Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
Parallel Translations
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Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
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And the angell went in vnto her and sayde: Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with the: blessed arte thou amonge wemen.
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And the Angel went in vnto her, and said, Haile thou that art freely beloued: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
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Contradictions (2)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (14)
Passages linked to Luke 1:28 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Judges 6:12 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
- Daniel 10:19 He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me.”
- Luke 1:30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved,
- Daniel 9:21-23 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering. He instructed me and talked with me, and said, Daniel, “I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you; for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.
- Jeremiah 1:18-19 For, behold, I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you”, says Yahweh, “to rescue you.”
- Luke 1:42 She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
- Acts 18:10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”
- Luke 11:27-28 It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”
- Proverbs 31:29-31 “Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!
- Isaiah 43:5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.
- Judges 5:24 “Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
- Hosea 14:2 Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls.
- Matthew 12:48 But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain It might be rendered word for word, full of…
It might be rendered word for word, full of favor and grace, and he showeth straight after, laying out plainly unto us, what that favor is, in that he saith, the Lord is with thee.
Of God.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 28 And the angel came in unto her, and…
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Ver. 28. Hail, thou that art highly favoured] κεχαριτωμενη. A salutation and not a prayer, as Papists pervert and abuse it. And when the Ave Maria bell rings, which is at sun rising, noon, and sun setting, all men in what place soever, house, field, street, or market, do presently kneel down, and send up their united devotions to heaven by an Ave Maria. Also, where one fasteth on Friday, which they count our Lord’s day, many fast on Saturday, which they count our Lady’s day. (Sand’s Survey.)
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Virgins betrothed, until the consummation of their marriage, were…
Virgins betrothed, until the consummation of their marriage, were ordinarily kept in their friends’ house: thither came this angel, and saith,
Hail, thou that art highly favoured. The word translated hail signifies, Rejoice thou, or is as much as, God save thee. It is not the form of a prayer, (as the papists use it), but an ordinary salutation, as much as, God save you, or, Good morrow, is amongst us.
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Thou that art highly favoured, kecaritwmenh; the word comes originally from χαρις, which signifieth in Scripture two things:
1. The free love and favour of another bestowed on any: thus it is taken Luk 1:30 thou hast found favour. To the praise of the glory of his grace, Eph 1:6.
2. It signifies good habits in the soul; as 2Pe 3:18, Grow in grace; Col 3:16, Singing with grace in your hearts.
Hence the verb, a participle from which the word here used is, may signify, two things; either:
1. Thou hast received grace or favour from God, or,
2. Thou that art full of gracious habits.
The first seems to be its sense in this place: it followeth in the verse, blessed art thou; so also it is expounded Luk 1:30, for thou hast found favour with God. So as the virgin was the object of Divine grace, as we are, and therefore not to be prayed to as the fountain of grace; she herself had nothing but what she received. This whole verse seemeth to be only a salutation, there is nothing of a prayer in it; the angel doth only take notice of her as a favourite of Heaven, one dear unto his Lord, with whom God was in an especial manner, and whom God blessed above the rate of those ordinary blessings with which he blesseth other women.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And the angel came in unto her,.... Into her…
And the angel came in unto her,.... Into her house, and into the room where she was:
and said, hail; all health, happiness, and prosperity attend thee; Mat 28:9.
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thou art highly favoured; or graciously accepted, or hast obtained grace; not referring to electing, redeeming; justifying, pardoning, adopting, and sanctifying grace, which she had in common with other saints; but to that special and particular favour, in being chosen and singled out from all other women, to be the mother of the Messiah:
the Lord is with thee; so the angel to Gideon, Jdg 6:12 or "be with thee", an usual form of salutation among the Jews; Rut 2:4.
thou art blessed among women; and will be pronounced so by other women, as she was by Elisabeth, Luk 1:42 and by another woman, Luk 11:27.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Hail, thou highly favoured; the Lord is with thee;…
Hail, thou highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women - Hail is the salutation used by our Lord to the women after his resurrection: thou art highly favoured, or hast found favour with God, ver. 30, is no more than was said of Noah, Moses, and David. The Lord is with thee, was said to Gideon, Judg. vi, 12; and blessed shall she be above women, of Jael, Judg. v, 24. This salutation gives no room for any pretense of paying adoration to the virgin; as having no appearance of a prayer, or of worship offered to her.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 28. And the angel came in unto her]…
Verse 28. And the angel came in unto her] Some think that all this business was transacted in a vision; and that there was no personal appearance of the angel. When Divine visions were given, they are announced as such, in the sacred writings; nor can we with safety attribute any thing to a vision, where a Divine communication is made, unless it be specified as such in the text.
Hail] Analogous to, Peace be to thee - May thou enjoy all possible blessings!
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Highly favoured] As being chosen in preference to all the women upon earth, to be the mother of the Messiah. Not the mother of God, for that is blasphemy.
The Lord is with thee] Thou art about to receive the most convincing proofs of God's peculiar favour towards thee.
Blessed art thou among women.] That is, thou art favoured beyond all others.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Luk 1:28. The angel said, Hail, thou that art…
Luk 1:28. The angel said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured — Greek, Κεχαριτωμενη, who hast found mercy, or favour, with God, as it is explained, Luk 1:30. The Lord is with thee — Or, The Lord be with thee, as Dr. Campbell renders Κυριος μετα σου: Blessed art thou among women — That is, according to the Hebrew idiom, thou art the happiest of all the women that ever lived. It must be observed, that this salutation gives no room for any pretence of paying adoration to the virgin; as having no appearance of a prayer, or of worship offered to her. Besides, similar expressions are applied to others. Hail, is the salutation used by our Lord to the women after his resurrection: thou art highly favoured, or, hast found favour with God, is no more than was said of Noah, Moses, and David. The Lord is with thee, was said to Gideon, Jdg 6:12; and, Blessed shall she be above women, of Jael, Jdg 5:24. “The Church of Rome,” observes a pious writer, “saying ten Ave Marias for one Pater Noster, idolatrously uses these words as a prayer to the holy virgin, whereas they are only a salutation, declaring that she above all women had the honour freely conferred by God upon her, to be the mother of the Messiah. The original word, κεχαριτωμενη, signifies, not full of grace, but freely beloved. Compare Mary with other renowned women, and what had she, besides this favour, more than they? Had she the spirit of prophecy? so had they. Had she the spirit of sanctification? so had they: and she had no more immunity and freedom from sin and death than they. Accordingly the angel says, Blessed art thou among women, not, Blessed art thou above women. How senseless are they, 1st, In turning a salutation into a prayer! 2d, In making use of these words upon every occasion, which were spoken by an angel upon a special occasion! 3d, In applying these words to her now in heaven, which suited with her only when she was here on earth, saying, Full of grace, to her who is full of glory, and, The Lord is with thee, to her who is with the Lord!”
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Hail - This word of salutation is equivalent to…
Hail - This word of salutation is equivalent to “Peace be with thee,” or “Joy be with thee;” a form of speech implying that she was signally favored, and expressing joy at meeting her.
Highly favoured - By being the mother of the long-expected Messiah - the mother of the Redeemer of mankind. Long had he been predicted; long had the eyes of the nation been turned to him, and long had his coming been an object of intense desire. To be reckoned among his “ancestors” was accounted sufficient honor for even Abraham and David. But now the happy “individual” was designated who was to be his mother; and on Mary, a poor virgin of Nazareth, was to come this honor, which would have rendered infinitely illustrious any of the daughters of Adam the honor of giving birth to the world’s Redeemer and the Son of God.
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The Lord is with thee - The word “is” is not in the original, and the passage may be rendered either “the Lord “is” with thee,” or “the Lord be” with thee,” implying the prayer of the angel that all blessings from God might descend and rest upon her.
Blessed art thou among women - This passage is equivalent to saying “thou art the most happy of women.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Hail, full of grace:[5] by the greatest share of…
Hail, full of grace:[5] by the greatest share of divine graces granted to any creature. This translation, approved by the ancient Fathers, agrees with the ancient Syriac and Arabic versions. There was no need therefore to change it into gracious, with Erasmus; into freely beloved, with Beza; into highly favoured, with the Protestant translators. For if seven deacons (Acts vi. 3.) are said to be full of the Holy Ghost, as it is again said of St. Stephen, (Acts vii. 55.) and also of the same St. Stephen, (Acts vi. ver. 8.) that he was full of grace, (as the learned Dr. Wells translates it in his amendments made to the Protestant translation) why should any one be offended at this salutation given to the blessed mother of God; who would not have been raised to this highest dignity, had not her soul been first prepared for it by the greatest share of divine graces? --- The Lord is with thee, by his interior graces; and now, at this moment, is about to confer upon thee the highest of all dignities, by making thee truly the mother of God. (Witham) --- The Catholic Church makes frequent use of these words which were brought by the archangel from heaven, as well to honour Jesus Christ and his virgin Mother, as because they were the first glad tidings of Christ’s incarnation, and man’s salvation; and are the very abridgment and sum of the whole gospel. In the Greek Church, they are used daily in the Mass [the Divine Liturgy]. See the Liturgy of St. James, and that of St. John Chrysostom.
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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]
Gratia plena. See Lucas Burgensis on this place.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain highly favoured--a word only once used elsewhere (Eph 1:6,…
highly favoured--a word only once used elsewhere (Eph 1:6, "made accepted"): compare Luk 1:30, "Thou hast found favour with God." The mistake of the Vulgate's rendering, "full of grace," has been taken abundant advantage of by the Romish Church. As the mother of our Lord, she was the most "blessed among women" in external distinction; but let them listen to the Lord's own words. "Nay, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it." (See on Luk 11:27).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 28. Angel came… said, Hail—In a green, open space…
28. Angel came… said, Hail—In a green, open space at the northwestern extremity of Nazareth there is a small fountain, whence issues a slender stream from which the maidens of Nazareth, holding beneath their pitchers, obtain water for their homes. It is called the Fountain of the Virgin; for there the tradition is that this annunciation by Gabriel took place. In commemoration of this event, there stands the Church of the Annunciation. Whether the tradition be true or false, there can be no reasonable doubt that Mary in her day, among the maidens of that village, held the pitcher and drew water from this spring.
Highly favoured—This, in the Roman or Vulgate translation of the New Testament, is rendered plena gratiâ, full of grace. See note on Mat_1:18. The Romanists in vain endeavour to prove the sinlessness of Mary from this phrase. It means, as is said in Luk_1:30, that she had found favour or grace with God. Blessed art thou among women—See note on Mat_1:18.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 28. highly favoured] marg. “graciously accepted” or “much graced.”…
28. highly favoured] marg. “graciously accepted” or “much graced.” Literally, having been graced (by God). Eph_1:6, “accepted.” Not as in the Vulgate “Gratiâ plena” but “gratiâ cumulata.” “Not a mother of grace, but a daughter.” Bengel.
blessed art thou among women] These words are of dubious authenticity, being omitted by B and various versions. They may have been added from Luk_1:42. With this address comp. Jdg_6:12.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (28) Highly favoured.—The verb is the same as that…
(28) Highly favoured.—The verb is the same as that which is translated, “hath made us accepted “in Eph_1:6; and, on the whole, this, which is expressed in one of the marginal readings, seems the truest. The plena gratiâ of the Vulgate has no warrant in the meaning of the word.
The Lord is with thee.—Better, the Lord be with thee, as the more usual formula of salutation, as in Rth_2:4.
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Blessed art thou among women.—The words are omitted in many of the best MSS.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Hail, thou that art highly favored. The plena gratia…
Hail, thou that art highly favored. The plena gratia of the Vulgate, said and sung so often in the virgin"s famous hymn, is an inaccurate rendering. Rather, "gratia cumulata," as it has been well rendered. "Having been much graced (by God)" is the literal translation of the Greek word. Blessed art thou among women. These words must be struck out; they do not exist in the older authorities.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain (See Scofield "Heb 1:4")
angel
(See Scofield "Heb 1:4")
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain The message of the angel:
The message of the angel:
v. 28 And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.
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v. 29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
v. 30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God.
v. 31. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
v. 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David.
v. 33. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
The first message of the New Testament was given in the secrecy of the Holy Place in the Temple, the second in the seclusion of a virgin’s home in Nazareth. The beautiful greeting of the angel on this occasion has been abused by the Catholic Church in being made a prayer of their idolatrous practice. It is known as the Angelus and begins with the words "Ave Maria. " But the words of the greeting and Mary’s behavior at this time prove that the Catholic claim is untenable, that praying to Mary is a custom which she would least of all have tolerated had she known about it. For the angel calls her one that has been much graced, graciously accepted, highly favored, endued with grace. Not as a mother or dispenser of grace, but as a daughter and recipient of grace she is addressed. She is given the assurance that the Lord is with her. She is fully and altogether dependent upon Him, her God and her Savior. The effect of the sudden apparition and the strange greeting was naturally a startling one. Mary was much disturbed, but not with doubting fear, but because she felt that it meant something altogether unusual, the exact nature of which did not as yet appear. Her humility made her shrink back from the fullness of such grace, for that is the natural effect of the assurance of God’s mercy upon poor, sinful mortals. She cast in her mind, she thought of possible reasons for such a manner of greeting. She was not in a state of hysterical excitement, but reasoned very calmly as to the "why" of the angel’s words. The angel quickly proceeds to enlighten her by bidding her not to fear, since she had found grace in the sight of God. Although she was the chosen mother of the Savior, yet she was in need of grace. "Though the Virgin Mary is blessed above all women, that such grace and honor was never given to any other woman, yet the angel with these words draws her down to the level of all other saints, since he clearly says: Whatever she may be she is by grace, and not by merit. Now the difference between Him that gives grace and him that receives grace must always be maintained. With Him that gives grace we should seek grace, and not with him that himself has enjoyed grace. " And now the angel explains the extraordinary distinction which would be conferred upon her. She would, as a virgin, conceive and give birth to a son. To try to weaken this announcement by saying that Mary might have assumed, as an espoused wife, that the message had reference to a child to be born as the fruit of marriage with the man to whom she was betrothed is an effort of unbelief to eliminate miracles from the Bible. See Mat 1:21.
A true son, a true human being, though born of a virgin, He should be whose name should be called Jesus, Savior, Redeemer. Though the name was by no means unknown among the Jews, it would here be applied in its full significance for the first time. Of this miracle-child the angel says that He will be great, with a greatness of a singular nature, because His human nature was to be united with the divine nature, because He would therefore, in the most peculiar and restricted sense, be called the Son of the Highest, because the fulfillment of all the prophecies promising everlasting empire to the Son of David would be found in Him, because He would be the everlasting Head and Sovereign of the house of Jacob, of the Church of the New Testament, because His government and kingdom would be eternal. The gates and powers of death and hell shall never be able to injure or destroy the kingdom of Christ. The sum and substance of the entire Gospel-message is contained in these words of the angel; it was an inspired and inspiring announcement. "The angel asserts with powerful words that this son is at the same time true man and true God. For that He is a true man he proves with the words when he says first: ’Thou shalt conceive,’ but, ’in thy womb,’ that no one may understand a spiritual conception... Secondly, because he says: ’Thou shalt bring forth a son,’ since the conception which is done in the mind does not bear children out of the body But that He is true God is clear, first of all, from the words: ’He shall be called the Son of God. ’ To none other is it said in particular, ’Thou art My Son,’ but to this single One. Secondly, since to this person is given an eternal life. This cannot possibly be given to one that is a mere man, since it belongs to God only that He is a King without end. This King is immortal and eternal, therefore He has a different kingdom than that of this world."
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.