Luke 1:42 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

NIV: In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

NASB: And she cried out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

CSB: Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: "Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed!

NLT: Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, 'God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.

KJV: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

NKJV: Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

The aging wife of a priest, Elizabeth, is six months pregnant (Luke 1:36). This was a miraculous event, as she had been unable to have children prior to this (Luke 1:5–7). An angel announced that she and her husband would conceive a son who would fulfill important roles in biblical prophecy (Luke 1:13–17). Elizabeth has just been visited by her relative Mary, an unmarried virgin (Luke 1:26–27). Mary has also been given news by an angel: she will bear the Son of God, the Messiah (Luke 1:30–33). When Mary announced herself, both Elizabeth and her unborn child reacted immediately (Luke 1:40–41). Both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, though yet unborn, are living people with their own identities.

Elizabeth's response is motivated by the Holy Spirit. At the moment, Mary has just entered the home and spoken a greeting. She has not, it seems, made any mention of her own pregnancy. And yet, Elizabeth responds by celebrating the fact that Mary is pregnant. She does this with a shout: the Greek text makes a point of saying she is speaking in a loud voice.

Twice in this verse, Elizabeth uses the Greek root word eulogeo, which refers to praise and approval. This is the same word from which we derive the English term eulogy, where someone speaks approvingly of the deceased at a funeral. Her reaction also implies a compliment for Mary's faithful reaction. Her own husband, Zechariah, initially reacted with doubt (Luke 1:18) and was temporarily rendered mute (Luke 1:19–20). Mary reacted to the angel's message with a more trusting question (Luke 1:35), and faithful submission (Luke 1:38).

In the following verse, Elizabeth will further note that the Child whom Mary carries is the Lord (Luke 2:11).

Luke 1:39–56 contains Mary's visit with her relative, Elizabeth, and her resulting praise of God. Both women are miraculously pregnant. Despite her old age, Elizabeth is several months pregnant with a boy who will one day be known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:13). Mary, a virgin, has recently learned that God has conceived in her the Messiah, to be named Jesus (Luke 1:31). The unborn John reacts when he hears Mary's voice. Mary responds to this with extensive praise of God, calling Him her "Savior." After staying for a while—possibly until the birth of John—Mary returns home.

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.