Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 1:49
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy [is] his name.
49. he that is mighty ] El Shaddai, Job 8:3; also Gibbr, Psa 24:8. See Pearson On the Creed, Art. i.
great things ] Gedolth, Psa 71:21; Psa 126:3.
holy is his name ] Psa 111:9; “Thou only art holy,” Rev 15:4. Shem, ‘name,’ is often a reverent periphrasis in Hebrew for God Himself. Psa 91:14; 2Ch 6:20, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He that is mighty – God.
Hath done to me great things – Hath conferred on me great favors and distinguished mercies.
And holy is his name – This is an expression of Marys feelings, desiring to bestow on God all honor and praise. As the highest honor, she declared that his name was holy – that is, that God was free from sin, injustice, and impurity. The name of God is often put for God Himself. The proper name of God is Yahweh, a word expressive of His essential being, derived from the word to be, Exo 3:14; Exo 6:3; Psa 83:18. That name is holy; is to be regarded as holy; and to make a common or profane use of it is solemnly forbidden, Exo 20:7.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 49. He that is mighty hath done to me great things] Or, miracles, . As God fills her with his goodness, she empties herself to him in praises; and, sinking into her own nothingness, she ever confesses that God alone is all in all.
Holy is his name] Probably the word which Mary used was chesed, which though we sometimes translate holy, see Ps 86:2; Ps 145:17, yet the proper meaning is abundant goodness, exuberant kindness; and this well agrees with the following clause.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That which is observable both in this verse, and in this whole song, is how the blessed virgin attributes all to God, and ascribes nothing to herself, or any merits of her own, much like unto her father David. Psa 115:1, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truths sake; and herein she teacheth those generations, which she had even now said should call her blessed, how to take notice of her, viz. as one highly favoured of the Lord, one for whom God indeed had done great things, but not as one who had merited any thing at Gods hand, much less as one to whom we should pay a greater devotion than to her Son, and speak to her that she should command her Son, according to the blasphemous devotion and idolatry of the papists. Mary is very careful of giving succeeding generations any occasion from her expressions for any such superstitions.
And holy is his name: holy, that is, glorious and venerable.
His name, that is, he himself is glorious and holy, far above the conception and comprehension of poor creatures.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things,…. With respect to the incarnation of Christ, a new, a great, and unheard of thing; in causing her, though a virgin, to conceive; and also to bear such a Son, who should be called Jesus, a Saviour, Immanuel, God with us; and who was no other than the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace: wherefore she describes God the author of it, by a proper periphrasis of him, “he that is mighty”; since this was a work of almighty power, and very justly adds,
and holy is his name: seeing this was brought about without any impurity, through the overshadowing influence of the Holy Ghost; whereby the human nature was preserved from the infection of sin, was sanctified, and fit to be united to the Son of God, and to be a sacrifice for the sins of his people. This may also have regard to the great things God had done for her in a spiritual sense; in the choice of her to eternal life, in the redemption of her by the Messiah, and in her regeneration and sanctification; wherein God had displayed his sovereign grace and goodness, and his almighty power, in a way consistent with his justice and holiness.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;” (hoti epoiesen moi megala ho dunatos) “Because the mighty (dynamic) one has done great things to me,” the mighty one, the one true God has done great things to me already, in giving me conception, 1Co 8:6; Eph 3:20; Isa 7:14.
2) “And holy is his name.” (kai hagion to onoma autou) “And his name is holy,” Psa 111:1; Psa 111:9; For even angels rest not, night and day, saying repeatedly, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come,” Rev 4:8. He is holy, perfect, and pure, Psa 111:9. For He did honor her among women!
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
49. And holy is his name This is the second part of the song, in which the holy virgin celebrates in general terms the power, judgments, and mercy of God. This clause must not be viewed as a part of the preceding one, but must be read separately. Mary had extolled the grace of God, which she had experienced in her own person. Hence she takes occasion to exclaim, that holy is his name, and his mercy endures throughout all generations The name of God is called holy, because it is entitled to the highest reverence; and whenever the name of God is mentioned, it ought immediately to remind us of his adorable majesty.
The next clause, which celebrates the perpetuity of the Divine mercy, is taken from that solemn form of covenant,
“
I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant,” (Gen 17:7)
and again,
“
who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations,” (Deu 7:9.)
By these words, he not only declares, that he will always be like himself, but expresses the favor which he continues to manifest towards his own people after their death, loving their children, and their children’s children, and all their posterity. Thus he followed the posterity of Abraham with uninterrupted kindness; for, having once received their father Abraham into favor, he had made with him “an everlasting covenant.”
But as not all who are descended from Abraham according to the flesh are the true children of Abraham, Mary confines the accomplishment of the promise to the true worshippers of God, to them that fear him: as David also does:
“
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them,” (Psa 103:17.)
While God promises that he will be merciful to the children of the saints through all generations, this gives no support to the vain confidence of hypocrites: for falsely and groundlessly do they boast of God as their Father, who are the spurious children of the saints, and have departed from their faith and godliness. (54) This exception sets aside the falsehood and arrogance of those who, while they are destitute of faith, are puffed up with false pretenses to the favor of God. A universal covenant of salvation had been made by God with the posterity of Abraham; but, as stones moistened by the rain do not become soft, so the promised righteousness and salvation are prevented from reaching unbelievers through their own hardness of heart. Meanwhile, to maintain the truth and firmness of his, promise, God has preserved “a seed,” (Rom 9:29.)
Under the fear of the Lord is included the whole of godliness and religion, and this cannot exist without faith. But here an objection may be urged. What avails it that God is called merciful, if no man finds him to be so unless he deserves his favor? For, if the mercy of God is upon them that fear him, godliness and a good conscience procure his grace to men, and in this way men go before his grace by their own merits. I reply, this is a part of his mercy, that he bestows on the children of the godly fear and reverence for his majesty. This does not point out the commencement of his grace, as if God were idly looking down from heaven, to see who are worthy of it. All that is intended is, to shake off the perverse confidence of hypocrites, that they may not imagine God to be bound to them, because they are the children of saints according to the flesh: the divine covenant having another and very different object, that God may have always a people in the world, by whom he is sincerely worshipped.
(54) “ Car c’est a tort et fausses enseignes qu’ils se glorifient d’avoir Dieu pour leur Pere, puis qu’ils sont enfans bastards des saincts, et ont desvoye de leur foy et sainctete.” — “For it is improperly and under false colors that they boast of having God for their Father, since they are bastard children of the saints, and have departed from their faith and holiness.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Luk 1:49. Hath done to me great things; , miracles. So and often signify in the Old Testament, being often applied to the miracles wrought in Egypt, and in the wilderness. See Deu 10:21; Deu 11:7; Deu 34:12. Doubtless, Mary had now in her thoughts the miraculous conception of the Messiah. She adds, and holy is his name, making this remark to signify her humble faith in God’s wisdom and goodness. She was astonished that God should have chosen her, a person of the meanest condition, to be the mother of the Messiah; yet, from her belief of the divine perfections, she was convinced that all was done in wisdom and truth.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Luk 1:49 f. Because the Mighty One did to me great things , in making me the mother of the Messiah.
. . .] not for . (Luther, Castalio, Bengel, and many, including Kuinoel), but lyrically unperiodic: and holy is His name! Hence, also, a full stop is not to be placed after (Lachmann, Tischendorf, Bleek), but only a comma. To the might the holiness attaches itself.
. ] Comp. Isa 51:8 ; 1Ma 2:61 ; Test. XII. Patr. p. 568: unto generations and generations, i.e. ever onward from one generation to the following. The Recepta would mean: to the uttermost generations; these would be conceived of as forming a superlative . Analogous Greek superlative designations, especially from the dramatic writers, may be seen in Brunck, ad Oedip. R. 466; Bernhardy, p. 154.
. .] sc. . It denotes the essence of theocratic piety. Comp. Exo 20:6 ; Psa 103:7 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
Ver. 49. He that is mighty ] The mighty strong God, ..
Hath done great things for me ] No small things can fall from so great a hand. He gives like himself.
And holy is his name ] God that is holy, is to be sanctified in holiness, Isa 5:16 , when men see their children especially (as here) the work of God’s hands, Isa 29:23 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
He That is mighty = the Mighty One.
His name. See note on Psa 20:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 1:49-50, , and) He [that is mighty, etc.], Whose name is holy, and Whose mercy, etc. [but Engl. Vers. And holy is His name, and His mercy, etc.] For these three clauses are joined together by the and, repeated. So the Hebrew relative, , is often not expressed but understood. It is not until Luk 1:51 that the new paragraph begins.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he: Gen 17:1, Psa 24:8, Isa 1:24, Isa 63:1, Jer 10:6, Jer 20:11
hath: Psa 71:19-21, Psa 126:2, Psa 126:3, Mar 5:13, Eph 3:20
and: Exo 15:11, 1Sa 2:2, Psa 99:3, Psa 99:9, Psa 111:9, Isa 6:3, Isa 57:15, Rev 4:8, Rev 15:4
Reciprocal: Psa 98:1 – for he
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
Mary attributes her great favor to the One with a holy name.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 1:49. And holy is his name. The song now becomes more general in its expressions. This rising from what is personal to general praise, is a characteristic of most of Davids Psalms.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luk 1:49-51. He that is mighty Beyond all our conceptions, even the Almighty God, to whom this strange event is not only possible, but easy; hath done to me great things Miracles, as the words and often signify in the Old Testament, being applied by the LXX. to the miracles wrought in Egypt, and in the wilderness. Probably, Mary had now in her eye her miraculous conception of the Messiah, being astonished that God should have chosen her, a person of the meanest condition, to be his mother. Yet from her belief of the divine perfections, she was convinced that all was done in wisdom and truth, and therefore she adds, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him It always has been so; he has ever looked on them with an eye of peculiar favour, who have looked up to him with an eye of filial fear. But he hath manifested his mercy, so as he had never done before, in sending his Son to bring in an everlasting righteousness, and work out an everlasting salvation for them that fear him, and this from generation to generation: for there are gospel privileges, transmitted by entail, and intended for perpetuity. Those that fear God, as their Creator and Judge, are encouraged to hope for mercy from him, through their Mediator and Advocate; and in him mercy is settled upon all such, while the world stands. In Christ he keepeth mercy for thousands. He hath showed strength with his arm That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done which God was about to do by the Messiah. Grotius observes, that Gods great power is represented by his finger, his greater by his hand, and his greatest by his arm. The production of lice was by the finger of God, Exo 7:18; and the other miracles in Egypt were done by his right hand, Exo 3:20. But the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea was brought to pass by his arm, Exo 15:16. Wherefore the virgins meaning is, that in this dispensation of his providence, God mightily manifested his sovereign power. He hath scattered the proud, &c. In the course of Gods providence it is his usual method to cross the expectations of men, and proceed quite otherwise than they promise themselves. Proud men expect with ease to effect their purposes, and carry all before them; but he scatters them in the imagination of their hearts; breaks their measures, blasts their projects; nay, and brings them low by those very counsels, with which they thought to advance and establish themselves. Some read this clause, He hath scattered those that prided themselves in the imagination, or thought, of their heart. But the words will better bear the translation which we give them, which certainly expresses a more emphatical sense, and one peculiarly applicable to the gospel, in which God doth not only cast down imaginations and every high thing, &c., (2Co 10:5,) by the humbling scheme of his recovering grace, but hath remarkably confounded his most insolent enemies in their own most elaborate projects, and established his sacred cause by the violent attempts they have made to suppress it: compare Psa 2:1-3; a triumph of divine wisdom, of which succeeding ages furnish out memorable and frequent instances. Doddridge.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 49
Thus far the words of Mary’s song express the feelings awakened in her heart by the circumstances of her own particular case. There is something sublime in the feelings with which this youthful maiden looks forward to her approaching maternity. Her mind dwells not upon the love, the caresses, the thousand charms and fascinations of infancy and childhood, on which the heart of a mother might have been expected to rest. She seems to overlook all these, and, as if from a high moral elevation, she surveys the vast consequences to her nation and to her race, which were to result from the approaching change in her own private condition. The Luke 1:50-55 of the song are general expressions of adoration and praise, for the power and providence of God. The reader will find a very striking similarity between this hymn of thanksgiving and that of Hannah, as recorded in 1 Samuel 2:1-10:
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
The second strophe (Luk 1:49-50) glorifies God for His power, holiness, and mercy. Here are more reasons future generations would call Mary blessed. The Mighty One had done great things for her (cf. Psa 24:8; Zep 3:17). Furthermore His name (i.e., His person) is holy. God is holy or different from humans in that He is high above all others, especially in His moral and ethical perfection (cf. Psa 99:3; Psa 103:1; Psa 111:9; Isa 57:15).