When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
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Luke 1:41-45 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
Parallel Translations
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When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
-
And it fortuned as Elizabeth hearde the salutacion of Mary the babe spronge in her belly. And Elizabeth was filled with the holy goost
and cryed with a loude voyce and sayde: Blessed arte thou amonge wemen and blessed is the frute of thy wombe.
And whence hapeneth this to me that the mother of my Lorde shuld come to me?
For loo assone as the voyce of thy salutacion sownded in myne eares the babe sprange in my belly for ioye.
And blessed arte thou that belevedst: for thoose thinges shalbe performed wich were tolde the from the lorde.
Show all 3 translations
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And it came to passe, as Elisabet heard the salutation of Marie, the babe sprang in her bellie, and Elisabet was filled with the holy Ghost.
And she cried with a loud voice, and saide, Blessed art thou among women, because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed.
And whence commeth this to mee, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For loe, assoone as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares, the babe sprang in my bellie for ioye,
And blessed is shee that beleeued: for those things shall be perfourmed, which were tolde her from the Lord.
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Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (40)
- John 20:29 (v45) Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”
- John 11:40 (v45) Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
- Luke 11:27-28 (v45) 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…
- Luke 1:20 (v45) Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which…
- 2 Chronicles 20:20 (v45) They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me,…
Show all 40 cross-references
- Luke 1:67 (v41) His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
- Luke 1:44 (v41) For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
- Acts 4:8 (v41) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
- Luke 1:15 (v41) For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even…
- Acts 2:4 (v41) They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
- Genesis 22:18 (v42) All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.’ ”
- Judges 5:24 (v42) “Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
- Luke 1:28 (v42) Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
- Luke 19:38 (v42) saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”
- Psalms 22:10 (v41) I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me.
- Acts 7:55 (v41) But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of…
- Luke 1:48 (v42) for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
- John 20:28 (v43) Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
- Revelation 1:10 (v41) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet
- Genesis 25:22 (v41) The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is like this, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh.
- Psalms 21:6 (v42) For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.
- Luke 4:1 (v41) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
- John 13:13 (v43) You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.
- Acts 6:3 (v41) Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this…
- Ephesians 5:18 (v41) Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
- 1 Samuel 25:41 (v43) She arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of…
- Luke 2:11 (v43) For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
- Ruth 2:10 (v43) Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take…
- Psalms 72:17-19 (v42) His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed. Praise be…
- Psalms 110:1 (v43) Yahweh says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.”
- Matthew 3:14 (v43) But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”
- Luke 7:7 (v43) Therefore I didn’t even think myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed.
- Luke 20:42-44 (v43) David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your…
- John 13:5-8 (v43) Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.…
- Acts 2:26-28 (v42) Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; because you will not leave my soul in…
- Philippians 2:3 (v43) doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
- Philippians 3:8 (v43) Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered…
- Psalms 45:2 (v42) You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever.
- Romans 9:5 (v42) of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.
- Hebrews 12:2 (v42) looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv41–42 This was no ordinary nor usual kind of moving.
This was no ordinary nor usual kind of moving.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv41–45 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth…
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
Ver. 41. The babe leaped in her womb] Such comfort there is in the presence of Christ (though but in the womb) as it made John to spring. What then shall it be in heaven, think we?
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 On vv41–45 The motion of the child in the womb of…
The motion of the child in the womb of the mother after her time of quickening is past, and the more than ordinary motion of it upon some extraordinary cause of joy, is no unusual thing with women in those circumstances; but doubtless as this motion was more than ordinary, so it had a more than ordinary cause, being caused from the Holy Spirit of God, and so the best interpreters judge: what is afterward said of Elisabeth, that she
was filled with the Holy Ghost, is expounded in the next words, wherein she prophesieth, of the Spirit of prophecy.
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 On vv42–45 And she spake out with a loud voice,.... So…
And she spake out with a loud voice,.... So as that all in the house might hear; she spake with great vehemency of soul, and strength of affection, being under a very powerful impression of the Spirit of God: and said,
blessed art thou among women; the same words that the angel had said to her before, Luk 1:28.
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and blessed is the fruit of thy womb: this is a reason why she is called blessed, because her child was blessed; being in union with a divine person, who is God over all, blessed for ever; and who has all spiritual blessings in him, and is that seed, in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed; and so is both blessed in himself, and the source of all blessedness to others. The Jews say (h), that the six measures of barley, Boaz gave to Ruth, Rut 3:15 signified, that six righteous men should spring from her, and among, them the Messiah; who should be blessed with six blessings, and they are these; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; see Isa 11:2.
(h) Targum & R. Sol. Jarchi in loc.
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 On vv41, 45 When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary - The…
When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary - The discourse with which she saluted her, giving an account of what the angel had said, the joy of her soul so affected her body, that the very child in her womb was moved in an uncommon manner, as if it leaped for joy.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv41, 42, 43, 45 Verse 41. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.]…
Verse 41. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.] This seems to have been the accomplishment of the promise made by the angel, Lu 1:15, He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. The mother is filled with the Holy Spirit, and the child in her womb becomes sensible of the Divine influence.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv41, 42, 43, 45 Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost - The…
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost - The meaning of this seems to be that she was filled with joy; with a disposition to praise God; with a prophetic spirit, or a knowledge of the character of the child that should be born of her. All these were produced by the Holy Spirit.
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 On vv41–43 The infant leaped in her womb.[7] According to the…
The infant leaped in her womb.[7] According to the general opinion of the interpreters, this motion of the child at the time was not natural: and some think that God gave to St. John [the Baptist], even in his mother’s womb, a passing knowledge of the presence of his Redeemer. See St. Augustine in the above cited letter to Dardanus. (Witham)
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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]
Exultavit, Greek: eskirtese. Which signifies to leap, or skip like lambs, &c.
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 On vv41, 42, 43, 45 babe leaped--From Luk 1:44 it is plain that this…
babe leaped--From Luk 1:44 it is plain that this maternal sensation was something extraordinary--a sympathetic emotion of the unconscious babe, at the presence of the mother of his Lord.
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 On vv41, 43, 44, 45 41. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost—It would…
41. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost—It would seem that the pure and blessed Spirit rested divinely upon the person of the future mother of the Messiah; and her voice became, as it were, the conductor by the blessed sympathy of that spirit to the body, soul, and spirit of the future mother of the Baptist. Hence the words that Elisabeth now uttered were impregnated with inspiration, and she was enabled to address Mary with prophetic words.
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 On vv41–45 41. leaped] The same word is applied to unborn…
41. leaped] The same word is applied to unborn babes in Gen_25:22, LXX.
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 On vv41, 42, 43, 45 (41) The salutation of Mary.—The words of the greeting…
(41) The salutation of Mary.—The words of the greeting were, we may believe, the usual formula, “Peace be with thee,” or “The Lord be with thee,” possibly united with some special words of gratulation on what she had heard from the angel.
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.—What had been predicted of the Child (Luk_1:15) was now fulfilled ex abundanti in the mother. The fact related, so far as we look to human sources of information, must obviously have come to St. Luke, directly or indirectly, from the Virgin herself.
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 On vv41–43 Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. The Holy…
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit that Spirit of prophecy, so often mentioned in the Old Testament seizes her, and she salutes her young kinswoman, Mary, as the mother of the coming Messiah.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v45 And blessed is she that believeth,--
Luk_1:45
And blessed is she that believeth,--
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Blessedness of firmly believing
Doubting nothing! That is the secret of liberty, of efficiency, of success in every work which is undertaken by men: a confidence in the practicability, in the value of the work, in the Divine authority which imposes it upon us as an obligatory work, and in the Divine providence and power which will bring it to a successful performance.
It is the secret of success, of enthusiasm in any secular enterprise. You see it in the inventor who is perfectly certain of the combination of instruments by which he is to accomplish a certain result--a result which is of value and importance to mankind. Nothing can hinder his endeavour, nothing can obscure or damp his enthusiasm, because he is certain of ultimate success. You see it in the teacher who knows that he has a truth to communicate to men, a truth which it is of importance to them to apprehend and to understand, who is not groping among uncertainties as he speaks it, who is not vaguely feeling after conjectures while he utters it, who is able to affirm it to others, because he has it affirmed in his own intelligent and intuitive spirit--the principle which he is declaring to the world. Kepler said: God has waited so many centuries for an observer of the heavens, I can wait for years for an interpreter of those observations. And every man who as certainly knew that he had apprehended truth and had it conveyed to others has been reinforced, inspired by this confidence, and gone to his work doubting nothing. See it in the soldier who knows, because he knows the commander, that the order which has been given is wise, practicable, needful; that no life will be wasted which can be saved, and no endeavour commanded which is not indispensable to the great result. See it in the sailor who trusts his clock and his compass, and is absolutely certain that the sun, of which he takes the meridian observation, will not tell him a lie, but will point out exactly the point on the ocean where the ship at that moment is; and he goes on his course, after his observation, doubting nothing, knowing where he is as exactly as if the commerce of nations had built at that very spot a beacon and had labelled it in immense letters of light in all the languages of the world: This is at such a point on such a meridian. He knows as certainly as he could know then, when he has caught the ray of the sun upon his instrument, where he is on the ocean, which to others seems pathless and intricate. Everywhere, then, this confidence is the condition of enthusiasm and of success, and in Christian enterprises, precisely as in secular enterprises, it is a confidence not merely in the usefulness of the work, but in the Divine authority which connects itself with that work, and the Divine care and the Divine affection, the Divine impulse which attend us in our endeavours to perform it. (R. Storrs.)
Saving faith
I. IN THE SIMPLICITY OF ITS NATURE.
II. IN THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS OBJECTS.
III. IN THE SUFFICIENCY OF ITS GROUNDS.
IV. IN THE PROPRIETY OF ITS ACTS.
V. IN THE BENEFITS OF ITS EXERCISE. Blessed is she that believeth; for there shall be a performance, and only a performance when we believe. (William Dawson.)
Trust in God
Marys faith, astounding in itself, the most supreme example probably of perfect trust in God and absolute self-devotion to Him that human flesh has ever given, was all the more striking to Elisabeth on account of its contrast with the unbelief of her own husband under a far less severe trial. No wonder that when Mary appeared before her spirit-illuminated eyes, she seemed the embodiment of Faith--that modest virgin, with clasped hands, whom Hermas saw in vision, though whom the elect of God are saved, and from whom spring all the Christian graces as fair daughters of a fair mother. Mary is thus, in Elisabeths eyes, the most blessed of women, because the most faithful; and it suits well that the first psalm of the New Testament should take the form of a praise of the fundamental evangelical virtue. (Professor Warfield.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On v42 42–45. Blessed art thou among women. The language of…
42–45. Blessed art thou among women. The language of Elisabeth, Oriental poetry, is that of an inspired prophet. Mother of my Lord. Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v42 raised her voice ... said loudly
raised her voice ... said loudly
These two phrases mean the same thing, and are used to emphasize how excited Elizabeth was. They could be combined into one phrase. AT: "exclaimed loudly" (See: Doublet)
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raised her voice
This idiom means "increased the volume of her voice" (See: Idiom)
Blessed are you among women
The idiom "among women" means "more than any other woman" (See: Idiom)
the fruit of your womb
Mary's baby is spoken of as if it is the fruit that a plant produces. AT: "the baby in your womb" or "the baby you will bear" (See: Metaphor)
Why has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Elizabeth is not asking for information. She was showing how surprised and happy she was that the mother of the Lord had come to her. AT: "How wonderful it is that the mother of my Lord has come to me!" (See: Rhetorical Question)
the mother of my Lord
It can be made clear that Elizabeth was calling Mary "the mother of my Lord" by adding the word "you." AT: "you, the mother of my Lord" (See: First, Second, or Third Person)
For see
This phrase alerts Mary to pay attention to Elizabeth's surprising statement that follows.
when the sound of your greeting came to my ears
Hearing a sound is spoken of as if the sound came to the ears. AT: "when I heard the sound of your greeting" (See: Metonymy)
jumped for joy
"moved suddenly with joy" or "turned forcefully because he was so happy"
Blessed is she who believed ... that were told her from the Lord
Elizabeth is talking about Mary to Mary. AT: "Blessed are you who believed ... that were told you from the Lord"(See: First, Second, or Third Person and Active or Passive)
Blessed is she who believed
The passive verb can be translated in active form. AT: "God will bless her because she believed" (See: Active or Passive)
there would be a fulfillment of the things
"the things would actually happen" or "the things would come true"
the things that were told her from the Lord
The word "from" is used here instead of "by" because it was the angel Gabriel whom Mary actually heard speak (see Luke 1:26), but the message ("the things") came ultimately from the Lord. This can be stated in active form. AT: "the message that she heard from the Lord" or "the Lord's message that the angel told her" (See: Active or Passive and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
voice
bless
joy
believe
fulfill
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v41 1:41 Elizabeth’s child leaped within her: See 1:15. John…
1:41 Elizabeth’s child leaped within her: See 1:15. John was already announcing the Messiah’s coming. • Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit: In the Old Testament, being filled with the Spirit was often associated with a prophetic gift. The Spirit of prophecy was again appearing in Israel (see 1:67; 2:25, 27).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.