Luke 1:49

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. FOR HE THAT IS MIGHTY HATH DONE TO ME GREAT THINGS ... Verse 50. AND HIS MERCY IS ON THEM THAT FEAR HIM FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. Verse 51. HE HATH SHOWED STRENGTH WITH HIS ARM ... Verse 52. HE HATH PUT DOWN THE MIGHTY ... Verse 53. HE HATH FILLED THE HUNGRY ..., [The aorists here - epoieesen (G4160), down to exapesteilen (G1821) - express a general principle, as seen in a succession of single examples; according to a known, though special application of that tense.] Mary here recognizes, in God's procedure toward herself-in His passing by all those families and individuals whom He might have been expected...

49.And _holy is his name _This is the second part of the song, in which the holy virgin celebrates in general terms the power, judgments, and mercy of God. This clause must not be viewed as a part of the preceding one, but must be read separately. Mary had extolled the grace of God, which she had experienced in her own person. Hence she takes occasion to exclaim, that _holy is his name, and his mercy endures throughout all generations _The name of God is called _holy, _because it is entitled to the highest reverence; and whenever the name of God is mentioned, it ought immediately to remind us of his adorable majesty. The next clause, which celebrates the perpetuity of the Divine mercy, is taken from that solemn form of covenant, “I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant,” ...

39-56 It is very good for those who have the work of grace begun in their souls, to communicate one to another. On Mary's arrival, Elisabeth was conscious of the approach of her who was to be the mother of the great Redeemer. At the same time she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and under his influence declared that Mary and her expected child were most blessed and happy, as peculiarly honoured of and dear to the Most High God. Mary, animated by Elisabeth's address, and being also under the influence of the Holy Ghost, broke out into joy, admiration, and gratitude. She knew herself to be a sinner who needed a Saviour, and that she could no otherwise rejoice in God than as interested in his salvation through the promised Messiah. Those who see their need of Christ, and are desirous of righteousness and life in him, he fills with good things, with the best things; and they are abundantly s...

Verse 49. _HE THAT IS MIGHTY HATH DONE TO ME GREAT THINGS_] Or, _miracles_, μεγαλεια. As God _fills_ her with his goodness, she _empties_ herself to him in praises; and, sinking into her own nothingness, she ever confesses that God alone is all in all. _HOLY_ IS _HIS NAME_] Probably the word which Mary used was חסד _chesed_, which though we sometimes translate _holy_, see Psalms 86:2; Psalms 145:17, yet the proper meaning is _abundant goodness, exuberant kindness_; and this well agrees with the following clause....

HE THAT IS MIGHTY - God. HATH DONE TO ME GREAT THINGS - Hath conferred on me great favors and distinguished mercies. AND HOLY IS HIS NAME - This is an expression of Mary’s feelings, desiring to bestow on God all honor and praise. As the highest honor, she declared that his “name” was “holy” - that is, that God was free from sin, injustice, and impurity. The “name” of God is often put for God Himself. The proper name of God is יהוה Yahweh, a word expressive of His “essential being,” derived from the word “to be,” Exodus 3:14; Exodus 6:3; Psalms 83:18. That name is holy; is to be regarded as

EXPOSITION THE origin of the Gospels—the four histories which relate in detail the circumstances of the foundation of Christianity—will ever be an interesting study. Here we shall never know the exact truth of the compilation of these writings, the foundation-stones of all our hopes and fears; a reverent, scholarly speculation is all that can be offered to the student of the Divine memoirs. The speculation, however, probably in this case comes very near the truth. After the Ascension and the events of the first Pentecost, which quickly followed their Master's return to heaven, the twelve and a few others who had walked in the company which followed Jesus during the years of his public ministry no doubt often met together and talked over the teaching and the acts of their risen and now glorified Master. As time passed on, a certain number of these acts, a certain number of the public and...

FOR HE THAT IS MIGHTY HATH DONE TO ME GREAT THINGS,.... With respect to the incarnation of Christ, a new, a great, and unheard of thing; in causing her, though a virgin, to conceive; and also to bear such a Son, who should be called Jesus, a Saviour, Immanuel, God with us; and who was no other than the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace: wherefore she describes God the author of it, by a proper periphrasis of him, "he that is mighty"; since this was a work of almighty power, and very justly adds, AND HOLY IS HIS NAME: seeing this was brought about without any impurity, through the overshadowing influence of the Holy Ghost; whereby the human nature was preserved from the infection of sin, was sanctified, and fit to be united to the Son of God, and to be a sacrifice for the sins of his people. This may also have regard to the great things God had done for her in a spi...

Luke 1:5. _There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless._ There have been some good people who have lived in very bad times; never was there a worse reign than that of Herod; seldom or never a better man and woman than Zacharias and Elisabeth. Let no man excuse himself for sinning because of the times in which he lives. You may be rich in grace when others around you have none, even as Gideon's fleece was wet with dew when the whole floor was dry. God help us, in these evil days, to be «righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless»!...

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE Analysis and Annotations I. The Birth and Childhood -- Chapter 1-2:52 CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction. (Luke 1:1)_ 2. Zacharias and Elizabeth; the Vision. (Luke 1:5) 3. John the Baptist, his birth and ministry announced. (Luke 1:13) 4. Zacharias' Unbelief and Punishment. (Luke 1:18) 5. The Angel's Announcement to the Virgin Mary. (Luke 1:27) 6. Mary's Question and the Answer. (Luke 1:34) 7. Mary Visits Elizabeth ...

MARY VISITS ELISABETH. THE MAGNIFICAT. The passage links the two preceding incidents, and serves to show the inferiority of John the forerunner, to Jesus the Messiah. Mary (finding herself with child) proceeds to verify the sign. She seeks Elisabeth in a Judæ an village (perhaps Ain Karim, six miles west of Jerusalem, where a ruin called Mar Zacharias is shown). Elisabeth's unborn babe recognises the mother of the Messiah, and Elisabeth herself knows of Mary's honour, and praises her belief (follow _mg._ in Luke 1:45). The Song of Mary which follows is full of OT reminiscences, especially the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1). But it is something more than possible that it should be ascribed not to Mary but to Elisabeth. Some of the Old Latin texts (_a_, _b_, etc.; p. 601) read Elisabeth in...