Discovery BoxLuke 1:46-56 
Context1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 5 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 6
For 7 from now on 8 all generations will call me blessed, 9
1:49 because he who is mighty 10 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 11 generation to generation he is merciful 12 to those who fear 13 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 14 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 15 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 16 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 17
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 18 and has sent the rich away empty. 19
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 20 his mercy, 21
1:55 as he promised 22 to our ancestors, 23 to Abraham and to his descendants 24 forever.”
1:56 So 25 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 26 about three months 27 and then returned to her home.
Luke 1:64-66
Context1:64 Immediately 28 Zechariah’s 29 mouth was opened and his tongue 30 released, 31 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 32 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 33 who heard these things 34 kept them in their hearts, 35 saying, “What then will this child be?” 36 For the Lord’s hand 37 was indeed with him.
1 tc A few witnesses, especially Latin
2 sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
3 tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”
4 sn This psalm (vv. 46-55) is one of the few praise psalms in the NT. Mary praises God and then tells why both in terms of his care for her (vv. 46-49) and for others, including Israel (vv. 50-55). Its traditional name, the “Magnificat,” comes from the Latin for the phrase My soul magnifies the Lord at the hymn’s start.
5 tn Or “rejoices.” The translation renders this aorist, which stands in contrast to the previous line’s present tense, as ingressive, which highlights Mary’s joyous reaction to the announcement. A comprehensive aorist is also possible here.
6 tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.
7 tn Grk “for behold.”
8 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).
9 sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.
10 tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”
11 tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.
12 sn God’s mercy refers to his “loyal love” or “steadfast love,” expressed in faithful actions, as the rest of the psalm illustrates.
13 tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.
14 tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.
15 tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.
16 tn Or “rulers.”
17 tn Or “those of humble position”
sn The contrast between the mighty and those of lowly position is fundamental for Luke. God cares for those that the powerful ignore (Luke 4:18-19).
18 sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.
19 sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).
20 tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.
21 tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”
22 tn Grk “as he spoke.” Since this is a reference to the covenant to Abraham, ἐλάλησεν (elalhsen) can be translated in context “as he promised.” God keeps his word.
23 tn Grk “fathers.”
24 tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).
25 tn Grk “And.” Here (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.
26 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Elizabeth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 sn As is typical with Luke the timing is approximate (about three months), not specific.
28 tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
29 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30 sn The mention of both mouth and tongue here is a figure called zeugma and emphasizes that the end of the temporary judgment came instantly and fully upon Zechariah’s expression of faith in naming the child. He had learned to trust and obey God during his short period of silence. He had learned from his trial.
31 tn “Released” is implied; in the Greek text both στόμα (stoma) and γλῶσσα (glwssa) are subjects of ἀνεῴχθη (anewcqh), but this would be somewhat redundant in English.
32 tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
sn Fear is the emotion that comes when one recognizes something unusual, even supernatural, has taken place.
33 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence was begun at this point in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.
34 tn Grk “heard them”; the referent (these things, from the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35 tn Grk “heart.” The term “heart” (καρδία, kardia) could also be translated as “mind,” or “thoughts,” and the entire phrase be rendered as “kept them in mind,” “thought about,” or the like. But the immediate context is clearly emotive, suggesting that much more is at work than merely the mental processes of thinking or reasoning about “these things.” There is a sense of joy and excitement (see the following question, “What then will this child be?”) and even fear. Further, the use of καρδία in 1:66 suggests connections with the same term in 2:19 where deep emotion is being expressed as well. Therefore, recognizing both the dramatic nature of the immediate context and the literary connections to 2:19, the translation renders the term in 1:66 as “hearts” to capture both the cognitive and emotive aspects of the people’s response.
36 tn Or “what manner of child will this one be?”
37 sn The reference to the Lord’s hand indicates that the presence, direction, and favor of God was with him (Acts 7:9b).
