Luke 1:37

Context

The verse belongs to the Annunciation scene in Luke 1:26–38. The angel Gabriel appears to Mary, a virgin in Nazareth of Galilee, and announces that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit. When Mary asks, "How shall this be?" the angel tells her that her relative Elisabeth, who had been called barren in her old age, is already in her sixth month (Zacharias and Elisabeth). This verse forms the conclusion of the angel's reply. Immediately afterward Mary responds, "Be it unto me according to thy word" (1:38). The wording resembles God's question when He promised that Sarah would bear a child: "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14). Because the verse is especially close to the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) text of that passage, many interpreters hold that Luke had it in mind.

Interpretation

• Emphasis on omnipotence: Commentaries and sermons from many denominations read the verse as a statement of God's omnipotence. They treat it as evidence that the virginal conception and the Incarnation depend not on human possibility but on the power of God.
• Emphasis on the fulfillment of God's word: The Greek word rhema can mean both "word" and "thing" (or "event"). The verse is therefore also read to mean "no word that comes from God will be without power"—that is, what God has promised will surely come to pass. Preaching in the Reformed tradition frequently pairs this reading with Isaiah 55:10–11.
• Emphasis on response: This reading takes verses 37 and 38 together, emphasizing both God's promise and Mary's faith and obedience. The Catholic Church places particular weight on Mary's obedience in this scene.

Debates and Issues

Manuscripts and translation. Most Byzantine manuscripts read "with God" (the dative case), in which case the sense is close to "nothing is impossible with God." Many of the major early manuscripts read "from God" (the genitive case, here indicating source), which brings the sense closer to "no word that comes from God will fail to be accomplished." The Korean Korean Revised Version and New Korean Revised Version render the verse as "the word of God is never without power," preserving the "word" sense. Many modern translations, by contrast, render it as "nothing is impossible."

Quotation out of context. In Pentecostal and charismatic circles, the verse is frequently cited as a basis for faith that expects divine healing and miracles. Some object that using the verse as a promise guaranteeing the fulfillment of personal wishes takes it out of context. These critics maintain that the verse originally concerned a specific promise within the history of salvation. Noting that Scripture also says God "cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13), they argue that God's omnipotence must not be separated from His will and character. Such criticism is sometimes raised alongside critiques of positive confession and the prosperity gospel.

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean churches, the verse is frequently cited in Advent and Christmas sermons on the Annunciation passage. It is also widely used as a word of encouragement in circumstances beyond human strength, such as illness, trials, and decisions about one's future.

Related Passages

• Genesis 18:14
• Jeremiah 32:17
• Matthew 19:26
• Mark 9:23
• Luke 1:26–35