Luke 1:26

Gabriel Predicts Jesus' Birth

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

Luke 1:26 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 1:26

And in the sixth month
After Elisabeth's conception; for so long was John the Baptist conceived before Christ, and so long he was born before him; and it seems as if there was the same distance between the public ministry of the one, and the other: John was before Christ, as man, being his forerunner; but Christ was preferred unto him as mediator, and existed before him, as the eternal Son of God:

the angel Gabriel was sent from God;
the same angel, that near five hundred years before gave Daniel an exact account of the time of the Messiah's coming, and six months ago acquainted Zacharias with the conception, birth, character, and office of his forerunner:

unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth;
the whole country of Galilee was mean and contemptible with the Jews: they observe, though through mistake, that no prophet arose out of it, ( John 7:52 ) and Nazareth particularly was exceeding despicable in their eye: hence those words of Nathanael, "can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" ( John 1:46 ) and yet hither an angel was sent by God; and here dwelt the mother of our Lord. (See Gill on Matthew 1:23)

Luke 1:26 In-Context

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said,

25 "The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people."

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

28 And [the angel] came to her and said, "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you."