For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
It is part of Mary's outburst of rejoicing and praise, her triumphant song in Luke 1:46-55. She rejoices over the honor God bestowed on her in choosing her to give birth to the Saviour, declaring that God who is mighty did great things for her and that His name is holy, in gratitude for His power and goodness. Her song presents God as showing strength and mercy to those who fear Him, scattering the proud and raising up the lowly, for He is the strength of those who know their need of Him. It belongs to the birth account that fulfills the prediction that a child is born and proves Jesus was a real human being, begotten by the power of the Highest and born of Mary in Bethlehem of Judea in the reign of Augustus Caesar. That birth marks the fulfillment of the gospel promises made in the Old Testament, and the verse itself can be used as a personal expression of gratitude for what God has accomplished.
Setting and Meaning
The verse is part of Mary's outburst of rejoicing and praise to God, her triumphant song, the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. It stands within the first chapter of Luke among the announcements and songs of praise that lead to the prophecy of Zacharias in Luke 1:67-79 and to the birth of Christ in Bethlehem in Luke 2:1-7. It stands within Luke's telling of the early history of the mission of Jesus, which gives that early history far more fully than the other Gospels do, including the birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus, the angelic appearance to the shepherds and their worship of the child Jesus, the presentation in the temple, the preaching of John the Baptist, the genealogy of Jesus traced back to Adam as Saviour of all nations, the temptation of Jesus, and his ministry in Nazareth about six months later.
It shows Mary rejoicing over the honor God had bestowed on her in choosing her to give birth to the Saviour. It declares that God, who is mighty, did great things for Mary, and that his name is holy, expressing gratitude for God's power and goodness. Her words belong to a song that presents God as showing strength and mercy to those who fear him, scattering the proud and raising up the lowly, illustrating that God is the strength of those who know their need of him.
Fulfillment and Application
The birth account to which it belongs fulfills the prediction that a child is born and proves that Jesus was a real human being, begotten by the power of the Highest and born of Mary in Bethlehem of Judea in the reign of Augustus Caesar. That account of Jesus' birth marks the fulfillment of the gospel promises made in the Old Testament. God's power is revealed in the great things He does for His people, and His holy name deserves praise, as seen when a woman's husband who had long opposed God's work was moved after prayer to take a stand for God's commandments and the faith of Jesus.
It serves as a personal expression of gratitude for what God has accomplished, declaring that the mighty God has done great things for the speaker and that His name is holy. As part of a holy hymn sung in evening worship, its song ascends to heaven only as music of the heart, for beauty and clearness of voice do not carry it to heaven, while even harsh and broken voices are heard when they sing from the heart.
Chanting Mary's song while people are being persecuted in an inquisitorial palace stands condemned as a hypocritical use of her praise amid cruelty.
It is part of Mary's outburst of rejoicing and praise, her triumphant song in Luke 1:46-55. She rejoices over the honor God bestowed on her in choosing her to give birth to the Saviour, declaring that God who is mighty did great things for her and that His name is holy, in gratitude for His power and goodness. Her song presents God as showing strength and mercy to those who fear Him, scattering the proud and raising up the lowly, for He is the strength of those who know their need of Him. It belongs to the birth account that fulfills the prediction that a child is born and proves Jesus was a real human being, begotten by the power of the Highest and born of Mary in Bethlehem of Judea in the reign of Augustus Caesar. That birth marks the fulfillment of the gospel promises made in the Old Testament, and the verse itself can be used as a personal expression of gratitude for what God has accomplished.
Setting and Meaning
The verse is part of Mary's outburst of rejoicing and praise to God, her triumphant song, the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. It stands within the first chapter of Luke among the announcements and songs of praise that lead to the prophecy of Zacharias in Luke 1:67-79 and to the birth of Christ in Bethlehem in Luke 2:1-7. It stands within Luke's telling of the early history of the mission of Jesus, which gives that early history far more fully than the other Gospels do, including the birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus, the angelic appearance to the shepherds and their worship of the child Jesus, the presentation in the temple, the preaching of John the Baptist, the genealogy of Jesus traced back to Adam as Saviour of all nations, the temptation of Jesus, and his ministry in Nazareth about six months later.
It shows Mary rejoicing over the honor God had bestowed on her in choosing her to give birth to the Saviour. It declares that God, who is mighty, did great things for Mary, and that his name is holy, expressing gratitude for God's power and goodness. Her words belong to a song that presents God as showing strength and mercy to those who fear him, scattering the proud and raising up the lowly, illustrating that God is the strength of those who know their need of him.
Fulfillment and Application
The birth account to which it belongs fulfills the prediction that a child is born and proves that Jesus was a real human being, begotten by the power of the Highest and born of Mary in Bethlehem of Judea in the reign of Augustus Caesar. That account of Jesus' birth marks the fulfillment of the gospel promises made in the Old Testament. God's power is revealed in the great things He does for His people, and His holy name deserves praise, as seen when a woman's husband who had long opposed God's work was moved after prayer to take a stand for God's commandments and the faith of Jesus.
It serves as a personal expression of gratitude for what God has accomplished, declaring that the mighty God has done great things for the speaker and that His name is holy. As part of a holy hymn sung in evening worship, its song ascends to heaven only as music of the heart, for beauty and clearness of voice do not carry it to heaven, while even harsh and broken voices are heard when they sing from the heart.
Chanting Mary's song while people are being persecuted in an inquisitorial palace stands condemned as a hypocritical use of her praise amid cruelty.