Luke 1:36

Luke 1:36

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

a. ASV: And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And lo, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her who was called barren; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: And behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman has also conceived a son in her old age; and yet this is the sixth month with her, who is called barren. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. NLT:  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.”

a. And [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. behold [Strong: 2400 idoú, id-oo'; second person singular imperative middle voice of G1492; used as imperative lo!; --behold, lo, see.]

c. thy [Strong: 4675 soû, soo; genitive case of G4771; of thee, thy:—X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]

d. cousin [Strong: 4773 syngenḗs, soong-ghen-ace'; from G4862 and G1085; a relative (by blood); by extension, a fellow countryman:—cousin, kin(-sfolk, -sman).]

e. Elisabeth [Strong: 1665 Elisábet, el-ee-sab'-et; of Hebrew origin (H472); Elisabet, an Israelitess:—Elisabeth.]

f. she [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

g. [hath] also [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

h. conceived [Strong: 4815 syllambánō, sool-lam-ban'-o; from G4862 and G2983; to clasp, i.e. seize (arrest, capture); specially, to conceive (literally or figuratively); by implication, to aid:—catch, conceive, help, take.]

i. [a] son [Strong: 5207 huiŏs, hwee-os'; apparently a primary word; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship:—child, foal, son.]

j. in [Strong: 1722 en, en; a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between G1519 and G1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:—about, after, against, + almost, × altogether, among, × as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (… sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), × mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, × outwardly, one, × quickly, × shortly, (speedi-)ly, × that, × there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

k. her [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

l. old age [Strong: 1094 gēras, ghay'-ras; akin to G1088; senility:—old age.]

m. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

n. this [Strong: 3778 hoûtos, hoo'-tos; from the article G3588 and G846; the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated):—he (it was that), hereof, it, she, such as, the same, these, they, this (man, same, woman), which, who.]

o. is [Strong: 2076 estí, es-tee'; third person singular present indicative of G1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:—are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, × dure for a while, + follow, × have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, × must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

p. [the] sixth [Strong: 1623 héktos, hek'-tos; ordinal from G1803; sixth:—sixth.]

q. month [Strong: 3376 mḗn, mane; a primary word; a month:—month.]

r. [with] her [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

s. who [Strong: 3588. [tē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

t. [was] called [Strong: 2564 kaléō, kal-eh'-o; akin to the base of G2753; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise):—bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was (called)).]

u. barren [Strong: 4723 steíros, sti'-ros; a contraction from G4731 (as stiff and unnatural); "sterile":—barren.]

1). God’s word does not differentiate between babies in the womb and babies outside the womb. Babies are babies and children are children before and after birth. The clearest example of this is in the book of Luke. In the first chapter, Luke writes of the sending of the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce to her that she was chosen by God to miraculously conceive and bring forth the messiah. During this encounter Gabriel tells Mary that her cousin Elisabeth has conceived a son and is six months pregnant, about 24 weeks gestation. After the encounter Mary hurriedly gets ready and travels to Elisabeth’ house. Since Mary lived in Nazareth and Elisabeth lived in the hill country of Judah it was probably a 4 day trip. As she enters Elisabeth’s house she greets her. When Elisabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in Elisabeth’s womb, John, leaped in her womb for joy (Luke 1:41, 44). The Greek word for “babe” in Luke 1:41 and 44 is “brephos” and it means “baby” or “infants” . It is the same Greek word used to describe the just born Jesus in Luke 2:16, and the same greek word used in Luke 18:15 to describe babies that people brought to Jesus for him to bless. It is easy to glean from this that whether they are 24 weeks gestation or just orn or days or weeks old, they are babies.

2). In the Old Testament in the book of Genesis 16:11 we see the incident of hagar running away from her mistress, Sarai. The angel of the LORD finds her and convinces her to return to Sarai. During the encounter the angel says to Hagar,  “...Behold, Thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael…” The phrase “with child” is used 16 times in the Old Testament in the KJV. The Hebrew word is “harah” and it means “pregnant” “with child” “conceive”. A very explicit meaning of the word is demonstrated in its use in Jeremiah, where Jeremiah declares he was the person who would have died in the womb if God would have put him to death, while his mother was pregnant. Jeremiah 20:17 “Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.”