What Does Luke 1:28 Mean?
And the messenger came in to her and said, Rejoice, you who have been highly favored, the LORD is with you. Well spoken of are you among women.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.THE KEY
The greeting names favor as already resting on Mary before it explains what comes next.
THE MEANING
You meet Mary first as one who has received favor: the greeting names her as favored, then names the Lord’s nearness and blessing. Favor, presence, and blessing arrive together, so favor is more than approval, it is a life addressed by presence and good words.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that you must prove your worth before favor can be named loosens here: Mary is called favored before the announcement unfolds.
THE ROOT
κεχαριτωμένη
kecharitōmenē
GROWS FROM
χαρι-
chari-
Favor; gracious benefit freely given.
“highly favored” in this verse is kecharitōmenē. This perfect participle presents Mary as standing in a state of received favor. Its word family also names favor itself and the act of granting it, keeping the greeting’s emphasis on what she receives.
ALSO GROWS
charis: Favor, gracious favor.
χάρις
This is the noun for favor in the same word family, making explicit the root behind the greeting’s description of Mary.
charizomai: To grant freely, give graciously.
χαρίζομαι
This verb shows the same family describing favor as something actively bestowed.
εὐλογημένη
eulogēmenē
GROWS FROM
εὐλογ-
eulog-
To speak well of; to bless.
“Well spoken of” in this verse is eulogēmenē. The word carries the sense of blessing as well-speaking: a good word is spoken over Mary. The verse joins this spoken blessing to favor and the Lord’s nearness.
ALSO GROWS
eulogeō: To bless, speak well of.
εὐλογέω
The verb shows the action within the word family: blessing is spoken.
eulogia: Blessing, praise.
εὐλογία
This noun names the blessing that the greeting speaks over Mary.
ἄγγελος
angelos
GROWS FROM
ἀγγελ-
angel-
Messenger; one who announces.
The root keeps attention on the messenger’s role: what arrives is an announcement. Here the announcement itself names Mary as favored, speaks of the Lord’s presence, and blesses her.
ALSO GROWS
angellō: To announce, report.
ἀγγέλλω
This verb makes the messenger’s root visible in the act of bringing news.
angelia: Message, announcement.
ἀγγελία
This noun names what the messenger carries: a message that gives Mary a new way to hear her own state.
THE PATTERN
Favor is received and made visible through presence and blessing.
But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him faithful love, and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison.For you, LORD, bless the aligned one; with favor you encircle him as with a shield.To the praise of the weight of his favor, by which he has favored us in the beloved.THE THREAD
And the messenger said to her, Do not be seized by awe, Mary, for you have found favor with God.The Greek χάριν (charin), meaning favor, belongs to the same χάρι- (chari-) word family as “highly favoured” in verse 28. The next line names that favor directly: Mary is described as favored, then as having found favor with God.
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