Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elisabeth Who Prophesies by the Holy Spirit Over Jesus and Mary and Rejoices and Worships God (1:39-56).

Elisabeth’s months of retreat were partly interrupted by the arrival of Mary in the sixth month (which at least partly explains why there were only five months of retreat). But this was not something that could cause frustration, for her coming resulted in a sign from God of the relationship that there would be between John and Jesus, and resulted in an outburst of prophecy through the filling (pimplemi) of the Holy Spirit. It contributed to the series of revelations. It is being made clear by this filling with the Holy Spirit, and the parallel activities of the Spirit that were also taking place, that the times of the pouring out of the Spirit promised by the prophets are almost upon them. These are the firstfruits of prophecy, which will lead into the flood.

Again Luke has built this passage on a chiastic basis, but necessarily the prophecy stands on its own. It can be analysed as follows:

a And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth.

b And it came about that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb.

c And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

b For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

a And blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.

In ‘a’ Mary arrives and greets Elisabeth, and in the parallel we have her response to Mary’ greeting, which connects back also to Luke 1:38. In ‘b’ the babe leaps in her womb, and in the parallel reference is made to his leaping in the womb. While in ‘c’ central to this passage is again the idea of the birth of Jesus, for Elisabeth declares, ‘Blessed is the fruit of your womb’, and ‘The mother of my Lord has come to me.’ All again centres on Jesus.