The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
- KJV And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
- NKJV And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
- NASB And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
- NLT Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The angel greets Mary as highly favored, with the Lord present with her. She is singled out for unique grace.
Overview
Gabriel's greeting declares Mary the recipient of God's special favor and presence. This favor is God's gracious choosing, not a reward she earned. Her blessedness lies in being chosen to bear the Savior, showing how God exalts the humble by grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Judg 6:12And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
- Dan 10:19“Do not be afraid, you who are highly precious,” he said. “Peace be with you! Be strong now; be very strong!” As he spoke with me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”
- Luke 1:30So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- Eph 1:6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
- Dan 9:21–23while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
- Acts 18:10For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.”
- Jer 1:18–19Now behold, this day I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
- Luke 1:42In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
- Luke 11:27–28As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!”
- Prov 31:29–31“Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”
- Isa 43:5Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west.
- Judg 5:24Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
- Matt 12:48But Jesus replied, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?”
- Hos 14:2Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 1:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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