Luke 1:38

1:38 So ¹  Mary said, “Yes, ²  I am a servant ³  of the Lord; let this happen to me ⁴  according to your word.” ⁵  Then ⁶  the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:48

1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ⁷ 

For ⁸  from now on ⁹  all generations will call me blessed, ¹⁰ 

Luke 7:7

7:7 That is why ¹¹  I did not presume ¹²  to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. ¹³ 

Luke 12:47

12:47 That ¹⁴  servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked ¹⁵  will receive a severe beating.

---

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

² tn Grk “behold.”

³ tn Traditionally, “handmaid”; Grk “slave woman.” Though δούλη (doulh) is normally translated “woman servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free woman serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times… in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. δοῦλος). The most accurate translation is “bondservant,” sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος (doulos), in that it often indicates one who sells himself or herself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

⁴ tn Grk “let this be to me.”

⁵ sn The remark according to your word is a sign of Mary’s total submission to God’s will, a response that makes her exemplary.

⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁷ tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.

⁸ tn Grk “for behold.”

⁹ sn From now on is a favorite phrase of Luke’s, showing how God’s acts change things from this point on (5:10; 12:52; 22:18, 69; Acts 18:6).

¹⁰ sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.

¹¹ tn Or “roof; therefore.”

¹² tn Grk “I did not consider myself worthy to come to you.” See BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 1. “Presume” assumes this and expresses the idea in terms of offense.

¹³ tc The aorist imperative ἰαθήτω (iaqhtw, “must be healed”) is found in Ì^75vid B L 1241 sa. Most mss (א A C D W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt bo) have instead a future indicative, ἰαθήσεται (iaqhsetai, “will be healed”). This is most likely an assimilation to Matt 8:8, and thus, as a motivated reading, should be considered secondary. The meaning either way is essentially the same.

tn The aorist imperative may be translated as an imperative of command (“must be healed” or, more periphrastically, “command [my servant] to be healed”) or as a permissive imperative (“let my servant be healed”), which lessens the force of the imperative somewhat in English.

¹⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁵ tn Grk “or do according to his will”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This example deals with the slave who knew what the command was and yet failed to complete it.