Luke 1:34

THE MESSAGE

Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

King James Version (1611)
Then said Marie vnto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

King James Version
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

English Standard Version
And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

New American Standard Bible
But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

New Century Version
Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen since I am a virgin?"

Amplified Bible
Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

Legacy Standard Bible
But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

Berean Standard Bible
"How can this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Contemporary English Version
Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen? I am not married!"

Complete Jewish Bible
"How can this be," asked Miryam of the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Darby Translation
But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?

Easy-to-Read Version
Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I am still a virgin."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then sayde Marie vnto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I knowe not man?

George Lamsa Translation
Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, for no man has known me.

Good News Translation
Mary said to the angel, "I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?"

Lexham English Bible
And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

Literal Translation
But Mary said to the angel, How will this be since I do not know a man?

American Standard Version
And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Bible in Basic English
And Mary said to the angel, How may this be, because I have had no knowledge of a man?

Hebrew Names Version
Miryam said to the angel, "How will this be, seeing I am a virgin?"

International Standard Version
Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not had relations withI have not known">[fn] a man?"

Etheridge Translation
And Mariam said to the angel, How shall this be, because a man is not known to me?

Murdock Translation
And Mary said to the angel: How can this be, as I have not known a man?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then said Marie vnto ye Angel: How shall this be, seing I knowe not a man?

English Revised Version
And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

World English Bible
Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, seeing I am a virgin?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Weymouth's New Testament
"How can this be," Mary replied, "seeing that I have no husband?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Marie seide to the aungel, On what maner schal this thing be doon, for Y knowe not man?

Update Bible Version
And Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I don't know a man?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

New English Translation
Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

New King James Version
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

New Living Translation
Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin."

New Life Bible
Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I have never had a man."

New Revised Standard
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Mary said unto the messenger - How, shall this thing be, seeing that, a man, I know not?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?

Revised Standard Version
And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then sayd Mary vnto ye angell: How shall this be seinge I knowe not a man?

Young's Literal Translation
And Mary said unto the messenger, `How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Mary vnto the angell: How shal this be, seinge I knowe not a ma?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Then said Mary to the angel, what shall this be without any intercourse with man?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Mary sheepishly asked, "How's this going to work since I've never slept with a man?"

Contextual Overview

²⁶In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. ²⁹She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom." ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." ³⁵ The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. ³⁶"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Judges 13:8-12, Acts 9:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:8 - General Genesis 18:12 - laughed Numbers 11:22 - General Judges 6:15 - wherewith 1 Samuel 16:2 - How can I go Jeremiah 31:22 - A woman Luke 1:18 - Whereby John 3:9 - How Acts 27:31 - Except

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Mary to the angel, how shall this be,.... This she said not as doubting the truth of what was said; for she required no sign, as Zacharias did; nor is she charged with, and blamed for unbelief, as he was; yea, it is expressly said, Luke 1:45 that she believed: nor was this a curious question, as whether she should have this son by a man in a married state, or in her present virgin state; for she clearly understood the angel to mean the latter; and therefore her words express her admiration at it, and also her desire to be informed of the manner how it should be: as to the matter of fact, she did not dispute it, but wanted to be resolved by what means it would be brought about: she knew, by prophecy, that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin, and she perceived, by the angel's declaration, that she was that virgin, but could not imagine in what way this amazing thing should be effected; and therefore proposes this question for the following reason,

seeing I know not a man? "A husband", as the Arabic version renders it; not Joseph, nor any other man; for though she was espoused to Joseph, yet he had not taken her to wife; nor were they, as yet; come together; and before they did, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost, Matthew 1:18 she was a pure virgin, untouched by man. The words are an "euphemism", or a modest way of expressing carnal copulation; see Genesis 4:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Seeing I know not a man — Or, husband. As she was only contracted to Joseph, and not as yet married, she knew that this conception could not have yet taken place; and she modestly inquires by what means the promise of the angel is to be fulfilled in order to regulate her conduct accordingly.