Luke 1:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

NIV: Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

NASB: And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month.

CSB: And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

NLT: What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.

KJV: And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

NKJV: Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

Mary has responded to news that she would conceive, apparently immediately, the very Son of God (Luke 1:31–33). Her initial reply was an entirely reasonable question. Fully believing it would happen, she naturally wondered how she, as a virgin, would come to be pregnant (Luke 1:34). Gabriel, the angel sent to deliver this message (Luke 1:26–27), tells Mary the conception will be the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

To further reassure her, Gabriel also tells her about the good news he recently delivered to her relative, Elizabeth (Luke 1:5–7). She and her husband, the priest Zechariah, were aging and childless. In a personal encounter, Gabriel told Zechariah that his wife would finally bear a child, who would come to be known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:13–17). Elizabeth celebrated this, in part, as an end to the embarrassment which that culture assigned to childless women (Luke 1:24–25).

Gabriel's point of mentioning this happy news comes in the next verse (Luke 1:37). Elizabeth, once barren, will have a son. That which humanity finds impossible is possible for God (Luke 18:27).

Luke 1:26–38 relates how a virgin learned she would miraculously bear the Son of God. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary, who is engaged to a man named Joseph. Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear a son, to be named Jesus. He will be the Promised One long awaited by the people of Israel. Since Mary has never been intimate with a man, God will miraculously conceive the child. Gabriel is the same angel who predicted the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), and he informs Mary about this happy occurrence for her relative, Elizabeth. Mary responds in submissive faith. A parallel account is found in Matthew 1:18–25.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.