Luke 1:15 kjv

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

Luke 1:15 nkjv

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

Luke 1:15 niv

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

Luke 1:15 esv

for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

Luke 1:15 nlt

for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.

Luke 1 verses

Luke 1 15 Meaning

Luke 1:15 describes the future of John the Baptist as revealed by the angel Gabriel to his father, Zechariah. It proclaims John's exceptional significance "in the sight of the Lord," highlighting his divine approval and special status. The verse details his set-apart lifestyle, stating he would abstain from wine and strong drink, reminiscent of a Nazirite vow. Most profoundly, it declares that John would be supernaturally filled with the Holy Spirit "even from his mother's womb," indicating a unique pre-natal empowerment and divine purpose that transcended normal human development.

Luke 1 15 Context

Luke 1:15 is part of the annunciation of John the Baptist's birth to his father, Zechariah, a priest, who was serving in the temple. This angel Gabriel's visitation occurred while Zechariah was performing priestly duties, signifying the profound spiritual significance of this event. This miraculous birth announcement followed centuries of prophetic silence, heralding the end of an era and the commencement of God's final preparatory work before the Messiah's arrival. John's role, as described in this verse and amplified in later verses (Luke 1:17), is to be the forerunner of the Messiah, embodying the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the people for the Lord. His specific characteristics in verse 15—his greatness in God's eyes, his ascetic Nazirite-like life, and his Spirit-filling from conception—are all integral to this unique preparatory role.

Luke 1 15 Word analysis

• For he will be great: This phrase sets a high standard for John. The Greek word is megas (μέγας), signifying not merely human prestige or power, but a greatness that is divinely conferred and acknowledged. This contrasts with the world's perception of greatness and positions John as a significant figure in God's redemptive plan. It refers to his profound impact and divine commission rather than social status.
• in the sight of the Lord: This specifies the divine perspective from which John's greatness is to be understood. It means his life and ministry would be honored and approved by God Himself, highlighting his unique standing before the Almighty. It confirms his calling as genuinely God-ordained and God-centered.
• and shall drink no wine or strong drink: This describes John's unique ascetic lifestyle, paralleling the Nazirite vow found in Num 6:1-4.
  • wine (oinos): The fermented juice of grapes, a common beverage in the ancient world.
  • strong drink (sikera): Refers to any intoxicating drink other than grape wine, often made from grains, dates, or other fruits. This complete abstinence from alcohol marked John as consecrated, separated for God's special service. It implied discipline, self-denial, and a distinction from worldly practices, symbolizing his full dedication and prophetic character. This dietary restriction also aligned him with the rigorous standards of ancient prophets.
• and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit: This is a key declaration of supernatural empowerment.
  • filled (plēsthēsetai): A passive verb in Greek, indicating that this is an action performed by God to John, not something John achieves by himself. It denotes being supernaturally controlled, permeated, and empowered by the Spirit for divine purposes.
  • Holy Spirit (pneumatos hagiou): The third person of the Trinity, the divine agent of God's power and presence. This filling is the source of his prophetic ministry, courage, and unique capabilities.
• even from his mother's womb: This emphasizes the extraordinary and unprecedented nature of John's Spirit-filling. This indicates that John's divine empowerment and calling were not a later acquisition but a congenital endowment, initiated by God from the very moment of his embryonic existence. It underlines his unique predestination and God's sovereign hand in shaping his life and ministry from before birth. This sets him apart even among prophets and marks him as having a truly unique relationship with God from the earliest stage of his existence.
• "filled with the Holy Spirit... even from his mother's womb": This phrase highlights divine foreknowledge and predestination. John's calling was not a reaction to events but an intrinsic part of God's eternal plan. This pre-natal Spirit-filling is highly significant as it demonstrates God's unique anointing for a special purpose, paralleling the unique conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. This ensured he was set apart and prepared for his extraordinary mission from the absolute beginning of his life.
• "great... Nazirite-like life... filled with the Holy Spirit": These three descriptors together paint a complete picture of John the Baptist as an ascetic prophet par excellence. His greatness is linked directly to his unique dedication and divine empowerment, all designed to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1 15 Bonus section

• John the Baptist’s Spirit-filling from the womb, alongside his mother Elizabeth's (Luke 1:41) and father Zechariah's (Luke 1:67) being filled with the Spirit later, signifies a unique prophetic outpouring surrounding his birth, underscoring the dawn of a new era of God's direct revelation and spiritual activity after centuries of silence.
• The Nazirite-like characteristics of John linked him directly to Old Testament figures like Samson (Jdg 13) and Samuel, who were also set apart by similar vows from birth or early childhood. This connection establishes John's place within the line of Israel's most dedicated servants of God.
• The lack of wine and strong drink in John’s diet can also be seen as a fulfillment of Elijah's austere lifestyle (Mal 4:5-6), with Elijah being known for living in the wilderness and subsisting on simple food, demonstrating radical dependence on God. This contributed to John’s image as "the voice crying in the wilderness" (Isa 40:3).
• Luke, more than any other Gospel writer, emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit from the very beginning of his narrative, making John's pre-natal Spirit-filling a key theme that anticipates the Pentecostal outpouring.

Luke 1 15 Commentary

Luke 1:15 profoundly outlines John the Baptist's pre-ordained character and ministry, setting him apart as a figure of monumental significance. His "greatness in the sight of the Lord" signifies that his value and impact would be measured by divine standards, not human accolades, underscoring his role as a crucial harbinger of the Messiah. His commitment to abstaining from wine and strong drink marks him with an ascetic discipline akin to a lifelong Nazirite, symbolizing profound dedication and separation to God for a specific purpose. This lifestyle choice visually embodied the call for repentance he would later preach, providing a living contrast to worldly indulgence. The declaration that he would be "filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" is truly extraordinary. This divine endowment from conception underscores his unique prophetic anointing and the direct intervention of God in shaping his very being for his mission. It implies that his spiritual capacity and destiny were divinely imprinted before he ever took a breath, equipping him to be the bridge between the Old Covenant and the New, perfectly prepared to announce the coming of Jesus Christ. John’s life, from inception, was a divine blueprint of purpose and preparation.