Luke 1:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

NIV: to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

NASB: to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

CSB: to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

NLT: to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

KJV: To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

NKJV: to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

This verse establishes important facts about Jesus' conception and birth. According to Old Testament prophecy, the Messiah would be miraculously born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). This would keep Jesus Christ free from inheriting original sin from Adam (Romans 5:12). This Promised One was also to be a family descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 9:6–7).

"Betrothal," in Jewish culture, was a legally binding arrangement. Betrothed couples were promised to each other but did not live together nor consummate the relationship. At the end of the betrothal period, they would be formally married, and the woman would live with her new husband. Mary is an unmarried virgin, meaning she has never been intimate with any man (Luke 1:34).

Her soon-to-be husband is Joseph, part of the house of David (Matthew 1:1–17). His children, adopted or naturally born, would be part of the same tribe and family. Mary, as explained by Luke later in this gospel (Luke 3:23–38), is also a descendant of David.

The angel Gabriel has been sent (Luke 1:26) to deliver an incredible message to this young woman: she will miraculously become pregnant with the Son of God (Luke 1:31–33).

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.