Luke 1:44

Luk 1:44. Γὰρ, for) By this she seems to intimate, that at the same precise point of time both her infant-fœtus leaped, and Mary began in actual fact to be mother of our Lord. Comp. the ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, from the-now-time [from this time forth].—ἐσκίρτησεν, leaped) Nor was that leap of salutation the one and only act of faith [in the infant John]; for he was “filled with the Holy Ghost” [even from his mother’s womb], Luk 1:15.

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

Luk_1:44 f. Γάρ] specifies the ground of knowledge, on which she declares Mary as the mother of the Messiah. She had the discernment of this connection through the Holy Spirit, Luk_1:41.

ὅτι] may either be the specification of the reason attached to μακαρία (Vulgate, Luther, Erasmus, Beza, Lange, and others), or the statement of the contents to πιστεύσασα (Grotius, Bengel, Paulus, Kuinoel, Bornemann, de Wette, Ewald, Bleek, and others). The latter is the correct view, since the conceptionthe chief point of the λελαλημένα, which Elizabeth has in viewis no longer future, but has already taken place. Hence: for blessed is she who has believed, that there shall be a fulfilment to all (Luk_1:31 ff.), etc. As to τελείωσις, comp. Jdt_10:9; Joh_19:28.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 1:44 . γὰρ : implies that from the movement of her child Elizabeth inferred that the mother of the Lord stood before her.

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

44. for joy] Rather, in exultation.

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.

For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears,.... This she mentions, as the signal by which she knew that she was the mother of her Lord; namely, from that unusual and extraordinary motion of the child, she felt within her:

the babe leaped in my womb for joy; that the mother of her Lord, and his, was come thither: the Jews ought not to object to this, who affirm, that the embryos, or infants in their mother's womb, sung the song at the Red Sea, and praised God. (i).

(i) Targum in Ps lxviii. 27. Zohar in Exod. fol. 23. 3. T. Hieros, Sota, fol. 20. 3. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 75. 3.

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

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Ver. 44. Leaped in my womb] More like a suckling at the breast (as the word signifieth) than an embryo in the womb (βρεφος, puer recens natus the boy newly formed, 1Pe 2:2). The Spirit then worketh, even in unborn babes that are elect, some kind of saving knowledge of Christ, answerable to faith in those that are grown up. The babe’s motion here was not natural, but spiritual (saith one). Therefore John was sanctified in the womb, and did really rejoice at the presence of Christ in the Virgin. Now sanctification presupposeth justification, and that, faith. Yea, this joy was a true effect of faith in the Messiah; therefore infants are capable of faith: thus he. Seminal faith we cannot deny them.

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.

By these words Elisabeth declareth that she looked upon the motion of the child in her womb, upon Mary’s salutation of her, as something more than natural.

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

44. Leaped in my womb for joy—As if even before birth joyfully predicting by the Holy Spirit the Messiah at the approach of the Messiah’s future mother; as if indicating that hereafter his own joy would be fulfilled in the Messiah’s fulness. It seems most plainly accordant with the mind of the inspired writer, that, upon this occasion, the unborn harbinger salutes with joy the unborn Messiah at his first approach. From before his birth he was to be filled with the Holy Ghost. That Spirit now filled the mother because of the spirit of the child.

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

44. γάρ. This assigns the ground of her recognition of Mary as Mother of the Messiah.

ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει. ‘In exultation.’ To apply this incident to inferences as to the salvation of infants was one of the strange perversions to which almost every passage of Scripture has been rendered liable.

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.

44. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ σου. On this γάρ Bengel bases the strange notion that the conception of the Christ takes place at the salutation: γάρ rationem experiments, cur hoc ipso temporis puncto Elisabet primum “Matrem Domini sui” proclamet Mariam. … Nunc Dominus, et respectu matris et progenitorum, et respectu locorum, ubi conceptus æque ac natus est, ex Juda est ortus. It is a mark of the delicacy and dignity of the narrative that the time is not stated; but ver. 38 is more probable than ver. 40. Excepting 2Co 7:11, ἰδοὺ γάρ is peculiar to Lk. (ver. 48, 2:10, 6:23, 17:21; Act 9:11). For ἐγένετο ἡ φωνή see on 3:22 and 9:35, 36.

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

For joy [εν αγαλλιασει] . Lit., in joy. See on verse 14.

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