◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / 2 Samuel 7:1-11 16 (God’s promise to David); Luke 1:46b-55 (The Mighty One raises the lowly); or Psalm 89:1-4 19-26 (I sing of your love); Romans 16:25-27 (The mystery revealed in Jesus Christ); Luke 1:26-38 (The angel appears to Mary) (New English Translation)

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December 21, 1969

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

2 Samuel 7:1-11

The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David

7 The king settled into his palace,^[a] for the Lord gave him relief^[b] from all his enemies on all sides.^[c] ²The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” ³Nathan replied to the king, “You should go^[d] and do whatever you have in mind,^[e] for the Lord is with you.” ⁴That night the Lord’s message came to Nathan, ⁵“Go, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? ⁶I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent.^[f] ⁷Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say^[g] to any of their leaders^[h] whom I appointed to care for^[i] my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’

⁸“So now, say this to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd^[j] to make you leader of my people Israel. ⁹I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated^[k] all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.^[l] ¹⁰I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle^[m] them there; they will live there and not be disturbed^[n] anymore. Violent men^[o] will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning ¹¹and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief^[p] from all your enemies. The Lord declares^[q] to you that he himself^[r] will build a dynastic house^[s] for you.

Footnotes

2 Samuel 7:1 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
2 Samuel 7:1 tn Or “rest.”
2 Samuel 7:1 tn The translation understands the disjunctive clause in v. 1b as circumstantial-causal.
2 Samuel 7:3 tc Several medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack this word.
2 Samuel 7:3 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
2 Samuel 7:6 tn Heb “in a tent and in a dwelling.” The expression is a hendiadys, using two terms to express one idea.
2 Samuel 7:7 tn Heb “Did I speak a word?” In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question.
2 Samuel 7:7 tn Heb “tribes of Israel” (so KJV, NASB, NCV), but the parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:6 has “judges of Israel.”
2 Samuel 7:7 tn Heb “whom I commanded to shepherd” (so NIV, NRSV).
2 Samuel 7:8 tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”
2 Samuel 7:9 tn Heb “cut off.”
2 Samuel 7:9 tn Heb “and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.”
2 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “plant.”
2 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “shaken.”
2 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “the sons of violence.”
2 Samuel 7:11 tn Or “rest.”
2 Samuel 7:11 tn In the Hebrew text the verb is apparently perfect with vav consecutive, which would normally suggest a future sense (“he will declare”; so the LXX, ἀπαγγελεῖ [apangelei]). But the context seems instead to call for a present or past nuance (“he declares” or “he has declared”). The synoptic passage in 1 Chr 17:10 has וָאַגִּד (vaʾaggid, “and I declared”). The construction used in 2 Sam 7:11 highlights this important statement.
2 Samuel 7:11 tn Heb “the Lord.”
2 Samuel 7:11 tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the Lord’s use of the word plays off the literal sense that David had in mind as he contemplated building a temple for the Lord. To reflect this in the English translation the adjective “dynastic” has been supplied.

2 Samuel 7:16

¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will stand before me^[a] permanently; your dynasty^[b] will be permanent.’”

Luke 1:46-55

Mary’s Hymn of Praise

⁴⁶And Mary^[a] said,^[b]

“My soul exalts^[c] the Lord,^[d]
⁴⁷and my spirit has begun to rejoice^[e] in God my Savior,
⁴⁸because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.^[f]
For^[g] from now on^[h] all generations will call me blessed,^[i]
⁴⁹because he who is mighty^[j] has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
⁵⁰from^[k] generation to generation he is merciful^[l] to those who fear^[m] him.
⁵¹He has demonstrated power^[n] with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance^[o] of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the mighty^[p] from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;^[q]
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,^[r] and has sent the rich away empty.^[s]
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering^[t] his mercy,^[u]
⁵⁵as he promised^[v] to our ancestors,^[w] to Abraham and to his descendants^[x] forever.”

Footnotes

Luke 1:46 tc A few witnesses, especially Latin mss, (a b l* Ir^arm Or^lat mss Nic) read “Elizabeth” here, since she was just speaking, but the ms evidence overwhelmingly supports “Mary” as the speaker.
Luke 1:46 sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
Luke 1:46 tn Or “lifts up the Lord in praise.”
Luke 1:46 sn This psalm (vv. 46-55) is one of the few praise psalms in the NT. Mary praises God and then tells why both in terms of his care for her (vv. 46-49) and for others, including Israel (vv. 50-55). Its traditional name, the “Magnificat,” comes from the Latin for the phrase My soul magnifies the Lord at the hymn’s start.
Luke 1:47 tn Or “rejoices.” The translation renders this aorist, which stands in contrast to the previous line’s present tense, as ingressive, which highlights Mary’s joyous reaction to the announcement. A comprehensive aorist is also possible here.
Luke 1:48 tn See the note on the word “servant” in v. 38.
Luke 1:48 tn Grk “for behold.”
Luke 1:48 sn From now on is a favorite phrase of Luke’s, showing how God’s acts change things from this point on (5:10; 12:52; 22:18, 69; Acts 18:6).
Luke 1:48 sn Mary is seen here as an example of an object of God’s grace (blessed) for all generations.
Luke 1:49 tn Traditionally, “the Mighty One.”
Luke 1:50 tn Grk “and from.” Here καί (kai) has been translated by a semicolon to improve the English style.
Luke 1:50 sn God’s mercy refers to his “loyal love” or “steadfast love,” expressed in faithful actions, as the rest of the psalm illustrates.
Luke 1:50 tn That is, “who revere.” This refers to those who show God a reverential respect for his sovereignty.
Luke 1:51 tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.
Luke 1:51 tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.
Luke 1:52 tn Or “rulers.”
Luke 1:52 tn Or “those of humble position”sn The contrast between the mighty and those of lowly position is fundamental for Luke. God cares for those that the powerful ignore (Luke 4:18-19).
Luke 1:53 sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.
Luke 1:53 sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).
Luke 1:54 tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.
Luke 1:54 tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”
Luke 1:55 tn Grk “as he spoke.” Since this is a reference to the covenant to Abraham, ἐλάλησεν (elalēsen) can be translated in context “as he promised.” God keeps his word.
Luke 1:55 tn Grk “fathers.”
Luke 1:55 tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).

Psalm 89:1-4

Psalm 89^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by Ethan the Ezrahite.

89 I will sing continually^[c] about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness.^[d]
²For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established;^[e]
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.”^[f]
³The Lord said,^[g]
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
⁴‘I will give you an eternal dynasty^[h]
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’”^[i] (Selah)

Psalm 89:19-26

¹⁹Then you^[a] spoke through a vision to your faithful followers^[b] and said:
“I have placed a young hero^[c] over a warrior;
I have raised up a young man^[d] from the people.
²⁰I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king.^[e]
²¹My hand will support him,^[f]
and my arm will strengthen him.
²²No enemy will be able to exact tribute^[g] from him;^[h]
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.^[i]
²³I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
²⁴He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love,^[j]
and by my name he will win victories.^[k]
²⁵I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.^[l]
²⁶He will call out to me,
‘You are my father,^[m] my God, and the protector who delivers me.’^[n]

Footnotes

Psalm 89:19 tn The pronoun “you” refers to the Lord, who is addressed here. The quotation that follows further develops the announcement of vv. 3-4.
Psalm 89:19 tc Many medieval mss read the singular here, “your faithful follower.” In this case the statement refers directly to Nathan’s oracle to David (see 2 Sam 7:17).
Psalm 89:19 tc The MT reads עֵזֶר (ʿezer, “help, strength”), thus “I have placed help on a warrior,” which might effectively mean “I have strengthened a warrior.” The BHS note suggests reading נֵזֶר (nezer, “crown”), similar to the sentiment of anointing in the next verse. HALOT suggests reading עֹזֶר (ʿozer, “hero”) based on an Ugaritic cognate which means “young man, hero, warrior” (HALOT 811 s.v. II עזר). Craigie treats it similarly, taking עזר as “lad/boy/stripling,” parallel to “young man” in the next line, and seeing either David and Saul or David and Goliath as the historical referent (P. C. Craigie, Psalms [WBC], 19:410).
Psalm 89:19 tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”
Psalm 89:20 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.
Psalm 89:21 tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”
Psalm 89:22 tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.
Psalm 89:22 tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nashaʾ) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yissaʾ), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (naʾas, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).
Psalm 89:22 tn Heb “and a son of violence will not oppress him.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential. The reference to a “son of violence” echoes the language of God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7:10 (see also 1 Chr 17:9).
Psalm 89:24 tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”
Psalm 89:24 tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
Psalm 89:25 tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).
Psalm 89:26 sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
Psalm 89:26 tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”

Romans 16:25-27

²⁵^[a] Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages, ²⁶but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— ²⁷to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever! Amen.

Footnotes

Romans 16:25 tc There is a considerable degree of difference among the mss regarding the presence and position of the doxology of 16:25-27. Five situations present themselves from the ms tradition. The doxology is found in the ancient witnesses in three separate locations: (1) here after 16:23 (P⁶¹ א B C D 81 365 630 1739 2464 al co), (2) after 14:23 (Ψ 0209^vid M), or (3) after 15:33 (P⁴⁶). The situation is further complicated in that some of the mss have these verses in two places: (4) after 14:23 and after 16:23 (A P 33 104); or (5) after 14:23 and after 15:33 (1506). The uncertain position of the doxology might suggest that it was added by later scribes. But since the mss containing the doxology are so early and widespread, it almost certainly belongs in Romans; it is only a question of where. Further, the witnesses that omit the doxology are few: F G 629 Hier^mss. (And of these, G has a blank space of several lines large enough for the doxology to belong there.) Only two positions (after chapter 14 only and at the end of the letter only) deserve particular notice because the situation of the mss showing the doxology in two places dates back to the 5th century. Later copyists, faced with the doxology in two different places in the mss they knew, may have decided to copy the doxology in both places, since they were unwilling to consciously omit any text. Because the textual disruption of the doxology is so early, TCGNT 472 suggests two possibilities: either (1) that Paul may have sent two different copies of Romans—a copy lacking chapter 16 and a copy with the full text of the epistle as we now have it, or (2) Marcion or some of his followers circulated a shortened form of the epistle that lacked chapters 15 and 16. Those mss that lacked chapters 15-16 would naturally conclude with some kind of doxology after chapter 14. On the other hand, H. Gamble (The Textual History of the Letter to the Romans [SD], 123-32) argues for the position of the doxology at 14:23, since to put the doxology at 16:25 would violate Paul’s normal pattern of a grace-benediction at the close of the letter. Gamble further argues for the inclusion of 16:24, since the mss that put the doxology after chapter 14 almost always present 16:24 as the letter’s closing, whereas most of the mss that put the doxology at its traditional position drop 16:24, perhaps because it would be redundant before 16:25-27. A decision is difficult, but the weight of external evidence, since it is both early and geographically widespread, suggests that the doxology belongs here after 16:23 and that v. 24 is not authentic. For a full discussion, see TCGNT 470-73.

Luke 1:26-38

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

²⁶In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy,^[a] the angel Gabriel^[b] was sent by^[c] God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,^[d] ²⁷to a virgin engaged^[e] to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David,^[f] and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The^[g] angel^[h] came^[i] to her and said, “Greetings, favored one,^[j] the Lord is with you!”^[k] ²⁹But^[l] she was greatly troubled^[m] by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting.^[n] ³⁰So^[o] the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^[p] Mary, for you have found favor^[q] with God! ³¹Listen:^[r] You will become pregnant^[s] and give birth to^[t] a son, and you will name him^[u] Jesus.^[v] ³²He^[w] will be great,^[x] and will be called the Son of the Most High,^[y] and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father^[z] David. ³³He^[aa] will reign over the house of Jacob^[ab] forever, and his kingdom will never end.” ³⁴Mary^[ac] said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not been intimate with^[ad] a man?” ³⁵The angel replied,^[ae] “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow^[af] you. Therefore the child^[ag] to be born^[ah] will be holy;^[ai] he will be called the Son of God.

³⁶“And look,^[aj] your relative^[ak] Elizabeth has also become pregnant with^[al] a son in her old age—although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month!^[am] ³⁷For nothing^[an] will be impossible with God.” ³⁸So^[ao] Mary said, “Yes,^[ap] I am a servant^[aq] of the Lord; let this happen to me^[ar] according to your word.”^[as] Then^[at] the angel departed from her.

Footnotes

Luke 1:26 tn Grk “in the sixth month.” The phrase “of Elizabeth’s pregnancy” was supplied in the translation to clarify the exact time meant by this reference. That Elizabeth’s pregnancy is meant is clear from vv. 24-25.
Luke 1:26 sn Gabriel is the same angel mentioned previously in v. 19. He is traditionally identified as an angel who brings revelation (see Dan 8:15-16; 9:21). Gabriel and Michael are the only two good angels named in the Bible.
Luke 1:26 tn Or “from.” The account suggests God’s planned direction in these events, so “by” is better than “from,” as six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God acts again.
Luke 1:26 sn Nazareth was a town in the region of Galilee, located north of Samaria and Judea. Galilee extended from about 45 to 85 miles north of Jerusalem and was about 30 miles in width. Nazareth was a very small village and was located about 15 miles west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee.
Luke 1:27 tn Or “promised in marriage.”
Luke 1:27 tn Grk “Joseph, of the house of David.” sn The Greek word order here favors connecting Davidic descent to Joseph, not Mary, in this remark.
Luke 1:28 tn Grk “And coming to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:28 tn Grk “And coming to her, he said”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 1:28 tn Grk “coming to her, he said.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselthōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 1:28 tn The address, “favored one” (a perfect participle, Grk “Oh one who is favored”) points to Mary as the recipient of God’s grace, not a bestower of it. She is a model saint in this passage, one who willingly receives God’s benefits. The Vulgate rendering “full of grace” suggests something more of Mary as a bestower of grace, but does not make sense here contextually.
Luke 1:28 tc Most mss (A C D Θ ƒ¹³ 33 M latt sy) read here εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν (eulogēmenē su en gunaixin, “blessed are you among women”) which also appears in 1:42 (where it is textually certain). This has the earmarks of a scribal addition for balance; the shorter reading, attested by the most significant witnesses and several others (א B L W Ψ ƒ¹ 565 579 700 1241 co), is thus preferred.
Luke 1:29 tc Most mss (A C Θ 0130 ƒ¹³ M lat sy) have ἰδοῦσα (idousa, “when [she] saw [the angel]”) here as well, making Mary’s concern the appearance of the angel. This construction is harder than the shorter reading since it adds a transitive verb without an explicit object. However, the shorter reading has significant support (א B D L W Ψ ƒ¹ 565 579 1241 sa) and on balance should probably be considered authentic.
Luke 1:29 sn On the phrase greatly troubled see 1:12. Mary’s reaction was like Zechariah’s response.
Luke 1:29 tn Grk “to wonder what kind of greeting this might be.” Luke often uses the optative this way to reveal a figure’s thinking (3:15; 8:9; 18:36; 22:23).
Luke 1:30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Gabriel’s statement is a response to Mary’s perplexity over the greeting.
Luke 1:30 sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.
Luke 1:30 tn Or “grace.” sn The expression found favor is a Semitism, common in the OT (Gen 6:8; 18:3; 43:14; 2 Sam 15:25). God has chosen to act on this person’s behalf.
Luke 1:31 tn Grk “And behold.”
Luke 1:31 tn Grk “you will conceive in your womb.”
Luke 1:31 tn Or “and bear.”
Luke 1:31 tn Grk “you will call his name.”
Luke 1:31 tn See v. 13 for a similar construction.sn You will name him Jesus. This verse reflects the birth announcement of a major figure; see 1:13; Gen 16:7; Judg 13:5; Isa 7:14. The Greek form of the name Iēsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.
Luke 1:32 tn Grk “this one.”
Luke 1:32 sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.
Luke 1:32 sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
Luke 1:32 tn Or “ancestor.”
Luke 1:33 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. A new sentence is begun here in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek.
Luke 1:33 tn Or “over Israel.”sn The expression house of Jacob refers to Israel. This points to the Messiah’s relationship to the people of Israel.
Luke 1:34 tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:34 tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text.
Luke 1:35 tn Grk “And the angel said to her.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The pronoun αὐτῇ (autē, “to her”) has not been included in the translation since it is redundant in contemporary English.
Luke 1:35 sn The phrase will overshadow is a reference to God’s glorious presence at work (Exod 40:34-35; Ps 91:4).
Luke 1:35 tn Or “the one born holy will be called the Son of God.” The wording of this phrase depends on whether the adjective is a predicate adjective, as in the text, or is an adjective modifying the participle serving as the subject. The absence of an article with the adjective speaks for a predicate position. Other less appealing options supply a verb for “holy”; thus “the one who is born will be holy”; or argue that both “holy” and “Son of God” are predicates, so “The one who is born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35 tc A few mss (C* Θ ƒ¹ 33 pc) add “by you” here. This looks like a scribal addition to bring symmetry to the first three clauses of the angel’s message (note the second person pronoun in the previous two clauses), and is too poorly supported to be seriously considered as authentic.
Luke 1:35 tn Or “Therefore the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God.” There are two ways to understand the Greek phrase τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον (to gennōmenon hagion) here. First, τὸ γεννώμενον could be considered a substantival participle with ἅγιον as an adjective in the second predicate position, thus making a complete sentence; this interpretation is reflected in the translation above. Second, τὸ ἅγιον could be considered a substantival adjective with γεννώμενον acting as an adjectival participle, thus making the phrase the subject of the verb κληθήσεται (klēthēsetai); this interpretation is reflected in the alternative reading. Treating the participle γεννώμενον as adjectival is a bit unnatural for the very reason that it forces one to understand ἅγιον as substantival; this introduces a new idea in the text with ἅγιον when an already new topic is being introduced with γεννώμενον. Semantically this would overload the new subject introduced at this point. For this reason the first interpretation is preferred.
Luke 1:36 tn Grk “behold.”
Luke 1:36 tn Some translations render the word συγγενίς (sungenis) as “cousin” (so Phillips) but the term is not necessarily this specific.
Luke 1:36 tn Or “has conceived.”
Luke 1:36 tn Grk “and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.” Yet another note on Elizabeth’s loss of reproach also becomes a sign of the truth of the angel’s declaration.
Luke 1:37 tn In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rhēma, combined with a negation in the verse is translated as “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as the lesson in the entire discussion. The remark is a call for faith.
Luke 1:38 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Luke 1:38 tn Grk “behold.”
Luke 1:38 tn Traditionally, “handmaid”; Grk “slave woman.” Though δούλη (doulē) is normally translated “woman servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free woman serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. δοῦλος). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself or herself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
Luke 1:38 tn Grk “let this be to me.”
Luke 1:38 sn The remark according to your word is a sign of Mary’s total submission to God’s will, a response that makes her exemplary.
Luke 1:38 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David

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Mary’s Hymn of Praise

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Psalm 89[a]

A well-written song[b] by Ethan the Ezrahite.

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Footnotes

Footnotes

Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

Footnotes

Psalm 89^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by Ethan the Ezrahite.