Luke 1

Introduction

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things [a]1accomplished among us,
2 just as they were handed down to us by those who 2from the beginning [b]were 3eyewitnesses and [c]4servants of 5the [d]word,
3 it seemed fitting for me as well, 6having [e]investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you 7in consecutive order, 8most excellent 9Theophilus;
4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been [f]10taught.

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 11In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named [g]Zacharias, of the 12division of [h]Abijah; and he had a wife [i]from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 They were both 13righteous in the sight of God, walking 14blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in [j]years.
8 Now it happened that while 15he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,
9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot 16to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer 17outside at the hour of the incense offering.
11 And 18an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and 19fear [k]gripped him.
13 But the angel said to him, "20Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and 21you will [l]give him the name John.
14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will 22drink no * wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [m]while yet in his mother's womb.
16 "And he will 23turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
17 "It is he who will 24go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of 25Elijah, 26TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to 27make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
18 Zacharias said to the angel, "How * will I know this for certain? For 28I am an old man and my wife is advanced in [n]years."
19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am 29Gabriel, who [o]30stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20 "And behold, you shall be silent and unable * to speak until the day when these things take place, because * you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."
21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.
22 But when he came out, he was unable * to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he 31kept [p]making signs to them, and remained mute.
23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.
24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she [q]kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying,
25 "This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to 32take away my disgrace among men."

Jesus' Birth Foretold

26 Now in the sixth month the angel 33Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called 34Nazareth,
27 to 35a virgin [r]engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, 36of the [s]descendants of David; and the virgin's name was [t]Mary.
28 And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, [u]favored one! The Lord [v]is with you."
29 But she 37was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
30 The angel said to her, "38Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you 39shall name Him Jesus.
32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of 40the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him 41the throne of His father David;
33 42and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, 43and His kingdom will have no end."
34 Mary said to the angel, "How [w]can this be, since I [x]am a virgin * *?"
35 The angel answered and said to her, "44The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of 45the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason 46the [y]holy Child shall be called 47the Son of God.
36 "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and [z]she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
37 "For [aa]48nothing * * will be impossible with God."
38 And Mary said, "Behold, the [ab]bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now [ac]at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to 49the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was 50filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 "And [ad]how has it happened to me, that the mother of 51my Lord would come to me?
44 "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45 "And 52blessed is she who [ae]believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her [af]by the Lord."

The Magnificat

46 And Mary said: "53My soul [ag]54exalts the Lord,
47 And 55my spirit has rejoiced in 56God my Savior.
48 "For 57He has had regard for the humble state of His [ah]bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me 58blessed.
49 "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
50 "59AND HIS MERCY IS [ai]UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
51 "60He has done [aj]mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the [ak]thoughts of their heart.
52 "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has 61exalted those who were humble.
53 "62HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 "He has given help to Israel His servant, [al]In remembrance of His mercy,
55 63As He spoke to our fathers, 64To Abraham and his [am]descendants forever."
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

John Is Born

57 Now the time [an]had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.
58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had [ao]65displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59 And it happened that on 66the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, [ap]after his father.
60 But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but 67he shall be called John."
61 And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name."
62 And they 68made signs to his father, as to what * he wanted him called.
63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "69His name is John." And they were all astonished.
64 70And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.
65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all 71the hill country of Judea.
66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, "What then will this child turn out to be?" For 72the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Zacharias's Prophecy

67 And his father Zacharias 73was filled with the Holy Spirit, and 74prophesied, saying:
68 "75Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished 76redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a 77horn of salvation for us In the house of David 78His servant -
70 79As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets 80from of old -
71 [aq]81Salvation 82FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;
72 83To show mercy toward our fathers, 84And to remember His holy covenant,
73 85The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 86In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 "And you, child, will be called the 87prophet of 88the Most High; For you will go on 89BEFORE THE LORD TO 90PREPARE HIS WAYS;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation [ar]By 91the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which 92the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 93TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the 94way of peace."
80 95And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Images for Luke 1

Cross References 95

  • 1. Romans 4:21; Romans 14:5; Colossians 2:2; Colossians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:17; Hebrews 6:11; Hebrews 10:22
  • 2. John 15:27; Acts 1:21
  • 3. 2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1
  • 4. Acts 26:16; 1 Corinthians 4:1; Hebrews 2:3
  • 5. Mark 4:14; Mark 16:20; Acts 8:4; Acts 14:25; Acts 16:6; Acts 17:11
  • 6. 1 Timothy 4:6
  • 7. Acts 11:4; Acts 18:23
  • 8. Acts 23:26; Acts 24:3; Acts 26:25
  • 9. Acts 1:1
  • 10. Acts 18:25; Romans 2:18; 1 Corinthians 14:19; Galatians 6:6
  • 11. Matthew 2:1
  • 12. 1 Chronicles 24:10
  • 13. Genesis 7:1; Acts 2:25; Acts 8:21
  • 14. Philippians 2:15; Philippians 3:6; 1 Thessalonians 3:13
  • 15. 1 Chronicles 24:19; 2 Chronicles 8:14; 2 Chronicles 31:2
  • 16. Exodus 30:7
  • 17. Leviticus 16:17
  • 18. Luke 2:9; Acts 5:19
  • 19. Luke 2:9
  • 20. Matthew 14:27; Luke 1:30
  • 21. Luke 1:60, 63
  • 22. Numbers 6:3; Judges 13:4; Matthew 11:18; Luke 7:33
  • 23. Matthew 3:2, 6; Luke 3:3
  • 24. Luke 1:76
  • 25. Matthew 11:14
  • 26. Malachi 4:6
  • 27. Luke 1:76
  • 28. Genesis 17:17
  • 29. Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:26
  • 30. Matthew 18:10
  • 31. Luke 1:62
  • 32. Genesis 30:23; Isaiah 4:1; Isaiah 25:8
  • 33. Luke 1:19
  • 34. Matthew 2:23
  • 35. Matthew 1:18
  • 36. Matthew 1:16, 20; Luke 2:4
  • 37. Luke 1:12
  • 38. Matthew 14:27; Luke 1:13
  • 39. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21, 25; Luke 2:21
  • 40. Mark 5:7; Luke 1:35, 76; Luke 6:35; Acts 7:48
  • 41. 2 Sam 7:12, 13, 16; Isaiah 9:7
  • 42. Matthew 1:1
  • 43. 2 Samuel 7:13, 16; Psalms 89:36, 37; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14, 18, 27; Matthew 28:18
  • 44. Matthew 1:18
  • 45. Luke 1:32
  • 46. Mark 1:24
  • 47. Matthew 4:3; John 1:34, 49; John 20:31
  • 48. Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26
  • 49. Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:11; Luke 1:65
  • 50. Luke 1:67; Acts 2:4; Acts 4:8; Acts 9:17
  • 51. Luke 2:11
  • 52. Luke 1:20, 48
  • 53. Luke 1:46-53: {1 Samuel 2:1-10}
  • 54. Psalms 34:2
  • 55. Psalms 35:9; Habakkuk 3:18
  • 56. 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Timothy 2:3; Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:4; Jude 25
  • 57. Psalms 138:6
  • 58. Luke 1:45
  • 59. Psalms 103:17
  • 60. Psalms 98:1; Psalms 118:15
  • 61. Job 5:11
  • 62. Psalms 107:9
  • 63. Genesis 17:19; Psalms 132:11; Galatians 3:16
  • 64. Genesis 17:7
  • 65. Genesis 19:19
  • 66. Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3; Luke 2:21; Philippians 3:5
  • 67. Luke 1:13, 63
  • 68. Luke 1:22
  • 69. Luke 1:13, 60
  • 70. Luke 1:20
  • 71. Luke 1:39
  • 72. Acts 11:21
  • 73. Luke 1:41; Acts 2:4, 8; Acts 9:17
  • 74. Joel 2:28
  • 75. 1 Kings 1:48; Psalms 41:13; Psalms 72:18; Psalms 106:48
  • 76. Luke 1:71; Luke 2:38; Hebrews 9:12
  • 77. 1 Samuel 2:1, 10; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 89:17; Psalms 132:17; Ezekiel 29:21
  • 78. Matthew 1:1
  • 79. Romans 1:2
  • 80. Acts 3:21
  • 81. Luke 1:68
  • 82. Psalms 106:10
  • 83. Micah 7:20
  • 84. Ps 105:8f, 42; Psalms 106:45
  • 85. Genesis 22:16f; Hebrews 6:13
  • 86. Ephesians 4:24
  • 87. Matthew 11:9
  • 88. Luke 1:32
  • 89. Malachi 3:1; Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27
  • 90. Luke 1:17
  • 91. Jeremiah 31:34; Mark 1:4
  • 92. Malachi 4:2; Ephesians 5:14; 2 Peter 1:19
  • 93. Isaiah 9:2
  • 94. Isaiah 59:8; Matthew 4:16
  • 95. Luke 2:40

Footnotes 44

Luke 1 Commentaries

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