26 But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which [the] name [was] Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary. 28 And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, [thou] favoured one! the Lord [is] with thee: [blessed art thou amongst women]. 29 But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be. 30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; 31 and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called Son of [the] Highest; and [the] Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father; 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. 34 But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man? 35 And the angel answering said to her, [The] Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of [the] Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren: 37 for nothing shall be impossible with God. 38 And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of [the] Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. 41 And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, 42 and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed [art] thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb. 45 And blessed [is] she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from [the] Lord. 46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy [is] his name; 50 and his mercy [is] to generations and generations to them that fear him. 51 He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty [ones] in the thought of their heart. 52 He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty. 54 He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy, 55 (as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John. 61 And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name. 62 And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called. 63 And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered. 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God. 65 And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation. 66 And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him.
67 And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, 69 and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant; 70 as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; 71 deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us; 72 to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant, 73 [the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father, 74 to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear 75 in piety and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways; 77 to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins 78 on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us, 79 to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace. 80 —And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 1:26-80
Commentary on Luke 1:26-38
(Read Luke 1:26-38)
We have here an account of the mother of our Lord; though we are not to pray to her, yet we ought to praise God for her. Christ must be born miraculously. The angel's address means only, Hail, thou that art the especially chosen and favoured of the Most High, to attain the honour Jewish mothers have so long desired. This wondrous salutation and appearance troubled Mary. The angel then assured her that she had found favour with God, and would become the mother of a son whose name she should call Jesus, the Son of the Highest, one in a nature and perfection with the Lord God. JESUS! the name that refreshes the fainting spirits of humbled sinners; sweet to speak and sweet to hear, Jesus, a Saviour! We know not his riches and our own poverty, therefore we run not to him; we perceive not that we are lost and perishing, therefore a Saviour is a word of little relish. Were we convinced of the huge mass of guilt that lies upon us, and the wrath that hangs over us for it, ready to fall upon us, it would be our continual thought, Is the Saviour mine? And that we might find him so, we should trample on all that hinders our way to him. Mary's reply to the angel was the language of faith and humble admiration, and she asked no sign for the confirming her faith. Without controversy, great was the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, 1 Timothy 3:16. Christ's human nature must be produced so, as it was fit that should be which was to be taken into union with the Divine nature. And we must, as Mary here, guide our desires by the word of God. In all conflicts, let us remember that with God nothing is impossible; and as we read and hear his promises, let us turn them into prayers, Behold the willing servant of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word.
Commentary on Luke 1:39-56
(Read Luke 1:39-56)
It is very good for those who have the work of grace begun in their souls, to communicate one to another. On Mary's arrival, Elisabeth was conscious of the approach of her who was to be the mother of the great Redeemer. At the same time she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and under his influence declared that Mary and her expected child were most blessed and happy, as peculiarly honoured of and dear to the Most High God. Mary, animated by Elisabeth's address, and being also under the influence of the Holy Ghost, broke out into joy, admiration, and gratitude. She knew herself to be a sinner who needed a Saviour, and that she could no otherwise rejoice in God than as interested in his salvation through the promised Messiah. Those who see their need of Christ, and are desirous of righteousness and life in him, he fills with good things, with the best things; and they are abundantly satisfied with the blessings he gives. He will satisfy the desires of the poor in spirit who long for spiritual blessings, while the self-sufficient shall be sent empty away.
Commentary on Luke 1:57-66
(Read Luke 1:57-66)
In these verses we have an account of the birth of John the Baptist, and the great joy among all the relations of the family. He shall be called Johanan, or "Gracious," because he shall bring in the gospel of Christ, wherein God's grace shines most bright. Zacharias recovered his speech. Unbelief closed his mouth, and believing opened it again: he believers, therefore he speaks. When God opens our lips, our mouths must show forth his praise; and better be without speech, than not use it in praising God. It is said, The hand of the Lord was working with John. God has ways of working on children in their infancy, which we cannot account for. We should observe the dealings of God, and wait the event.
Commentary on Luke 1:67-80
(Read Luke 1:67-80)
Zacharias uttered a prophecy concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah. The gospel brings light with it; in it the day dawns. In John the Baptist it began to break, and increased apace to the perfect day. The gospel is discovering; it shows that about which we were utterly in the dark; it is to give light to those that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is reviving; it brings light to those that sit in the shadow of death, as condemned prisoners in the dungeon. It is directing; it is to guide our feet in the way of peace, into that way which will bring us to peace at last, Romans 3:17. John gave proofs of strong faith, vigorous and holy affections, and of being above the fear and love of the world. Thus he ripened for usefulness; but he lived a retired life, till he came forward openly as the forerunner of the Messiah. Let us follow peace with all men, as well as seek peace with God and our own consciences. And if it be the will of God that we live unknown to the world, still let us diligently seek to grow strong in the grace of Jesus Christ.