What Does Luke 1:58 Mean in the King James?
And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
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
Mercy becomes great in one woman’s life, then her neighbors make its joy shared by rejoicing with her.
THE MEANING
The Lord’s mercy becomes visible in her life, and the people around her recognize it. Their joy joins hers, so what comes to one person becomes gladness others can share.
THE ROOT
συνέχαιρον
synechairon
GROWS FROM
χαίρω (chairō), joined with σύν (syn-, together)
To rejoice or be glad, joined with the sense of togetherness.
“rejoiced with her” in this verse is synechairon. The Greek word carries both joy and togetherness: they do not just hear about her gladness; they join it. Its imperfect form pictures their shared rejoicing as unfolding around her.
ALSO GROWS
chairō: Rejoice, be glad
χαίρω
The base verb shows the joy at the heart of the shared response.
chara: Joy
χαρά
This related noun names the gladness that becomes communal in the verse.
ἐμεγάλυνεν
emegalynen
GROWS FROM
μεγαλ- (megal-), related to μέγας (megas)
Great; to make great or magnify.
“shewed great” in this verse is emegalynen. The Greek verb carries the image of magnifying: the Lord makes his mercy large and visible in her life. The people’s shared rejoicing shows how that mercy reaches beyond her own experience.
ALSO GROWS
megas: Great, large
μέγας
This adjective gives the basic sense behind making something great.
megalōsynē: Greatness, majesty
μεγαλωσύνη
This related noun carries the same family’s sense of greatness made evident.
THE PATTERN
When goodness arrives for one person, shared joy lets the people around them enter that gladness.
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.THE THREAD
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.The Greek for “rejoice with” is from the same verb συγχαίρω (synchairō) used in Luke. Both verses reveal joy as participation in another’s good: when one person is honored or shown mercy, others share in the gladness.
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