Luke 1:14

Luke 1:14, in plain English

The angel says this child will bring Zechariah great joy and delight, and many other people will also be thrilled when he is born.

Why it's here

This baby isn't just an answer to a personal prayer. He's going to bring joy to an entire nation because he's the one who will prepare the way for the Messiah.

Who's speaking

The angel describes the joy this child will bring.

Where it sits in the story

After years of heartbreak, Zechariah is promised joy upon joy. And his joy will be contagious, spreading to countless others through the child God is giving him.

The scholarly reading

The angel declares the child will bring chara (joy) and agalliasis (exultation/gladness) to Zechariah, and polloi (many) will rejoice at his genesis (birth).

Language and setting

The dual joy, personal and communal, anticipates John's role as the forerunner. The word agalliasis carries eschatological overtones of messianic joy.

Voice

The angel continues prophesying about the child's impact.

Significance

The birth of this child will bring joy that extends far beyond one family. John's arrival will signal the dawn of the messianic age and spark rejoicing across the nation.

12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.

13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,

15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

16Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.

Read all of Luke 1 — A physician writes the most detailed account of Jesus' life. Luke notices the people others overlook — the poor, the outcast, the women, the forgotten.