹⁸  “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter ¹⁹  said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing ²⁰  against you!” 8:46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out ²¹  from me.” 8:47 When ²²  the woman saw that she could not escape notice, ²³  she came trembling and fell down before him. In ²⁴  the presence of all the people, she explained why ²⁵  she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 8:48 Then ²⁶  he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. ²⁷  Go in peace.”

8:49 While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s ²⁸  house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” 8:50 But when Jesus heard this, he told ²⁹  him, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” ³⁰  8:51 Now when he came to the house, Jesus ³¹  did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, ³²  and James, and the child’s father and mother. 8:52 Now they were all ³³  wailing and mourning ³⁴  for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” 8:53 And they began making fun ³⁵  of him, because they knew ³⁶  that she was dead. ³⁷  8:54 But Jesus ³⁸  gently took her by the hand and said, ³⁹  “Child, get up.” 8:55 Her ⁴⁰  spirit returned, ⁴¹  and she got up immediately. Then ⁴²  he told them to give her something to eat. 8:56 Her ⁴³  parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one ⁴⁴  what had happened.

Lukas 8:9

8:9 Then ⁴⁵  his disciples asked him what this parable meant. ⁴⁶ 

Lukas 1:1-80

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ⁴⁷  many have undertaken to compile an account ⁴⁸  of the things ⁴⁹  that have been fulfilled ⁵⁰  among us, 1:2 like the accounts ⁵¹  passed on ⁵²  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ⁵³  from the beginning. ⁵⁴  1:3 So ⁵⁵  it seemed good to me as well, ⁵⁶  because I have followed ⁵⁷  all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account ⁵⁸  for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain ⁵⁹  the things you were taught. ⁶⁰ 

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

1:5 During the reign ⁶¹  of Herod ⁶²  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ⁶³  the priestly division of Abijah, ⁶⁴  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ⁶⁵  who was a descendant of Aaron. ⁶⁶  1:6 They ⁶⁷  were both righteous in the sight of God, following ⁶⁸  all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. ⁶⁹  1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ⁷⁰  and they were both very old. ⁷¹ 

1:8 Now ⁷²  while Zechariah ⁷³  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ⁷⁴  1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, ⁷⁵  to enter ⁷⁶  the holy place ⁷⁷  of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now ⁷⁸  the whole crowd ⁷⁹  of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ⁸⁰  1:11 An ⁸¹  angel of the Lord, ⁸²  standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared ⁸³  to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ⁸⁴  was seized with fear. ⁸⁵  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ⁸⁶  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ⁸⁷  will name him John. ⁸⁸  1:14 Joy and gladness will come ⁸⁹  to you, and many will rejoice at ⁹⁰  his birth, ⁹¹  1:15 for he will be great in the sight of ⁹²  the Lord. He ⁹³  must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ⁹⁴  1:16 He ⁹⁵  will turn ⁹⁶  many of the people ⁹⁷  of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord ⁹⁸  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, ⁹⁹  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

1:18 Zechariah ¹⁰⁰  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ¹⁰¹  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ¹⁰²  1:19 The ¹⁰³  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ¹⁰⁴  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ¹⁰⁵  you this good news. 1:20 And now, ¹⁰⁶  because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, ¹⁰⁷  you will be silent, unable to speak, ¹⁰⁸  until the day these things take place.”

1:21 Now ¹⁰⁹  the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder ¹¹⁰  why he was delayed in the holy place. ¹¹¹  1:22 When ¹¹²  he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They ¹¹³  realized that he had seen a vision ¹¹⁴  in the holy place, ¹¹⁵  because ¹¹⁶  he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. ¹¹⁷  1:23 When his time of service was over, ¹¹⁸  he went to his home.

1:24 After some time ¹¹⁹  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ¹²⁰  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ¹²¹  She said, ¹²²  1:25 “This is what ¹²³  the Lord has done for me at the time ¹²⁴  when he has been gracious to me, ¹²⁵  to take away my disgrace ¹²⁶  among people.” ¹²⁷ 

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ¹²⁸  the angel Gabriel ¹²⁹  was sent by ¹³⁰  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ¹³¹  1:27 to a virgin engaged ¹³²  to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, ¹³³  and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The ¹³⁴  angel ¹³⁵  came ¹³⁶  to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, ¹³⁷  the Lord is with you!” ¹³⁸  1:29 But ¹³⁹  she was greatly troubled ¹⁴⁰  by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. ¹⁴¹  1:30 So ¹⁴²  the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ¹⁴³  Mary, for you have found favor ¹⁴⁴  with God! 1:31 Listen: ¹⁴⁵  You will become pregnant ¹⁴⁶  and give birth to ¹⁴⁷  a son, and you will name him ¹⁴⁸  Jesus. ¹⁴⁹  1:32 He ¹⁵⁰  will be great, ¹⁵¹  and will be called the Son of the Most High, ¹⁵²  and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father ¹⁵³  David. 1:33 He ¹⁵⁴  will reign over the house of Jacob ¹⁵⁵  forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary ¹⁵⁶  said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with ¹⁵⁷  a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, ¹⁵⁸  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow ¹⁵⁹  you. Therefore the child ¹⁶⁰  to be born ¹⁶¹  will be holy; ¹⁶²  he will be called the Son of God.

1:36 “And look, ¹⁶³  your relative ¹⁶⁴  Elizabeth has also become pregnant with ¹⁶⁵  a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! ¹⁶⁶  1:37 For nothing ¹⁶⁷  will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So ¹⁶⁸  Mary said, “Yes, ¹⁶⁹  I am a servant ¹⁷⁰  of the Lord; let this happen to me ¹⁷¹  according to your word.” ¹⁷²  Then ¹⁷³  the angel departed from her.

Mary and Elizabeth

1:39 In those days ¹⁷⁴  Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ¹⁷⁵  1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When ¹⁷⁶  Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped ¹⁷⁷  in her ¹⁷⁸  womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷⁹  1:42 She ¹⁸⁰  exclaimed with a loud voice, ¹⁸¹  “Blessed are you among women, ¹⁸²  and blessed is the child ¹⁸³  in your womb! 1:43 And who am I ¹⁸⁴  that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant ¹⁸⁵  the sound of your greeting reached my ears, ¹⁸⁶  the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ¹⁸⁷  1:45 And blessed ¹⁸⁸  is she who believed that ¹⁸⁹  what was spoken to her by ¹⁹⁰  the Lord would be fulfilled.” ¹⁹¹ 

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

1:46 And Mary ¹⁹²  said, ¹⁹³ 

“My soul exalts ¹⁹⁴  the Lord, ¹⁹⁵ 

1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice ¹⁹⁶  in God my Savior,

1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ¹⁹⁷ 

For ¹⁹⁸  from now on ¹⁹⁹  all generations will call me blessed, ²⁰⁰ 

1:49 because he who is mighty ²⁰¹  has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

1:50 from ²⁰²  generation to generation he is merciful ²⁰³  to those who fear ²⁰⁴  him.

1:51 He has demonstrated power ²⁰⁵  with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance ²⁰⁶  of their hearts.

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ²⁰⁷  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ²⁰⁸ 

1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, ²⁰⁹  and has sent the rich away empty. ²¹⁰ 

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ²¹¹  his mercy, ²¹² 

1:55 as he promised ²¹³  to our ancestors, ²¹⁴  to Abraham and to his descendants ²¹⁵  forever.”

1:56 So ²¹⁶  Mary stayed with Elizabeth ²¹⁷  about three months ²¹⁸  and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John

1:57 Now the time came ²¹⁹  for Elizabeth to have her baby, ²²⁰  and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her ²²¹  neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown ²²²  great mercy to her, and they rejoiced ²²³  with her.

1:59 On ²²⁴  the eighth day ²²⁵  they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name ²²⁶  him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But ²²⁷  his mother replied, ²²⁸  “No! He must be named ²²⁹  John.” ²³⁰  1:61 They ²³¹  said to her, “But ²³²  none of your relatives bears this name.” ²³³  1:62 So ²³⁴  they made signs to the baby’s ²³⁵  father, ²³⁶  inquiring what he wanted to name his son. ²³⁷  1:63 He ²³⁸  asked for a writing tablet ²³⁹  and wrote, ²⁴⁰  “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ²⁴¹  1:64 Immediately ²⁴²  Zechariah’s ²⁴³  mouth was opened and his tongue ²⁴⁴  released, ²⁴⁵  and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All ²⁴⁶  their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All ²⁴⁷  who heard these things ²⁴⁸  kept them in their hearts, ²⁴⁹  saying, “What then will this child be?” ²⁵⁰  For the Lord’s hand ²⁵¹  was indeed with him.

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

1:67 Then ²⁵²  his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ²⁵³ 

1:68 “Blessed ²⁵⁴  be the Lord God of Israel,

because he has come to help ²⁵⁵  and has redeemed ²⁵⁶  his people.

1:69 For ²⁵⁷  he has raised up ²⁵⁸  a horn of salvation ²⁵⁹  for us in the house of his servant David, ²⁶⁰ 

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, ²⁶¹ 

1:71 that we should be saved ²⁶²  from our enemies, ²⁶³ 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 He has done this ²⁶⁴  to show mercy ²⁶⁵  to our ancestors, ²⁶⁶ 

and to remember his holy covenant ²⁶⁷  –

1:73 the oath ²⁶⁸  that he swore to our ancestor ²⁶⁹  Abraham.

This oath grants ²⁷⁰ 

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our ²⁷¹  enemies,

may serve him without fear, ²⁷² 

1:75 in holiness and righteousness ²⁷³  before him for as long as we live. ²⁷⁴ 

1:76 And you, child, ²⁷⁵  will be called the prophet ²⁷⁶  of the Most High. ²⁷⁷ 

For you will go before ²⁷⁸  the Lord to prepare his ways, ²⁷⁹ 

1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation ²⁸⁰  through the forgiveness ²⁸¹  of their sins.

1:78 Because of ²⁸²  our God’s tender mercy ²⁸³ 

the dawn ²⁸⁴  will break ²⁸⁵  upon us from on high

1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, ²⁸⁶ 

to guide our feet into the way ²⁸⁷  of peace.”

1:80 And the child kept growing ²⁸⁸  and becoming strong ²⁸⁹  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ²⁹⁰  until the day he was revealed ²⁹¹  to Israel.

Lukas 1:1-80

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ²⁹²  many have undertaken to compile an account ²⁹³  of the things ²⁹⁴  that have been fulfilled ²⁹⁵  among us, 1:2 like the accounts ²⁹⁶  passed on ²⁹⁷  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ²⁹⁸  from the beginning. ²⁹⁹  1:3 So ³⁰⁰  it seemed good to me as well, ³⁰¹  because I have followed ³⁰²  all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account ³⁰³  for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain ³⁰⁴  the things you were taught. ³⁰⁵ 

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

1:5 During the reign ³⁰⁶  of Herod ³⁰⁷  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ³⁰⁸  the priestly division of Abijah, ³⁰⁹  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ³¹⁰  who was a descendant of Aaron. ³¹¹  1:6 They ³¹²  were both righteous in the sight of God, following ³¹³  all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. ³¹⁴  1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ³¹⁵  and they were both very old. ³¹⁶ 

1:8 Now ³¹⁷  while Zechariah ³¹⁸  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ³¹⁹  1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, ³²⁰  to enter ³²¹  the holy place ³²²  of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now ³²³  the whole crowd ³²⁴  of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ³²⁵  1:11 An ³²⁶  angel of the Lord, ³²⁷  standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared ³²⁸  to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ³²⁹  was seized with fear. ³³⁰  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ³³¹  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ³³²  will name him John. ³³³  1:14 Joy and gladness will come ³³⁴  to you, and many will rejoice at ³³⁵  his birth, ³³⁶  1:15 for he will be great in the sight of ³³⁷  the Lord. He ³³⁸  must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ³³⁹  1:16 He ³⁴⁰  will turn ³⁴¹  many of the people ³⁴²  of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord ³⁴³  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, ³⁴⁴  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

1:18 Zechariah ³⁴⁵  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ³⁴⁶  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ³⁴⁷  1:19 The ³⁴⁸  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ³⁴⁹  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ³⁵⁰  you this good news. 1:20 And now, ³⁵¹  because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, ³⁵²  you will be silent, unable to speak, ³⁵³  until the day these things take place.”

1:21 Now ³⁵⁴  the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder ³⁵⁵  why he was delayed in the holy place. ³⁵⁶  1:22 When ³⁵⁷  he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They ³⁵⁸  realized that he had seen a vision ³⁵⁹  in the holy place, ³⁶⁰  because ³⁶¹  he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. ³⁶²  1:23 When his time of service was over, ³⁶³  he went to his home.

1:24 After some time ³⁶⁴  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ³⁶⁵  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ³⁶⁶  She said, ³⁶⁷  1:25 “This is what ³⁶⁸  the Lord has done for me at the time ³⁶⁹  when he has been gracious to me, ³⁷⁰  to take away my disgrace ³⁷¹  among people.” ³⁷² 

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ³⁷³  the angel Gabriel ³⁷⁴  was sent by ³⁷⁵  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ³⁷⁶  1:27 to a virgin engaged ³⁷⁷  to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, ³⁷⁸  and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The ³⁷⁹  angel ³⁸⁰  came ³⁸¹  to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, ³⁸²  the Lord is with you!” ³⁸³  1:29 But ³⁸⁴  she was greatly troubled ³⁸⁵  by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. ³⁸⁶  1:30 So ³⁸⁷  the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ³⁸⁸  Mary, for you have found favor ³⁸⁹  with God! 1:31 Listen: ³⁹⁰  You will become pregnant ³⁹¹  and give birth to ³⁹²  a son, and you will name him ³⁹³  Jesus. ³⁹⁴  1:32 He ³⁹⁵  will be great, ³⁹⁶  and will be called the Son of the Most High, ³⁹⁷  and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father ³⁹⁸  David. 1:33 He ³⁹⁹  will reign over the house of Jacob ⁴⁰⁰  forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary ⁴⁰¹  said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with ⁴⁰²  a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, ⁴⁰³  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow ⁴⁰⁴  you. Therefore the child ⁴⁰⁵  to be born ⁴⁰⁶  will be holy; ⁴⁰⁷  he will be called the Son of God.

1:36 “And look, ⁴⁰⁸  your relative ⁴⁰⁹  Elizabeth has also become pregnant with ⁴¹⁰  a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! ⁴¹¹  1:37 For nothing ⁴¹²  will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So ⁴¹³  Mary said, “Yes, ⁴¹⁴  I am a servant ⁴¹⁵  of the Lord; let this happen to me ⁴¹⁶  according to your word.” ⁴¹⁷  Then ⁴¹⁸  the angel departed from her.

Mary and Elizabeth

1:39 In those days ⁴¹⁹  Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ⁴²⁰  1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When ⁴²¹  Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped ⁴²²  in her ⁴²³  womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²⁴  1:42 She ⁴²⁵  exclaimed with a loud voice, ⁴²⁶  “Blessed are you among women, ⁴²⁷  and blessed is the child ⁴²⁸  in your womb! 1:43 And who am I ⁴²⁹  that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant ⁴³⁰  the sound of your greeting reached my ears, ⁴³¹  the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴³²  1:45 And blessed ⁴³³  is she who believed that ⁴³⁴  what was spoken to her by ⁴³⁵  the Lord would be fulfilled.” ⁴³⁶ 

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

1:46 And Mary ⁴³⁷  said, ⁴³⁸ 

“My soul exalts ⁴³⁹  the Lord, ⁴⁴⁰ 

1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice ⁴⁴¹  in God my Savior,

1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ⁴⁴² 

For ⁴⁴³  from now on ⁴⁴⁴  all generations will call me blessed, ⁴⁴⁵ 

1:49 because he who is mighty ⁴⁴⁶  has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

1:50 from ⁴⁴⁷  generation to generation he is merciful ⁴⁴⁸  to those who fear ⁴⁴⁹  him.

1:51 He has demonstrated power ⁴⁵⁰  with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance ⁴⁵¹  of their hearts.

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ⁴⁵²  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ⁴⁵³ 

1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, ⁴⁵⁴  and has sent the rich away empty. ⁴⁵⁵ 

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ⁴⁵⁶  his mercy, ⁴⁵⁷ 

1:55 as he promised ⁴⁵⁸  to our ancestors, ⁴⁵⁹  to Abraham and to his descendants ⁴⁶⁰  forever.”

1:56 So ⁴⁶¹  Mary stayed with Elizabeth ⁴⁶²  about three months ⁴⁶³  and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John

1:57 Now the time came ⁴⁶⁴  for Elizabeth to have her baby, ⁴⁶⁵  and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her ⁴⁶⁶  neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown ⁴⁶⁷  great mercy to her, and they rejoiced ⁴⁶⁸  with her.

1:59 On ⁴⁶⁹  the eighth day ⁴⁷⁰  they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name ⁴⁷¹  him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But ⁴⁷²  his mother replied, ⁴⁷³  “No! He must be named ⁴⁷⁴  John.” ⁴⁷⁵  1:61 They ⁴⁷⁶  said to her, “But ⁴⁷⁷  none of your relatives bears this name.” ⁴⁷⁸  1:62 So ⁴⁷⁹  they made signs to the baby’s ⁴⁸⁰  father, ⁴⁸¹  inquiring what he wanted to name his son. ⁴⁸²  1:63 He ⁴⁸³  asked for a writing tablet ⁴⁸⁴  and wrote, ⁴⁸⁵  “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ⁴⁸⁶  1:64 Immediately ⁴⁸⁷  Zechariah’s ⁴⁸⁸  mouth was opened and his tongue ⁴⁸⁹  released, ⁴⁹⁰  and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All ⁴⁹¹  their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All ⁴⁹²  who heard these things ⁴⁹³  kept them in their hearts, ⁴⁹⁴  saying, “What then will this child be?” ⁴⁹⁵  For the Lord’s hand ⁴⁹⁶  was indeed with him.

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

1:67 Then ⁴⁹⁷  his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ⁴⁹⁸ 

1:68 “Blessed ⁴⁹⁹  be the Lord God of Israel,

because he has come to help ⁵⁰⁰  and has redeemed ⁵⁰¹  his people.

1:69 For ⁵⁰²  he has raised up ⁵⁰³  a horn of salvation ⁵⁰⁴  for us in the house of his servant David, ⁵⁰⁵ 

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, ⁵⁰⁶ 

1:71 that we should be saved ⁵⁰⁷  from our enemies, ⁵⁰⁸ 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 He has done this ⁵⁰⁹  to show mercy ⁵¹⁰  to our ancestors, ⁵¹¹ 

and to remember his holy covenant ⁵¹²  –

1:73 the oath ⁵¹³  that he swore to our ancestor ⁵¹⁴  Abraham.

This oath grants ⁵¹⁵ 

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our ⁵¹⁶  enemies,

may serve him without fear, ⁵¹⁷ 

1:75 in holiness and righteousness ⁵¹⁸  before him for as long as we live. ⁵¹⁹ 

1:76 And you, child, ⁵²⁰  will be called the prophet ⁵²¹  of the Most High. ⁵²² 

For you will go before ⁵²³  the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁵²⁴ 

1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation ⁵²⁵  through the forgiveness ⁵²⁶  of their sins.

1:78 Because of ⁵²⁷  our God’s tender mercy ⁵²⁸ 

the dawn ⁵²⁹  will break ⁵³⁰  upon us from on high

1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, ⁵³¹ 

to guide our feet into the way ⁵³²  of peace.”

1:80 And the child kept growing ⁵³³  and becoming strong ⁵³⁴  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ⁵³⁵  until the day he was revealed ⁵³⁶  to Israel.

Lukas 18:15-17

Jesus and Little Children

18:15 Now people ⁵³⁷  were even bringing their babies ⁵³⁸  to him for him to touch. ⁵³⁹  But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. ⁵⁴⁰  18:16 But Jesus called for the children, ⁵⁴¹  saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God ⁵⁴²  belongs to such as these. ⁵⁴³  18:17 I tell you the truth, ⁵⁴⁴  whoever does not receive ⁵⁴⁵  the kingdom of God like a child ⁵⁴⁶  will never ⁵⁴⁷  enter it.”

[8:40]  ¹ tn This is a temporal infinitival clause in contrast to Mark’s genitive absolute (Mark 5:21).

[8:40]  sn Here the author notes that Jesus returned to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee after his brief excursion into Gentile territory (8:26-39; cf. also Mark 5:21).

[8:41]  ² tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[8:41]  ³ tn Jairus is described as ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς (arcwn th" sunagwghs), the main elder at the synagogue who was in charge of organizing the services.

[8:41]  ⁴ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:15.

[8:41]  ⁵ tn Grk “and falling.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[8:41]  ⁶ tn This verb is an imperfect tense, commonly used by Luke for vividness.

[8:42]  ⁷ tn This imperfect verb could be understood ingressively: “she was beginning to die” or “was approaching death.”

[8:42]  ⁸ sn Pressed is a very emphatic term – the crowds were pressing in so hard that one could hardly breathe (L&N 19.48).

[8:43]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[8:43]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “a flow of blood.”

[8:43]  ¹¹ tc ‡ Most mss, including the majority of later mss (א[* C] A L W Θ Ξ [Ψ] Ë^1,13 33 [1424] Ï [lat sy^c,p,h]) read here, “having spent all her money on doctors.” Uncertainty over its authenticity is due primarily to the fact that certain important witnesses do not have the phrase (e.g., Ì⁷⁵ B [D] 0279 sy^s sa Or). This evidence alone renders its authenticity unlikely. It may have been intentionally added by later scribes in order to harmonize Luke’s account with similar material in Mark 5:26 (see TCGNT 121). NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

[8:44]  ¹² tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[8:44]  ¹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:44]  ¹⁴ sn The edge of his cloak refers to the kraspedon, the blue tassel on the garment that symbolized a Jewish man’s obedience to the law (cf. Num 15:37-41). The woman thus touched the very part of Jesus’ clothing that indicated his ritual purity.

[8:44]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.

[8:44]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “the flow of her blood.”

[8:44]  sn The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage, in which case her bleeding would make her ritually unclean.

[8:45]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:45]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “said.”

[8:45]  ¹⁹ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (א A C*^,3 D L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt), also have “and those together with him” (with two different Greek constructions for the phrase “with him”), while several important witnesses omit this phrase (Ì⁷⁵ B Π 700* al sa). The singular verb εἶπεν (eipen, “he said”) could possibly suggest that only Peter was originally mentioned, but, if the longer reading is authentic, then εἶπεν would focus on Peter as the spokesman for the group, highlighting his prominence (cf. ExSyn 401-2). Nevertheless, the longer reading looks like a clarifying note, harmonizing this account with Mark 5:31.

[8:45]  ²⁰ sn Pressing is a graphic term used in everyday Greek of pressing grapes. Peter says in effect, “How could you ask this? Everyone is touching you!”

[8:46]  ²¹ tn This is a consummative perfect. Jesus sensed that someone had approached him to be healed, as his reference to power makes clear. The perception underlies Jesus’ prophetic sense as well.

[8:47]  ²² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:47]  ²³ tn Or “could not remain unnoticed” (see L&N 28.83).

[8:47]  ²⁴ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. The order of the clauses in the remainder of the verse has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.

[8:47]  ²⁵ tn Grk “told for what reason.”

[8:48]  ²⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:48]  ²⁷ tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the immediate context; it refers only to the woman’s healing.

[8:49]  ²⁸ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93). In this case the referent is Jairus (v. 41).

[8:50]  ²⁹ tn Grk “answered.”

[8:50]  ³⁰ tn Or “will be delivered”; Grk “will be saved.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the immediate context; it refers only to the girl’s healing.

[8:51]  ³¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:51]  ³² tn Grk “and John,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[8:52]  ³³ sn This group probably includes outside or even professional mourners, not just family, because a large group seems to be present.

[8:52]  ³⁴ tn Grk “beating the breasts” (in mourning); see L&N 52.1.

[8:53]  ³⁵ tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[8:53]  ³⁶ tn The participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[8:53]  ³⁷ tn Or “had died.”

[8:54]  ³⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:54]  ³⁹ tn Grk “and called, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation to “and said.”

[8:55]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:55]  ⁴¹ sn In other words, she came back to life; see Acts 20:10.

[8:55]  ⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[8:56]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:56]  ⁴⁴ sn Jesus ordered them to tell no one because he desired that miracles not become the center of his ministry.

[8:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “what this parable might be” (an optative after a secondary tense, in keeping with good Koine style).

[1:1]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ⁵² tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parhkolouqhkoti) has been translated causally.

[1:3]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “and her name was Elizabeth.”

[1:5]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ 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]  ⁶⁹ tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).

[1:7]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:8]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶ tn This is an aorist participle and is temporally related to the offering of incense, not to when the lot fell.

[1:9]  ⁷⁷ 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]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “And,” but “now” better represents the somewhat parenthetical nature of this statement in the flow of the narrative.

[1:10]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ tn The “hour of the incense offering” is another way to refer to the time of sacrifice.

[1:11]  ⁸¹ 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]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ 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]  ⁸⁸ 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]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”

[1:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “because of.”

[1:14]  ⁹¹ 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]  ⁹² tn Grk “before.”

[1:15]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:16]  ⁹⁶ 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]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “sons”; but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.

[1:17]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:18]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

[1:18]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:19]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

[1:20]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:20]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:21]  ¹¹⁰ tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[1:21]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ¹¹² tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ¹¹⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.

[1:22]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.

[1:23]  ¹¹⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ¹²¹ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ¹²² 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]  ¹²³ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:26]  ¹²⁸ 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]  ¹²⁹ 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]  ¹³⁰ 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]  ¹³¹ 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]  ¹³² tn Or “promised in marriage.”

[1:27]  ¹³³ 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]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:28]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:28]  ¹³⁶ 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]  ¹³⁷ 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]  ¹³⁸ 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]  ¹³⁹ 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]  ¹⁴⁰ sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.

[1:29]  ¹⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁴² 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]  ¹⁴³ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

[1:30]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “And behold.”

[1:31]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”

[1:31]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “and bear.”

[1:31]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Grk “you will call his name.”

[1:31]  ¹⁴⁹ 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]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:32]  ¹⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁵² 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]  ¹⁵³ tn Or “ancestor.”

[1:33]  ¹⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:34]  ¹⁵⁷ 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]  ¹⁵⁸ 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]  ¹⁵⁹ sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).

[1:35]  ¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁶² 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]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:36]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

[1:36]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “has conceived.”

[1:36]  ¹⁶⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:38]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:38]  ¹⁷⁰ 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]  ¹⁷¹ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

[1:38]  ¹⁷² 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]  ¹⁷³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:39]  ¹⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁷ sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.

[1:41]  ¹⁷⁸ tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.

[1:41]  ¹⁷⁹ sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.

[1:42]  ¹⁸⁰ 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]  ¹⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁸² 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]  ¹⁸³ tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.

[1:43]  ¹⁸⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:44]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”

[1:44]  ¹⁸⁷ 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]  ¹⁸⁸ sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.

[1:45]  ¹⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁹⁰ 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]  ¹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹² 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]  ¹⁹³ 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]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”

[1:46]  ¹⁹⁵ 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]  ¹⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁹⁷ tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

[1:48]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:48]  ¹⁹⁹ 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]  ²⁰⁰ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

[1:49]  ²⁰¹ tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”

[1:50]  ²⁰² tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.

[1:50]  ²⁰³ 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]  ²⁰⁴ tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.

[1:51]  ²⁰⁵ 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]  ²⁰⁶ 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]  ²⁰⁷ tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ²⁰⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁹ sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

[1:53]  ²¹⁰ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

[1:54]  ²¹¹ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ²¹² tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:55]  ²¹³ 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]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “fathers.”

[1:55]  ²¹⁵ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

[1:56]  ²¹⁶ tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[1:56]  ²¹⁷ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:56]  ²¹⁸ sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.

[1:57]  ²¹⁹ tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”

[1:57]  ²²⁰ tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[1:58]  ²²¹ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:58]  ²²² tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”

[1:58]  ²²³ tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”

[1:59]  ²²⁴ 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]  ²²⁵ 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]  ²²⁶ 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]  ²²⁷ tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.

[1:60]  ²²⁸ 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]  ²²⁹ tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”

[1:60]  ²³⁰ 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]  ²³¹ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:61]  ²³² tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:61]  ²³³ tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”

[1:62]  ²³⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.

[1:62]  ²³⁵ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:62]  ²³⁶ 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]  ²³⁷ tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”

[1:63]  ²³⁸ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:63]  ²³⁹ sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.

[1:63]  ²⁴⁰ tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

[1:63]  ²⁴¹ 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]  ²⁴² tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:64]  ²⁴³ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:64]  ²⁴⁴ 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]  ²⁴⁵ 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]  ²⁴⁶ 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]  ²⁴⁷ 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]  ²⁴⁸ tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:66]  ²⁴⁹ 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]  ²⁵⁰ tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”

[1:66]  ²⁵¹ 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]  ²⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:67]  ²⁵³ 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]  ²⁵⁴ sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

[1:68]  ²⁵⁵ sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

[1:68]  ²⁵⁶ 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]  ²⁵⁷ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ²⁵⁸ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ²⁵⁹ 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]  ²⁶⁰ 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]  ²⁶¹ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

[1:71]  ²⁶² tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

[1:71]  ²⁶³ 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]  ²⁶⁴ 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]  ²⁶⁵ sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

[1:72]  ²⁶⁶ 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]  ²⁶⁷ 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]  ²⁶⁸ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ²⁶⁹ tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ²⁷⁰ 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]  ²⁷¹ 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]  ²⁷² tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

[1:75]  ²⁷³ 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]  ²⁷⁴ tn Grk “all our days.”

[1:76]  ²⁷⁵ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ²⁷⁶ 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]  ²⁷⁷ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ²⁷⁸ 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]  ²⁷⁹ 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]  ²⁸⁰ 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]  ²⁸¹ sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).

[1:78]  ²⁸² 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]  ²⁸³ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

[1:78]  ²⁸⁴ 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]  ²⁸⁵ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

[1:79]  ²⁸⁶ sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

[1:79]  ²⁸⁷ tn Or “the path.”

[1:80]  ²⁸⁸ tn This verb is imperfect.

[1:80]  ²⁸⁹ tn This verb is also imperfect.

[1:80]  ²⁹⁰ tn Or “desert.”

[1:80]  ²⁹¹ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

[1:1]  ²⁹² 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]  ²⁹³ 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]  ²⁹⁴ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ²⁹⁵ 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]  ²⁹⁶ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ²⁹⁷ tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ²⁹⁸ 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]  ²⁹⁹ 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]  ³⁰⁰ 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]  ³⁰¹ 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]  ³⁰² tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parhkolouqhkoti) has been translated causally.

[1:3]  ³⁰³ 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]  ³⁰⁴ 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]  ³⁰⁵ 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]  ³⁰⁶ 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]  ³⁰⁷ 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]  ³⁰⁸ 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]  ³⁰⁹ 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]  ³¹⁰ tn Grk “and her name was Elizabeth.”

[1:5]  ³¹¹ 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]  ³¹² 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]  ³¹³ 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]  ³¹⁴ tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).

[1:7]  ³¹⁵ 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]  ³¹⁶ tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:8]  ³¹⁷ 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]  ³¹⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ³¹⁹ 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]  ³²⁰ 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]  ³²¹ tn This is an aorist participle and is temporally related to the offering of incense, not to when the lot fell.

[1:9]  ³²² 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]  ³²³ tn Grk “And,” but “now” better represents the somewhat parenthetical nature of this statement in the flow of the narrative.

[1:10]  ³²⁴ 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]  ³²⁵ tn The “hour of the incense offering” is another way to refer to the time of sacrifice.

[1:11]  ³²⁶ 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]  ³²⁷ 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]  ³²⁸ 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]  ³²⁹ 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]  ³³⁰ 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]  ³³¹ 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]  ³³² 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]  ³³³ 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]  ³³⁴ tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”

[1:14]  ³³⁵ tn Or “because of.”

[1:14]  ³³⁶ 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]  ³³⁷ tn Grk “before.”

[1:15]  ³³⁸ 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]  ³³⁹ 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]  ³⁴⁰ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:16]  ³⁴¹ 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]  ³⁴² tn Grk “sons”; but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.

[1:17]  ³⁴³ tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ³⁴⁴ 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]  ³⁴⁵ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:18]  ³⁴⁶ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

[1:18]  ³⁴⁷ tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:19]  ³⁴⁸ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ³⁴⁹ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ³⁵⁰ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

[1:20]  ³⁵¹ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:20]  ³⁵² 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]  ³⁵³ 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]  ³⁵⁴ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:21]  ³⁵⁵ tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[1:21]  ³⁵⁶ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ³⁵⁷ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ³⁵⁸ tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:22]  ³⁵⁹ 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]  ³⁶⁰ tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.

[1:22]  ³⁶¹ tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.

[1:22]  ³⁶² tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.

[1:23]  ³⁶³ 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]  ³⁶⁴ tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ³⁶⁵ tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ³⁶⁶ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ³⁶⁷ 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]  ³⁶⁸ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ³⁶⁹ tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ³⁷⁰ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ³⁷¹ 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]  ³⁷² tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:26]  ³⁷³ 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]  ³⁷⁴ 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]  ³⁷⁵ 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]  ³⁷⁶ 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]  ³⁷⁷ tn Or “promised in marriage.”

[1:27]  ³⁷⁸ 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]  ³⁷⁹ tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:28]  ³⁸⁰ tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:28]  ³⁸¹ 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]  ³⁸² 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]  ³⁸³ 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]  ³⁸⁴ 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]  ³⁸⁵ sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.

[1:29]  ³⁸⁶ 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]  ³⁸⁷ 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]  ³⁸⁸ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

[1:30]  ³⁸⁹ 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]  ³⁹⁰ tn Grk “And behold.”

[1:31]  ³⁹¹ tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”

[1:31]  ³⁹² tn Or “and bear.”

[1:31]  ³⁹³ tn Grk “you will call his name.”

[1:31]  ³⁹⁴ 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]  ³⁹⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:32]  ³⁹⁶ 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]  ³⁹⁷ 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]  ³⁹⁸ tn Or “ancestor.”

[1:33]  ³⁹⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰⁰ 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]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:34]  ⁴⁰² 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]  ⁴⁰³ 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]  ⁴⁰⁴ sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).

[1:35]  ⁴⁰⁵ 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]  ⁴⁰⁶ 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]  ⁴⁰⁷ 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]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:36]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungeni") as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.

[1:36]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Or “has conceived.”

[1:36]  ⁴¹¹ 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]  ⁴¹² 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]  ⁴¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:38]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:38]  ⁴¹⁵ 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]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

[1:38]  ⁴¹⁷ 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]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:39]  ⁴¹⁹ 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]  ⁴²⁰ 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]  ⁴²¹ 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]  ⁴²² sn When the baby leaped John gave his first testimony about Jesus, a fulfillment of 1:15.

[1:41]  ⁴²³ tn The antecedent of “her” is Elizabeth.

[1:41]  ⁴²⁴ sn The passage makes clear that Elizabeth spoke her commentary with prophetic enablement, filled with the Holy Spirit.

[1:42]  ⁴²⁵ 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]  ⁴²⁶ 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]  ⁴²⁷ 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]  ⁴²⁸ tn Grk “fruit,” which is figurative here for the child she would give birth to.

[1:43]  ⁴²⁹ 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]  ⁴³⁰ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:44]  ⁴³¹ tn Grk “when the sound of your greeting [reached] my ears.”

[1:44]  ⁴³² 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]  ⁴³³ sn Again the note of being blessed makes the key point of the passage about believing God.

[1:45]  ⁴³⁴ 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]  ⁴³⁵ 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]  ⁴³⁶ 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]  ⁴³⁷ 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]  ⁴³⁸ 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]  ⁴³⁹ tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”

[1:46]  ⁴⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴⁴¹ 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]  ⁴⁴² tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

[1:48]  ⁴⁴³ tn Grk “for behold.”

[1:48]  ⁴⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁴⁵ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

[1:49]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”

[1:50]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.

[1:50]  ⁴⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.

[1:51]  ⁴⁵⁰ 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]  ⁴⁵¹ 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]  ⁴⁵² tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ⁴⁵³ 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]  ⁴⁵⁴ sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

[1:53]  ⁴⁵⁵ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

[1:54]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:55]  ⁴⁵⁸ 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]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Grk “fathers.”

[1:55]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

[1:56]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[1:56]  ⁴⁶² tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:56]  ⁴⁶³ sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.

[1:57]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Grk “the time was fulfilled.”

[1:57]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn The words “her baby” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[1:58]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Grk “And her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:58]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Grk “had magnified his mercy with her.”

[1:58]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn The verb συνέχαιρον (sunecairon) is an imperfect and could be translated as an ingressive force, “they began to rejoice.”

[1:59]  ⁴⁶⁹ 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]  ⁴⁷⁰ 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]  ⁴⁷¹ 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]  ⁴⁷² tn Grk “And,” but with clearly contrastive emphasis in context.

[1:60]  ⁴⁷³ 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]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn This future passive indicative verb has imperatival force and thus has been translated “he must be named.”

[1:60]  ⁴⁷⁵ 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]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:61]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn The word “but” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:61]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Grk “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name.”

[1:62]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action described.

[1:62]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the baby) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:62]  ⁴⁸¹ 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]  ⁴⁸² tn Grk “what he might wish to call him.”

[1:63]  ⁴⁸³ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:63]  ⁴⁸⁴ sn The writing tablet requested by Zechariah would have been a wax tablet.

[1:63]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Grk “and wrote, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

[1:63]  ⁴⁸⁶ 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]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:64]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:64]  ⁴⁸⁹ 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]  ⁴⁹⁰ 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]  ⁴⁹¹ 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]  ⁴⁹² 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]  ⁴⁹³ tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:66]  ⁴⁹⁴ 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]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”

[1:66]  ⁴⁹⁶ 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]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[1:67]  ⁴⁹⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹⁹ sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

[1:68]  ⁵⁰⁰ sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

[1:68]  ⁵⁰¹ 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]  ⁵⁰² tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ⁵⁰³ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ⁵⁰⁴ 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]  ⁵⁰⁵ 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]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

[1:71]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

[1:71]  ⁵⁰⁸ 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]  ⁵⁰⁹ 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]  ⁵¹⁰ sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

[1:72]  ⁵¹¹ 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]  ⁵¹² 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]  ⁵¹³ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ⁵¹⁵ 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]  ⁵¹⁶ 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]  ⁵¹⁷ tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

[1:75]  ⁵¹⁸ 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]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Grk “all our days.”

[1:76]  ⁵²⁰ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ⁵²¹ 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]  ⁵²² sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ⁵²³ 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]  ⁵²⁴ 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]  ⁵²⁵ 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]  ⁵²⁶ sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).

[1:78]  ⁵²⁷ 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]  ⁵²⁸ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

[1:78]  ⁵²⁹ 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]  ⁵³⁰ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

[1:79]  ⁵³¹ sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

[1:79]  ⁵³² tn Or “the path.”

[1:80]  ⁵³³ tn This verb is imperfect.

[1:80]  ⁵³⁴ tn This verb is also imperfect.

[1:80]  ⁵³⁵ tn Or “desert.”

[1:80]  ⁵³⁶ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

[18:15]  ⁵³⁷ tn Grk “they.”

[18:15]  ⁵³⁸ tn The term βρέφος (brefos) here can refer to babies or to toddlers (2:12, 16; Acts 7:19; 2 Tim 3:15; 1 Pet 2:2).

[18:15]  ⁵³⁹ tn Grk “so that he would touch them.” Here the touch is connected with (or conveys) a blessing (cf. Mark 10:16; also BDAG 126 s.v. ἅπτω 2.c).

[18:15]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Grk “the disciples began to scold them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples began scolding the children rather than their parents who brought them.

[18:16]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Grk “summoned them”; the referent (the children) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:16]  ⁵⁴² sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[18:16]  ⁵⁴³ sn The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.

[18:17]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:17]  ⁵⁴⁵ sn On receive see John 1:12.

[18:17]  ⁵⁴⁶ sn The point of the comparison receive the kingdom of God like a child has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit and willingness to be dependent and receive from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.

[18:17]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn The negation in Greek used here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong.