Luke 1:44 kjv
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
Luke 1:44 nkjv
For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
Luke 1:44 niv
As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Luke 1:44 esv
For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Luke 1:44 nlt
When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.
Luke 1 44 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 1:15 | "For he will be great before the Lord... and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb." | John filled with Spirit from womb. |
| Lk 1:41 | "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb." | Immediate context of John's leap. |
| Lk 1:67 | "And his father Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying," | Filled with Holy Spirit enables prophecy. |
| Mal 3:1 | "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me." | John as the forerunner. |
| Isa 49:1 | "Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name." | Called/appointed before birth. |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you." | God's foreknowledge and calling. |
| Ps 139:13 | "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." | God's creative work in the womb. |
| Gen 25:22-23 | "The children struggled together within her... 'Two nations are in your womb...'" | Prenatal prophetic activity (struggle). |
| Ps 114:4 | "The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs." | "Skipped" (same Greek as leaped); joy/revelation. |
| 2 Sam 6:14 | "And David danced before the LORD with all his might." | Joyful, worshipful exultation. |
| Ps 16:11 | "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy." | Fullness of joy in God's presence. |
| Ps 21:1 | "O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!" | Joy in the Lord's strength/salvation. |
| Php 4:4 | "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." | Command to constant joy. |
| Jhn 15:11 | "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." | Christ's desire for His followers' joy. |
| Rom 15:13 | "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." | Holy Spirit brings joy. |
| Gal 1:15 | "But when he who had set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace" | God's call from birth (Paul). |
| Eph 5:19 | "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart," | Joyful expression of being Spirit-filled. |
| Acts 2:28 | "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence." | Gladness/joy in God's presence (Psalm quote). |
| Heb 1:9 | "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” | Christ anointed with gladness. |
| Jud 2:10 | "And the earth quaked; the heavens poured down rain; even Sinai quaked at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel." | Reaction to God's presence (earth trembling). |
| Ex 15:20 | "Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing." | Prophetic joy expressed through movement. |
| Zeph 3:17 | "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." | God's joy and exultation. |
| Mt 11:11 | "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist." | John's unparalleled greatness. |
| Jn 1:29 | "The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" | John's later public recognition of Jesus. |
Luke 1 verses
Luke 1 44 Meaning
Luke 1:44 describes the moment when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, greets her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Upon hearing Mary's greeting, Elizabeth proclaims that the baby within her womb leaped for joy, revealing a profound, divinely orchestrated recognition of the Lord's presence and purpose. This instantaneous, spirit-filled response serves as an early testimony to the unique nature and identity of Jesus as the Messiah, even before His birth.
Luke 1 44 Context
Luke 1:44 occurs within the "Visitation Narrative" (Luke 1:39-45). Following the angel Gabriel's annunciation to Mary concerning the miraculous conception of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38), Mary immediately journeys to the hill country to visit her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth, being barren in old age, is miraculously six months pregnant with John the Baptist at this time, having conceived through divine intervention (Luke 1:5-25). This encounter between the two pregnant women is highly significant, filled with divine recognition and prophetic insight, highlighting the unique spiritual connection between the unborn Messiah and His fore-runner. The greeting serves as a pivotal moment of Spirit-filled revelation and joy for Elizabeth and her unborn child.
Luke 1 44 Word analysis
- For behold (Gar idou - γὰρ ἰδοῦ):
- Gar (γὰρ): A conjunction meaning "for," "because," providing a reason or explanation for what precedes.
- Idou (ἰδοῦ): An emphatic interjection meaning "behold," "look," "see." It functions as an attention-getter, signaling something significant, revelatory, or wonderful is about to be declared or observed. It points to a divine act or spiritual reality.
- when the sound of your greeting (hōs egneto hē phōnē tou aspasthou sou - ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ σου):
- Phōnē (φωνῇ): Refers to a voice, sound, or spoken word. It's more than mere noise; it carries meaning and spiritual power. Here, Mary's voice carries the implicit spiritual reality of Christ's presence.
- Aspasmos (ἀσπασμός): A greeting or salutation. Not just a polite convention, but in this context, it is laden with spiritual significance, becoming the conduit for divine revelation and power.
- came into my ears (eis ta ōta mou ēlthen - εἰς τὰ ὦτά μου ἦλθεν): This phrase emphasizes the direct and personal reception of Mary's greeting by Elizabeth. It's an act of listening that leads to immediate spiritual recognition.
- the baby (to brephos - τὸ βρέφος):
- Brephos (βρέφος): Can refer to a fetus, newborn infant, or small child. Here, it explicitly refers to John the Baptist in Elizabeth's womb. It highlights John's pre-birth awareness and personhood.
- leaped (eskirtēsen - ἐσκίρτησεν):
- Skirtaō (σκιρτάω): To leap, jump, spring, bound, exult. This verb denotes vigorous, spontaneous motion, often associated with intense joy or spiritual exhilaration. It appears in the Septuagint for the leaping of animals (e.g., Ps 29:6, Ps 114:4 for mountains leaping). In this spiritual context, it signifies a profound, uncontainable expression of spiritual joy and recognition. It is a prophetic physical action.
- in my womb (en tē koilia mou - ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ μου): Specifies the confined but vital location where this prophetic event took place. John's prophetic role begins in utero.
- for joy (en agalliasei - ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει):
- Agalliasis (ἀγαλλίασις): Exultation, great joy, jubilation, rapture. It denotes an intense, often overflowing and public expression of joy, frequently in a religious or spiritual context (e.g., joy at a festival, the joy of salvation). It highlights that John's leap was not accidental but a deliberate, joyful response to the presence of his Lord.
Words-group analysis:
- "For behold, when the sound of your greeting": This phrase marks a divinely orchestrated moment of encounter. It underscores that Mary's simple vocal greeting was, by God's design, the trigger for the miraculous spiritual reaction within Elizabeth and John.
- "the baby leaped in my womb": This is the core action and an extraordinary physical manifestation of a spiritual truth. It confirms John's pre-birth prophetic role and recognition of Jesus as Messiah, establishing him as the ultimate "forerunner," who recognized Christ even before either was born.
- "for joy": This crucial addition clarifies the nature of John's leap. It was not a random movement, nor a struggle (like Esau and Jacob in Gen 25), but a conscious, albeit in utero, act of jubilant exultation in the presence of his Lord. It speaks to the power of the Holy Spirit to convey spiritual realities.
Luke 1 44 Bonus section
The act of "leaping" (skirtaō) has Old Testament echoes. David leaped and danced before the Ark of the Covenant with great joy (2 Sam 6:14), a spontaneous worshipful expression. John's leap connects him to this tradition of prophetic and joyous exultation in the presence of God. It's a non-verbal yet deeply meaningful act of worship and testimony. This event further highlights the sovereignty of God over life in the womb and the distinct personhood of the unborn child, whose very physical reactions can carry profound spiritual significance. It also demonstrates the immediate power and presence of Christ, active even within Mary, to evoke a response in His fore-runner, preparing him for his earthly ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom.
Luke 1 44 Commentary
Luke 1:44 is a powerful testimony to the Holy Spirit's immediate work and John the Baptist's unique prophetic role from the very beginning of his life. Elizabeth, already six months pregnant and "filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 41), experienced a profound divine confirmation when Mary, carrying the Lord, entered her presence. John's leap for joy is not merely an infant's involuntary movement but a divinely inspired, spiritual response of prophetic recognition of the Messiah. It demonstrates that Jesus, even in the womb, possessed a unique identity as "the Lord." This verse foreshadows John's life mission of preparing the way for Jesus, serving as the first, unborn witness to Christ's messianic identity. It exemplifies how the Holy Spirit reveals divine truths, transforming an ordinary greeting into a sacred moment of worship and confirmation.