Luke 1:51 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

NIV: He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

NASB: He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

CSB: He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts;

NLT: His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

KJV: He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

NKJV: He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

Mary is praising God for His gift of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and her privilege of being His earthly mother (Luke 1:31–33). She has honored the Lord for His role as her Savior (Luke 1:46–47), His favor in entrusting her with this role (Luke 1:48), His holiness and power (Luke 1:49), and His promise to show mercy to those who love Him (Luke 1:50). These statements are drawn from various places in the Old Testament, either as quotations (Psalm 103:17) or direct references (1 Samuel 1:11; 2:1; Psalm 50:1; 99:5).

In this verse, she continues to proclaim God's attributes. References to the "arm" were commonly used as a metaphor for strength, especially in battle. God has already proven His power over earthly enemies (Psalm 89:13; 98:1). With the coming of the Messiah, He will begin to complete that victory (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Likewise, Mary had already seen evidence that God could bring arrogant people to humiliation (Daniel 4:37; Isaiah 2:17; Proverbs 21:4). New Testament writers would later note that the ministry of Christ overturned the world's conceited view of its own knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:20, 27–31).

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.