And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Parallel translations
- WEB The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- BSB So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- NKJV Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- NASB And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- NLT “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!
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 reassures Mary not to fear, for she has found favor with God. God's grace removes her dread.
Overview
Gabriel calms Mary's fear and confirms that she has received God's gracious favor. This favor is the unmerited kindness of God in choosing her for his purpose. The announcement of grace prepares her for the astonishing news to follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Luke 1:13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
- Luke 12:32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
- Rom 8:31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
- Isa 41:10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Matt 28:5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
- Acts 18:9–10Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
- Matt 14:27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
- Isa 44:2Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
- Isa 41:14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
- Isa 43:1–4But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
- Acts 27:24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
- Heb 13:6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
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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 1:30 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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