What Does Luke 1:44 Mean in the King James?
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
A greeting reaches the ear, and joy appears first as a leap within the body.
THE MEANING
Mary’s greeting reaches Elizabeth’s ears, and the child within her leaps with exultation. You see joy here as a bodily response that arrives before anyone can explain it.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This verse undoes the belief that joy must wait for conscious understanding: the child leaps before anyone explains the response.
THE ROOT
ἐσκίρτησεν
eskirtesen
GROWS FROM
σκίρτ-
skirt-
leap, spring
“leaped” in this verse is eskirtesen. The Greek verb describes a sudden springing movement; the same verb family appears in Luke 6:23 as the bodily leap paired with rejoicing. Here, joy first takes shape as movement inside the womb.
ALSO GROWS
skirtaō: to leap, spring
σκιρτάω
This is the verb’s dictionary form, naming the springing movement carried by the child’s leap.
skirtēsate: leap (plural command)
σκιρτήσατε
Luke uses this form in ‘leap for joy’ in 6:23, where the same root joins bodily movement with rejoicing.
ἀγαλλιάσει
agalliasei
GROWS FROM
ἀγαλλ-
agall-
exult, rejoice greatly
The verse names the child’s response as exultation, with the force of rejoicing that rises outward. Paired with σκίρτησεν, joy is disclosed as a leap.
ALSO GROWS
agalliaō: to rejoice greatly, exult
ἀγαλλιάω
This verb expresses the rejoicing named by the noun in the verse.
agalliasis: exultation, rejoicing
ἀγαλλίασις
This is the noun’s basic form; the verse uses it to name the joy accompanying the child’s leap.
THE PATTERN
Joy takes bodily and audible form: Scripture pictures it in leaps, laughter, singing, and even clapping trees.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.THE THREAD
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.Luke 6:23 uses the same Greek verb, σκιρτάω (skirtaō), for the leap paired with rejoicing. The shared root makes the child’s movement a bodily expression of joy.
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