Luke 1:51

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...

51._He hath done might _This means, “he hath wrought powerfully.” The _arm _of God is contrasted with every other aid: as in Isaiah, “I looked, and there was none to help,” (Isaiah 63:5;) _“therefore,” _says he elsewhere, “his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him,” (Isaiah 59:16.) Mary therefore means: God rested satisfied with his own power, employed no companions in the work, called none to afford him aid. What immediately follows about _the proud _may be supposed to be added for one of two reasons: either because _the proud _gain nothing by endeavoring, like the giants of old, to oppose God; or, because God does not display the power of his arm for salvation, except in the case of the _humble, _w

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 51. _HE HATH SHOWED STRENGTH_] Or, _He hath gained the _ _victory_, εποιησε κρατος. The word κρατος is used for _victory_, by _Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Euripides_, and others. _WITH HIS ARM_] Grotius has well observed, that God's _efficacy_ is represented by his _finger_, his _great power_ by his _hand_, and his _omnipotence_ by his arm. The plague of lice was the _finger_ of God, Exodus 7:18. The plagues in general were wrought by his _hand_, Exodus 3:20, And the destruction of Pharaoh's host in the Red Sea, which was effected by the _omnipotence_ of God, is called the act of his _arm_, Exodus 15:16. He

HATH SHOWED STRENGTH WITH HIS ARM - The “arm” is the symbol of strength. The expression in this and the subsequent verses has no particular reference to his mercy to Mary. From a contemplation of His goodness to her, she enlarges her views to a contemplation of His goodness and power in general, and to a celebration of the praises of God for all that he has done to all people. This is the nature of true piety. It does not terminate in thinking of God’s mercy toward ourselves. It thinks of others, and praises God that others also are made partakers of His mercy, and that His goodness is manifested to all His works. HE SCATTERETH THE PROUD - He hath often done it in time of battle and war. When the proud Assyrian, Egyptian, or Babylonian had come against the people of God, He had often scattered them and driven away their armies. In the imagination of their hearts -

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...

HE HATH SHOWED STRENGTH WITH HIS ARM,.... Of almighty power, in the business of the incarnation, and in working out salvation for his people; which is done by his own arm, he being mighty to save, and travelling in the greatness of his strength; see Isaiah 63:1. HE HATH SCATTERED THE PROUD IN THE IMAGINATION OF THEIR HEARTS; whom he always resists, and both in providence and grace, takes such methods, as tend to humble and confound them: here particularly, it may regard the proud and haughty Jews; who imagined nothing less, than that the Messiah would be born of one of the rich and noble families in Judea; that he would appear as a temporal prince, and set up a temporal kingdom in great state and splendour, and make them a free and flourishing people: when instead of this, he was to be born of a poor virgin, of whom they disdainfully say, is not his mother calle

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...