Luke 1:24

Conceived (συνέλαβεν) Mr. Hobart ("Medical Language of Luke") says that the number of words referring to pregnancy, barrenness, etc., used by Luke, is almost as large as that used by Hippocrates. Compare Luke 1:31; Luke 1:24; Luke 2:5; Luke 1:7; Luke 20:28. All of these, except Luke 1:24, are peculiar to himself, and all, of course, in common use among medical writers. Hid (περιέκρυβεν) Only here in New Testament. Περί signifies completely; entire seclusion.

Luke 1:24 f. Μετὰ δὲ ταύτ . τ . ἡμέρ .] in which this vision had occurred, and he had returned at the end of the service-week to his house. Between the return and the conception we are not to place an indefinite interval. περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτήν ] she hid herself , withdrew her own person completely ( περί , see Valckenaer) from the view of others. μῆνας πέντε ] is of necessity to be understood of the first , not of the last five months of pregnancy (in opposition to Heumann). See Luke 1:26 ; Luke 1:36 ; Luke 1:56-57 . λέγουσα · ὅτι κ . τ . λ .] the reason which was uttered by her for this withdrawal; hence ὅτι is not recitative, but to be rendered because , as at Luke 7:16 : because thus hath the Lord done to me in the days, in which He was careful to take away my reproach among men . Her reflection, therefore, was to this effect: “seeing that her pregnancy was the work of God , whose care, at the setting in of this state of hers, had been directed towards removing from her the reproach of unfruitfulness, she must leave to God also the announcement of her pregnancy, and not herself bring it about. God would know how to attain His purpose of taking away her reproach.” And God knew how to attain this His purpose. After she had kept herself concealed for five months, there occurred in the sixth month, Luke 1:26 ff., the annunciation to Mary, in which the condition of Elizabeth was disclosed to Mary, so that she rose up ( Luke 1:39 ff.), etc.

Hence the opinions are not in accordance with the text, which represent Elizabeth as having kept herself concealed from shame at being with child in her old age (Origen, Ambrose, Beda, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus), or in order that she might first assure herself of her condition (Paulus), and might in the meantime apply herself to devotion (Kuinoel), or to afford no handle to curiosity (Schegg), or “quo magis appareret postea repente graviditas” (Bengel), or even because it was necessary to keep herself quiet during the first months of pregnancy (de Wette). No; it was because with resignation and confidence she awaited the emerging of the divine guidance. αἷς ] without repetition of the preposition. See Bernhardy, p. 203; Bornemann, Schol. p. 5; Kühner, ad Xen. Mem. ii. 1. 32. ἐπεῖδεν ] looked to it , i.e. took care for it . So more frequently ἐφοράω is used of the providence of the gods in the classical writers; Herod. i. 124; Soph. El. 170. Comp. Acts 4:29 τὸ ὄνειδός μου ] Comp. Genesis 30:23 . Unfruitfulness was a disgrace , as being a token of the divine disfavour ( Psalm 113:9 ; Isaiah 4:1 ; Isaiah 44:3 ; Isaiah 47:9 ; Hosea 9:11 ); the possession of many children was an honour and blessing (Psalms 127, 128). Comp. the view of the Greeks, Herod. vi. 86; Müller, Dor. II. p. 192. ἐν ἀνθρώποις ] belongs to ἀφελεῖν ; among men she had dishonour.

Luke 1:24 . περιέκρυβεν : hid herself entirely ( περὶ ), here only; ἔκρυβον : a late form of 2nd aorist. Why, not said, nor whether her husband told her what had happened to him.— μῆνας πέντε : after which another remarkable event happened. Whether she appeared openly thereafter is not indicated. Possibly not (J. Weiss).— ἐπεῖδεν : here and in Acts 4:29 = took care, the object being ἀφελεῖν τὸ ὄν . μ . = to remove my reproach: keenly felt by a Jewish woman. ἐν is understood before αἷς (Bornemann, Scholia ).

Luke 1:24 . Ταύτας , these ) the days of which Luke 1:23 makes mention [the days of his ministration].— περίεκρυβεν , She hid herself) that her pregnancy might be unobserved: owing to which, subsequently her pregnancy was suddenly made the more apparent.— λέγουσα , saying ) to the partakers of [those who sympathized in] her joy.

Verse 24. - And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months . Various reasons have been suggested for this retirement. It seems most probable that, amazed at the angelic announcement, the saintly woman went into perfect retirement and isolation for a considerable period, to prove well the words of the angel, and to consider how she best could do her part in the training of the expected child, who was to play so mighty a part in the history of her people. Luke 1:24

Ver. 24,25. How long after those days the Scripture saith not, but it is probable it was soon after, as in the case of Abraham, and in the case of Manoah’s wife, Judges 13:3 , who conceived presently after the revelation. And hid herself: not that she hid herself from seeing any person, but she concealed from those whom she saw the hopes that she had of her being with child, and perhaps what her husband had let her know by writing of the revelation he had from the angel: not that she herself doubted the thing, that were unreasonable to presume, after the seeing of her husband made dumb for a sign of it, and the next words will let us know the contrary; but to avoid the discourse of people upon so unusual a thing, who might possibly think her too vain in speaking of a thing so improbable and unlikely as this was. In the mean time she did not conceal herself from God, but said, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, ascribing it all to the power of God, who keepeth the key of the womb in his hand, and maketh the fruit of it his reward. In the days wherein he looked upon me: it is the same with Luke 1:48 , He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. The favour of God to his creatures is oft expressed under this notion, Psalm 25:18 Psalm 84:9 119:132 . To take away my reproach among men.

Barrenness is no more than a reproach amongst men; it was more especially a reproach to Jewish women, not only in regard of the expectation of being the mother of the Messias, (for none could expect that but a virgin, Isaiah 7:14 , and she of the tribe of Judah, to which the Messiah was promised, and one of the house of David, to whose family he was promised as a branch), but in regard of the special promise to Abraham, to whom a seed was promised, numerous as the dust, and as the stars, to which the barren woman could contribute nothing. It is a great mercy when God favoureth his people with any in evidences which take away their reproach amongst men, and a just cause for his people’s thankful acknowledgment.

Hid herself - Did not go forth into public, and concealed her condition. This might have been done that she might spend her time more entirely in giving praise to God for his mercies, and that she might have the fullest proof of the accomplishment of the promise before she appeared in public or spoke of the mercies of God.