What Does Luke 1:30 Mean?
And the messenger said to her, Do not be seized by awe, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
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 said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.THE KEY
The verse places God’s favor in the very moment fear is being addressed.
THE MEANING
Fear is met with a name and a reason: God’s favor is already present. This favor is gracious regard received from God, so the verse speaks to you in the very moment fear is here.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Fear means I am outside God’s favor.
THE ROOT
χάρις
charis
GROWS FROM
χαρ-
char-
Favor or gracious regard shown toward someone.
The Greek word carries the sense of gracious regard, and its word family also describes bestowing favor and a gracious gift. What Mary finds is God’s favor already directed toward her; it is not a status she has to manufacture.
ALSO GROWS
charitoō: To bestow favor or favor richly.
χαριτόω
Luke 1:28 uses this related word when Mary is called “highly favoured,” connecting the favor she finds here with favor bestowed on her.
charisma: A gracious gift.
χάρισμα
This related word shows favor taking the form of a gift, illuminating the regard Mary receives as something given.
THE PATTERN
God’s favor appears as a gift received, not a status established by effort.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.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.And if it is by favor, then it is no longer from works, otherwise favor would no longer be favor. But if it is from works, then it is no longer favor, otherwise the work would no longer be work.THE THREAD
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.Luke 1:28 uses Greek χαριτόω (charitoō, to bestow favor), from the same word family as χάρις (charis, favor) here. Together, the verses show favor as both bestowed and found, a present reality that meets the call not to fear.
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