Luke 1:25

Luk 1:25. Οὕτω, thus) even as all, five months afterwards, saw her [viz. pregnant].—ἡμέραις, in the days) definitely fixed beforehand.—ἐπεῖδεν) ἐπέβλεψεν, Luk 1:48; ἐπεσκέψατο, Luk 1:68.—τὸ ὄνειδος, my reproach) viz. the surname by which they called her, viz. barren, Luk 1:36.—ἐν ἀνθρώποις, among men) She had scarcely accounted herself as one of the human race [to be counted among men] on account of her barrenness.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 25. To take away my reproach] As fruitfulness was a part of the promise of God to his people, Ge 17:6, and children, on this account, being considered as a particular blessing from heaven, Ex 23:20; Le 26:9: Ps 127:3; so barrenness was considered among the Jews as a reproach, and a token of the disapprobation of the Lord. 1Sa 1:6. But see Lu 1:36.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(25) To take away my reproach among men.—The words express in almost their strongest form the Jewish feeling as to maternity. To have no children was more than a misfortune. It seemed to imply some secret sin which God was punishing with barrenness. So we have Rachel’s cry, “Give me children, or else I die” (Gen_30:1); and Hannah’s “bitterness of soul” when “her adversary provoked her to make her fret” (1Sa_1:6-10).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. to take away my reproach] So Rachel, when she bare a son, said, “God hath taken away my reproach,” Gen_30:23. See Isa_4:1; Hos_9:11; 1Sa_1:6-10. Yet the days were coming when to be childless would be regarded by Jewish mothers as a blessing. See Luk_23:29.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me,.... In a very gracious and bountiful manner; in giving her strength to conceive a son in her old age, and such an one that was to be great, and so useful in his day; of which her husband had doubtless informed her by writing, though he could not speak:

in the days wherein he looked on me; with a favourable eye, with a look of love and mercy:

he took away my reproach from among men; as barrenness was accounted, especially among the Israelites, the seed of Abraham; to whom was promised a numerous issue, as the stars in the sky, and as the sand on the sea shore, and particularly the Messiah; see Gen 30:23.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Ver. 25. Thus hath the Lord] She saw that all her prayers that she had haply forgotten, were not lost, but laid up with God, who now sends in the blessing that she had despaired of. The Lord often doth things for his people that they look not for, Isa 65:1, and stays so long that when he comes he finds not faith, Luk 18:8.

To take away my reproach among men] Barrenness was counted a dishonour, Gen 30:23; "Their virgins were not praised," Psa 78:63, that is, married, and commended for their fruitfulness. {See Trapp on "Luk 1:7"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thus - In this merciful manner.

To take away my reproach - Among the Jews, a family of children was counted a signal blessing, an evidence of the favor of God, Psa 113:9; Psa 128:3; Isa 4:1; Isa 44:3-4; Lev 26:9. To be “barren,” therefore, or to be destitute of children, was considered a “reproach” or a “disgrace,” 1Sa 1:6.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. The Lord dealt with me—Her retirement accords with the special dealing of God with her. She is to become the mother of one set apart from the world, and so she sets herself apart while so becoming.

My reproach— The promise of a Messiah rendered marriage and maternity honourable among the Jews. Hence from the earliest times, as in the cases of Rachel and of Hannah, barrenness was a misfortune and a reproach.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He looked upon me to take away my reproach - Barrenness was a great reproach among the Jews. Because fruitfulness was promised to the righteous.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

25. Take away my reproach. To be childless was regarded a great calamity in Israel. Compare Gen. 16:1–3 and 30:1.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

25. ἐπεῖδεν. Our versions understand μοι. The αἶς is repeated after ἡμέραις without repeating the preposition. Ἐφοράω implies providential care.

ἀφελεῖν ὄνειδός μου. So Rachel, when she bare a son, said, “God hath taken away my reproach,” Gen 30:23. See Isa 4:1; Hos 9:11; 1Sa 1:6-10. Yet the days were coming when to be childless would be regarded by Jewish mothers as a blessing. See Luk 23:29. The infinitive is here explanatory.

ἐν ἀνθρώποις. The ‘reproach’ was not real, but merely existed in human judgment. See Luk 1:36.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25.] περιέκρυβεν—either, to avoid defilement: see Jdg 13:13, Jdg 13:14,—to hide her pregnancy from her neighbours till it was certain and apparent,—or, from the precaution which the first months of pregnancy require.

Kuinoel suggests, that the reason may have been, that she might devote herself more uninterruptedly to exercises of devotion and thankfulness, and that this is expressed by the words following.

If so, ὅτι must mean ‘because,’ as indeed is the usage of these first chapters,—see below on ver. 45; but it seems here to be only the usual particle by which a speech is introduced: see Gen 29:33. And indeed λέγουσα really carries the reason of her hiding herself—“seeing that she said (within herself).…”

ἐπεῖδεν] There is no ellipsis of ἐμέ or ἐπʼ ἐμέ, nor is the meaning, ‘hath looked upon me;’ but ἐπʼ is to be taken with the infinitive following—hath condescended to remove: so ἐφοράω, Herod. i. 124: cf. ἐπεσκέψατο λαβεῖν, Act 15:14. [τὸ] ὄνειδος—of barrenness: see ref.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. ἐπεῖδεν ἀφελεῖν ὄνειδός μου ἐν ἀνθρώποις. The object of ἐπεῖδεν is neither ἐμέ understood (as all English Versions except Wic. and Rhem.) nor τὸ ὄνειδός μου (Hofmann), but ἀφελεῖν: “watched to take away, taken care to remove.” The constr. seems to be unique; but comp. Act 25:14. Alford and Holtzmann translate “hath deigned, condescended to remove”; but can ἐπεῖδεν mean that? Elsewhere in N.T. it occurs only Act 4:29; but in class. Grk. it is specially used of the gods regarding human affairs (Aesch. Suppl. 1:1031; Sept. 485). Hdt. 1:124. 2 is not rightly quoted as parallel. Omitting ἐπεῖδεν, Rachel makes the same remark: Ἀφεῖλεν ὁ Θεός μου τὸ ὄνειδος (Gen 30:23; comp. Psa 113:9 ; Isa 4:1); but the different position of the μου is worth noting. In ἐν ἀνθρώποις we have another amphibolous expression (see on ver. 8). It may be taken with ἀφελεῖν, but more probably it belongs to τὸ ὄνειδός μου (ver. 36).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither A. V. nor Rev. render oti; taking it, as frequently, merely as recitative or equivalent to quotation marks. But it means because. Elizabeth assigns the reason for her peculiar seclusion. Her pregnancy was God 's work, and she would leave it to him also to announce it and openly to take away her reproach. Hence the specification of five months, after which her condition would become apparent. Fully expressed, the sense would be : She his herself, saying (I have hid myself) because, etc. Looked upon (ejpeiden). Used by Luke only.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.