Luke 1:46

THE MESSAGE

And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And Mary said:

King James Version (1611)
And Marie said, My soule doth magnifie the Lord.

King James Version
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

English Standard Version
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,

New American Standard Bible
And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord,

New Century Version
Then Mary said, "My soul praises the Lord;

Amplified Bible
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies and exalts the Lord,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Mary said:"My soul magnifies the Lord,

Berean Standard Bible
Then Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,

Contemporary English Version
Mary said: With all my heart I praise the Lord,

Complete Jewish Bible
Then Miryam said, "My soul magnifies Adonai ;

Darby Translation
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Mary said, "I praise the Lord with all my heart.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Marie sayde, My soule magnifieth the Lorde,

George Lamsa Translation
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,

Good News Translation
Mary said, "My heart praises the Lord;

Lexham English Bible
And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord,

Literal Translation
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,

American Standard Version
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

Bible in Basic English
And Mary said: My soul gives glory to God;

Hebrew Names Version
Miryam said, "My soul magnifies the Lord.

International Standard Version
Then Mary said,1 Samuel 2:1; Psalm 34:2-3; 35:9; Habakkuk 3:18;">[xr] "My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!

Etheridge Translation
And Mariam said: My soul doth magnify the Lord,

Murdock Translation
And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Marie saide: My soule magnifieth the Lorde.

English Revised Version
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

World English Bible
Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And Mary said,

Weymouth's New Testament
Then Mary said: "My soul extols the Lord,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Marie seide, Mi soule magnyfieth the Lord,

Update Bible Version
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

New English Translation
And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord,

New King James Version
And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,

New Living Translation
Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

New Life Bible
Then Mary said, "My heart sings with thanks for my Lord.

New Revised Standard
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Mary said - My soul doth magnify the Lord,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And Mary sayde. My soule magnifieth the Lorde.

Young's Literal Translation
And Mary said, `My soul doth magnify the Lord,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Mary sayde:My soule magnifieth the LORDE.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Then Mary said, "my soul doth magnify the Lord,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Then Mary humbly said, "I'm happy to give my heart to God.

Contextual Overview

³⁹Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly, You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true! ⁴⁶And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now. ⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Samuel 2:1, Psalms 34:2, Psalms 34:3, Psalms 35:9, Psalms 103:1, Psalms 103:2, Isaiah 24:15, Isaiah 24:16, Isaiah 45:25, Isaiah 61:10, Habakkuk 3:17, Habakkuk 3:18, Romans 5:11, 1 Corinthians 1:31, 2 Corinthians 2:14, Philippians 3:3, Philippians 4:4, 1 Peter 1:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:6 - God Judges 5:1 - Sang Deborah 1 Kings 1:48 - Blessed Job 36:24 - magnify Psalms 40:16 - say Psalms 71:23 - My lips Psalms 126:3 - General Proverbs 31:30 - a woman Isaiah 41:16 - thou shalt rejoice Joel 2:23 - rejoice Luke 2:28 - and Luke 2:38 - gave

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord. Either Jehovah, the Father, or the Son; who, as he was David's Lord, according to his divine nature, though his son after the flesh, was, in the same sense, Mary's Lord, as well as her son: and by "magnifying" him is meant, not making him great, for he cannot be made greater than he is; but ascribing greatness to him, even all the perfections of the Deity, and praising him on account of them; and also declaring and speaking well of his many and mighty works of power, goodness, grace, and mercy, and giving him the glory of them: this Mary did, not in lip and word only, but with her whole heart and, soul, and with all the powers and faculties of it; being filled with the Holy Ghost, and under a more than ordinary influence of his, as her cousin Elisabeth was: and it is to be observed, that she all along speaks in the prophetic style, of things, as if they were done, which were doing, or would shortly be done.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My soul doth magnify the Lord - To “magnify” means to “make great,” and then to “extol,” to “praise,” to “celebrate.” It does not mean here strictly to “make great,” but to increase “in our estimation” - that is, to praise or extol. See Psalms 34:3; 2 Samuel 7:26.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 46. And Mary said — Two copies of the Itala, and some books mentioned by Origen, give this song to Elisabeth. It is a counterpart of the song of Hannah, as related in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

This is allowed by many to be the first piece of poetry in the New Testament; but the address of the angel to Zacharias, Luke 1:13-17, is delivered in the same way; so is that to the virgin, Luke 1:30-33, and so also is Elisabeth's answer to Mary, Luke 1:42-45. All these portions are easily reducible to the hemistich form in which the Hebrew poetry of the Old Testament is found in many MSS., and in which Dr. Kennicott has arranged the Psalms, and other poetical parts of the Sacred Writings. See his Hebrew Bible.

My soul doth magnify the Lord — The verb μεγαλυνειν, Kypke has proved, signifies to celebrate with words, to extol with praises. This is the only way in which God can be magnified, or made great; for, strictly speaking, nothing can be added to God, for he is infinite and eternal; therefore the way to magnify him is to show forth and celebrate those acts in which he has manifested his greatness.