Luke 1:43 kjv
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luke 1:43 nkjv
But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luke 1:43 niv
But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luke 1:43 esv
And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luke 1:43 nlt
Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?
Luke 1 43 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus' Divine Lordship/Nature | ||
| Phil 2:9-11 | "Therefore God also highly exalted him... every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." | Jesus' universal Lordship confessed. |
| Rom 10:9 | "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord... you will be saved." | Confessing Jesus as Lord for salvation. |
| Acts 2:36 | "Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." | God declares Jesus as Lord and Messiah. |
| John 20:28 | Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" | Thomas's direct confession of Jesus' divinity. |
| Heb 1:10 | "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands..." | Cites Ps 102:25, attributes creation to Christ. |
| John 1:1 | "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." | Jesus' eternal divinity as the Word. |
| Isa 9:6 | "For to us a child is born... and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father..." | Prophetic names affirming Messiah's divine nature. |
| Matt 22:43-45 | Jesus refers to David calling the Messiah 'Lord' (Ps 110:1), asking "How is he then his son?" | Points to Messiah's higher status than David. |
| God's Humble Condescension/Visitation | ||
| Gen 18:2-3 | "He saw three men standing by him... 'My Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.'" | Abraham hosts divine visitors. |
| Ps 8:4 | "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" | Awe at God's condescension to humanity. |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." | The incarnation, God's dwelling with humanity. |
| 2 Cor 8:9 | "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor..." | Jesus' self-emptying for humanity. |
| Role of Holy Spirit in Revelation/Prophecy | ||
| Lk 1:41 | "When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit..." | Elizabeth's Spirit-filled revelation. |
| Lk 1:67 | "And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied..." | Zechariah also prophesied under the Spirit's influence. |
| Joel 2:28-29 | "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh... your sons and your daughters shall prophesy..." | Prophecy by the Spirit as a mark of the new covenant. |
| Acts 2:1-4 | Account of Pentecost, speaking in tongues and prophesying by the Spirit. | Manifestation of the Spirit empowering believers. |
| 2 Pet 1:21 | "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." | The divine origin of prophecy. |
| Blessedness/Favored Status | ||
| Lk 1:28 | The angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary: "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" | Mary's blessed status affirmed by Gabriel. |
| Lk 1:45 | "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." | Elizabeth's further blessing on Mary for her faith. |
| Lk 11:28 | "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" | True blessedness lies in obedience to God's word. |
| Unborn Child's Awareness/Divine Calling | ||
| Gen 25:22 | "The children struggled together within her..." | Early scriptural mention of internal womb activity. |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." | God's foreknowledge and calling before birth. |
| Ps 139:13-16 | "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb... all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." | God's intimate involvement in human formation in the womb. |
Luke 1 verses
Luke 1 43 Meaning
Luke 1:43 captures Elizabeth's humble reverence and awe upon realizing the profound identity of Mary's unborn child. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth acknowledges Mary as "the mother of my Lord," a profound Christological declaration. This statement recognizes Jesus, even in the womb, as possessing divine pre-eminence and ultimate authority, implying a level of greatness far beyond a mere human prophet or a temporal messianic king. It highlights a divinely orchestrated encounter where the humanity and divinity of Christ are implicitly affirmed from the very start of the Gospel narrative.
Luke 1 43 Context
Luke 1:43 occurs during Mary's visit to her relative Elizabeth, both women experiencing miraculous pregnancies. Previously, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive the Son of God, who would be given the throne of David and reign forever (Lk 1:26-38). Elizabeth herself, well past childbearing age, was miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist. As Mary enters Elizabeth's home and greets her, John the Baptist, still in Elizabeth's womb, leaps for joy. This spontaneous movement, interpreted by Elizabeth through the power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:41), triggers her profound exclamation. Elizabeth, of priestly lineage, lived in a society deeply steeped in messianic expectation and monotheistic reverence. Her inspired declaration serves as the first recorded Christological affirmation from a human in Luke's Gospel, setting the stage for Jesus' unique divine identity and mission from the moment of conception.
Luke 1 43 Word analysis
- And why is this granted to me: Elizabeth's phrase (`Kai pothen moi touto hina`) expresses deep humility and unworthiness. It reflects a sentiment akin to King David's astonishment at God's blessing in 2 Sam 7:18 ("Who am I, Lord God...?"). Elizabeth recognizes the visit as an extraordinary divine favor, highlighting her personal sense of insignificance in the face of such a sacred presence. This emphasizes that access to God's presence, particularly through His Son, is a privilege, not a right.
- that the mother: The word `mētēr` (μήτηρ), "mother," is straightforward, yet in context, it's weighty. Mary is not just a mother, but the mother of a unique, divine child.
- of my Lord: This phrase `tou Kyriou mou` (τοῦ Κυρίου μου) is the theological crux of the verse.
- Lord (Kyriou/Kyrios - Κύριος): This is the most significant term. In the Greek Septuagint (LXX), `Kyrios` frequently translates the Hebrew divine name YHWH (LORD), particularly when it refers to the sovereign God of Israel. In the New Testament, while it can simply mean 'master' or 'sir', when applied to Jesus in a confessional or Spirit-inspired context, it profoundly indicates His divine status. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, is not merely extending a courtesy or recognizing a future human king; she is acknowledging Jesus as divine `Kyrios`, the same title attributed to God Himself. This signifies His pre-existence and intrinsic divine nature.
- my Lord: The possessive "my" (mou) signifies a personal, relational confession of divine allegiance. Elizabeth's declaration is deeply personal, recognizing this unique baby as her own sovereign. It’s an early Christian confession of Jesus as Lord, predating explicit theological formulations but carrying profound theological weight, placing Jesus in a unique category distinct from any other prophet or human being.
- should come to me: Elizabeth sees Mary's physical presence not as a casual visit but as a profound theological event—the "Lord" coming to her through Mary. This signifies the presence of the divine among humankind, prefiguring the deeper reality of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). Her home, in that moment, becomes a sacred space blessed by the presence of the Incarnate God.
Luke 1 43 Bonus section
The theological weight of Elizabeth's "mother of my Lord" profoundly influenced later Christological discussions, serving as a scriptural basis for the title Theotokos ("God-bearer" or "Mother of God") officially adopted centuries later, albeit not directly stated in the verse. Her utterance, directly preceding Mary's Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), reveals a key dynamic: the Holy Spirit's immediate work to affirm Jesus' divine sonship. Furthermore, John the Baptist's leap in the womb (Lk 1:41) acts as the first prophetic sign from inside the womb, establishing his role as the forerunner who recognizes and bears witness to Jesus' arrival even before his own birth, fulfilling the angel's prophecy for John (Lk 1:15). This moment in Elizabeth's home is therefore a miniature Pentecost, overflowing with Spirit-inspired recognition of Christ's unparalleled identity.
Luke 1 43 Commentary
Luke 1:43 provides one of the earliest and most explicit Spirit-inspired declarations of Jesus' divine identity in the New Testament narrative. Elizabeth, filled by the Holy Spirit, recognizes the embryonic Jesus as her "Lord." This is more than a title of respect; it aligns Jesus with God Himself, the Kyrios of the Old Testament. The humility in Elizabeth's question, "why is this granted to me," highlights the extraordinary privilege of being in the presence of the incarnate Lord, a sentiment mirroring humanity's unworthiness yet God's grace. It sets a foundation for understanding Jesus not merely as a human Messiah but as God's Son, uniquely present and bringing blessing even before birth, validating Mary's special role and Jesus' divine status. This encounter between the two pregnant women underscores God's chosen path for revelation, working through ordinary individuals to reveal His extraordinary plan.