Luke 1:32-34

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Luke 1:32 tn Grk “this one.”
2. Luke 1:32 sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.
3. Luke 1:32 sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
4. Luke 1:32 tn Or “ancestor.”
5. Luke 1:33 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence is begun here in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek.
6. Luke 1:33 tn Or “over Israel.”sn The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.
7. Luke 1:34 tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
8. Luke 1:34 tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text.