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Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luke 1:46 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
  • KJV And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
  • ESV And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
  • NKJV And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
  • NASB And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
  • NLT Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Mary responds with praise, declaring that her soul magnifies the Lord. Her song, the Magnificat, begins in worship.

Overview

Mary's hymn of praise, the Magnificat, opens by exalting the Lord with her whole being. Steeped in Old Testament language, it echoes Hannah's song and celebrates God's saving work. Mary's first response to grace is heartfelt worship.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 14

  • 1 Sam 2:1–10At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD in whom my horn is exalted. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.
  • Ps 34:2–3My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice.
  • Ps 35:9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
  • Isa 61:10I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
  • Ps 103:1–2Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name.
  • Rom 5:11Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
  • Isa 45:25In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.
  • 1 Cor 1:31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
  • 2 Cor 2:14But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
  • Phil 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
  • Isa 24:15–16Therefore glorify the LORD in the east. Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel in the islands of the sea.
  • 1 Pet 1:8Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
  • Phil 3:3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
  • Hab 3:17–18Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 1:46YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 1:46 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.