Lukas 1:24-26

1:24 After some time ¹  his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, ²  and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. ³  She said, ⁴  1:25 “This is what ⁵  the Lord has done for me at the time ⁶  when he has been gracious to me, ⁷  to take away my disgrace ⁸  among people.” ⁹ 

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, ¹⁰  the angel Gabriel ¹¹  was sent by ¹²  God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ¹³ 

[1:24]  ¹ tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.

[1:24]  ² tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”

[1:24]  ³ sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.

[1:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “she kept herself in seclusion, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:25]  ⁵ tn Grk “Thus.”

[1:25]  ⁶ tn Grk “in the days.”

[1:25]  ⁷ tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).

[1:25]  ⁸ sn Barrenness was often seen as a reproach or disgrace (Lev 20:20-21; Jer 22:30), but now at her late age (the exact age is never given in Luke’s account), God had miraculously removed it (see also Luke 1:7).

[1:25]  ⁹ tn Grk “among men”; but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") here.

[1:26]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “in the sixth month.” The phrase “of Elizabeth’s pregnancy” was supplied in the translation to clarify the exact time meant by this reference. That Elizabeth’s pregnancy is meant is clear from vv. 24-25.

[1:26]  ¹¹ sn Gabriel is the same angel mentioned previously in v. 19. He is traditionally identified as an angel who brings revelation (see Dan 8:15-16; 9:21). Gabriel and Michael are the only two good angels named in the Bible.

[1:26]  ¹² tn Or “from.” The account suggests God’s planned direction in these events, so “by” is better than “from,” as six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God acts again.

[1:26]  ¹³ sn Nazareth was a town in the region of Galilee, located north of Samaria and Judea. Galilee extended from about 45 to 85 miles north of Jerusalem and was about 30 miles in width. Nazareth was a very small village and was located about 15 miles west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee.

[1:26]  map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.