Luke 1:43

Luk 1:43. Ἡ μήτηρ, the Mother) This new appellation addressed to her, could not but move in her inmost soul the Virgin mother. The Mother, saith she, of my Lord; she does not, however, call her, My Lady [i.e. as if she had lordship, like Christ, over all].—τοῦ Κυρίου μου, of my Lord) Comp. ch. Luk 20:42; Joh 20:28.

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

Luk 1:43 . ἵνα ἔλθῃ : subjunctive instead of infin. with art., the beginning of a tendency, which ended in the substitution of να with the subjunctive for the infinitive in modern Greek.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

"The mother of my Lord"--but not "My Lady" (compare Luk 20:42; Joh 20:28)" [BENGEL].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 43. The mother of my Lord] The prophetic spirit, which appears to have overshadowed Elisabeth, gave her a clear understanding in the mystery of the birth of the promised Messiah.

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

(43) Whence is this to me . . .?—The sudden inspiration bids Elizabeth, rising above all lower thoughts, to recognise that the child of Mary would be also the Son of the Highest. The contrast leaves no room for doubt that she used the word “Lord” in its highest sense. “Great “as her own son was to be (Luk_1:15) in the sight of the Lord, here was the mother of One yet greater, even of the Lord Himself.

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

43. the mother of my Lord] The words shew a remarkable degree of divine illumination in the mind of Elizabeth. See Joh_20:28; Joh_13:13. Yet she does not address Mary as Domina, but as ‘mater Domini’ (Bengel); and such expressions as Theotokos and ‘Mother of God’ are unknown to Scripture.

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.

And whence is this to me,..... How comes it to pass, that such notice is taken of me, such an honour is done me; that besides being favoured with a child, who shall be great,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Elisabeth was far from envying the superior honour conferred on her kinswoman, who was both meaner and younger than she; that she esteems it a wonderful favour, that she should be indulged with a visit from her, who had already conceived the Messiah: and in due time would be the mother of him, as man; who, in his divine nature, is Lord of all angels, and men, and every creature; and in an especial manner was her Lord, and the Lord of all the saints; by his Father's gift from eternity, by his own purchase in time, and by the power of his grace on each of their souls. Thus the virgin is said to be the mother of our Lord, and so may be called the mother of God; because she was parent of that child, which was in union with him, who is truly Lord and God: Just in such sense as the Lord of life and glory is said to be crucified, and God is said to purchase the church with his own blood,

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

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Ver. 43. That the mother of my Lord, &c.] That the Lord himself should come among us, as he did in the flesh, and doth still by his Spirit. Oh, what a mercy!

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.

And whence is this to me? - An expression of humility. Why is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me, as if to honor me?

Mother of my Lord - The word “Lord” sometimes denotes “divinity,” and sometimes superior, master, teacher, or governor. It was given by the Jews to their expected Messiah; but whether they understood it as denoting divinity cannot now be ascertained. It is clear only that Elizabeth used it as denoting great dignity and honor.

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

The mother of my Lord. A proof that Christ was truly God, and the blessed Virgin Mary truly the mother of God. (Witham) --- Elizabeth was a just and blessed woman; yet the excellency of the mother of God does so far surpass that of Elizabeth, and of every other woman, as the great luminary outshines the smaller stars. (St. Jerome præf. in Sophon.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Elisabeth in these words acknowledgeth both the incarnation of Christ, and the union of the Divine and human nature in the one person of the Mediator; she acknowledgeth Christ her Lord, and Mary to be his mother.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

43. Mother of my Lord—Mother of the human nature of the Incarnate. But there is something that grates painfully upon our heart as we survey the phrase of the Romish Church, “Mary the mother of God.”

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

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? But the Holy Ghost (verse 41) raised Elisabeth"s thoughts yet higher. Not only did she bless the mother of the coming Messiah, but the Spirit opened her eyes to see who that coming Messiah really was. Very vague indeed was the conception of the coming Messiah in Israel. The truth was, perhaps, revealed, and in rapt moments received by men like Isaiah and Ezekiel; and now and again men like David; Daniel wrote down visions and revelations respecting the Coming One, the true purport of which vision they scarcely grasped. Generally the Messianic idea among the people pictured a hero greater than Saul, a conqueror more successful than David, a sovereign more magnificent than Solomon. They pictured ever the glorious arm sustaining the coming Hero-King; but few, if any, dreamed of the "glorious arm" belonging to their future Deliverer. But here the Spirit in a moment revealed to the happy wife of the priest Zacharias that the Babe to be born of her young kinswoman was not only the promised Messiah, but was the awful Son of the Highest! Think, reader, what these simple words we are considering signify! Why am I so favored "that the mother of my Lord should come to me"? "The contrast leaves no room for doubt," well argues Dean Plumptre, "that she used the word "Lord" in its highest sense. "Great" as her own son was to be (verse 15) in the sight of the Lord, here was the mother of One yet greater, even of the Lord himself."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

43. ἵνα ἔλθῃ. This would have been expressed in classical Greek by the acc. and infinitive, and Hermann goes so far as to call it “labantis linguae quaedam incuria.” This use of ἵνα has become universal in modern Greek (να).

ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ κυρίου μου. The words shew a remarkable degree of divine illumination in the mind of Elizabeth. See Joh 20:28; Joh 13:13. Yet she does not address Mary as Domina, but as ‘mater Domini’ (Bengel); and such expressions as Theotokos and ‘Mother of God’ are unknown to Scripture.

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.

43.] The word κυρίου, as applied to the unborn babe, can no otherwise be explained than as uttered in the spirit of prophecy, and expressing the divine nature of our Lord: see especially Psa 110:1, from which Bleek thinks the expression is adopted.

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

43. καὶ πόθεν μοι τοῦτο. We understand γέγονεν: comp. Mar 13:37. Modestiæ filii præludens qui olim Christo erat dicturus, σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με; (Grotius). It is by inspiration (ver. 41) that Elisabeth knows that she who greets her is ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ κυρίου, i.e. of the Messiah (Psa 110:1). The expression “Mother of God” is not found in Scripture.1

In ἵνα ἔλθῃ we have a weakening of the original force of ἵνα, which begins with the Alexandrine writers as an alternative for the infinitive, and has become universal in modern Greek. Godet would keep the telic force by arbitrarily substituting “What have I done?” for “Whence is this to me?” “What have I done in order that?” etc. Comp. the Lucan constr., τοῦτο ὅτι (10:11, 12:39; Act 24:14). See Blass, Gr. p. 224.

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