And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
Parallel translations
- WEB His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.
- BSB His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
- NKJV And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
- NASB “And His mercy is to generation after generation Toward those who fear Him.
- NLT He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
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's mercy extends to all generations of those who fear him. His covenant mercy is enduring.
Overview
Mary celebrates the reach of God's mercy to all who reverence him across the ages. This echoes the steadfast love promised in the Old Testament covenant. God's mercy, supremely shown in Christ, embraces every generation that fears him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 103:17–18But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
- Exod 20:6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
- Gen 17:7And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
- Exod 34:6–7And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
- Ps 118:4Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
- Ps 145:19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
- Ps 103:11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
- Ps 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
- Ps 115:13He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
- Rev 19:5And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
- Mal 3:16–18Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
- Ps 147:11The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
- Ps 85:9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 1:50 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.