For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.
Parallel translations
- WEB for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
- KJV For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
- NKJV For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
- NASB “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
- NLT For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
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
God has regarded Mary's humble state, so all generations will call her blessed. He exalts the lowly by grace.
Overview
Mary marvels that God chose someone of low standing for such honor. Her blessedness comes from God's gracious favor, not her own merit. Her words display the biblical pattern of God lifting up the humble.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 138:6Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.
- 1 Cor 1:26–28Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
- Mal 3:12“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts.
- Luke 11:27As 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!”
- Ps 136:23He remembered us in our low estate His loving devotion endures forever.
- 1 Sam 1:11And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
- Luke 1:28The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
- Luke 1:42In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
- 2 Sam 7:18–19Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
- Ps 113:7–8He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- 1 Sam 2:8He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.
- Jas 2:5–6Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Gen 30:13Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.
- Isa 66:2Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
- 2 Sam 7:8Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.
- Ps 102:17He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 1:48 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.