Luke 1:46

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

46 And Mary said, 1"My 2soul 3magnifies the Lord,

Luke 1:46 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 1:46

And Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord.
] Either Jehovah, the Father, or the Son; who, as he was David's Lord, according to his divine nature, though his son after the flesh, was, in the same sense, Mary's Lord, as well as her son: and by "magnifying" him is meant, not making him great, for he cannot be made greater than he is; but ascribing greatness to him, even all the perfections of the Deity, and praising him on account of them; and also declaring and speaking well of his many and mighty works of power, goodness, grace, and mercy, and giving him the glory of them: this Mary did, not in lip and word only, but with her whole heart and, soul, and with all the powers and faculties of it; being filled with the Holy Ghost, and under a more than ordinary influence of his, as her cousin Elisabeth was: and it is to be observed, that she all along speaks in the prophetic style, of things, as if they were done, which were doing, or would shortly be done.

Luke 1:46 In-Context

44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

Cross References 3

  • 1. For ver. 46-53, [1 Samuel 2:1-10]
  • 2. 1 Thessalonians 5:23
  • 3. Psalms 34:2, 3; Psalms 69:30; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:17
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.