Magnificat

Text and Content

The Magnificat appears in Luke 1:46-55. After the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive Jesus, she visits her relative Elizabeth (the Annunciation). When Elizabeth blesses Mary, Mary offers a song of praise that begins, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:46-47). The episode is interwoven with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

The song falls into two main parts.

• God's grace toward Mary herself: Mary sings that God "hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden," so that from henceforth all generations will call her blessed (Luke 1:48-49).
• God's work as a whole: God scatters the proud, puts down the mighty, exalts the lowly, and fills the hungry with good things while sending the rich away empty. Remembering the promise He made to Abraham and his seed, He helps Israel (Luke 1:51-55).

Background and Terminology

The name "Magnificat" comes from the opening words of the song in the Latin Vulgate, "Magnificat anima mea Dominum." The corresponding Greek verb means "to make great" or "to exalt."

The song closely echoes the language of the Old Testament. It particularly resembles Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10: both praise God for the gift of a child and celebrate a reversal in the fortunes of the exalted and the lowly. It also overlaps with a number of passages in the Psalms. Most of the verbs in the song are in the past tense, and many interpreters understand this as a prophetic mode of speech that describes future events as though they had already been accomplished.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

In addition to this song, Luke 1–2 contains the Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79) and the Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32). Together these songs present the coming of Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. By explicitly mentioning the Abrahamic covenant, the Magnificat links the history of Israel's salvation with the birth of Jesus. The theme of the exaltation of the poor recurs throughout the Gospel of Luke, continuing into Jesus' first sermon (Luke 4) and the Beatitudes (Luke 6:20).

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Understanding of Mary: The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church regard "from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed" (Luke 1:48) as one of the biblical grounds for the veneration of Mary. Protestants generally read Mary as an example of a believer who received God's grace, emphasizing that the focus of the song is on God rather than on Mary. Martin Luther is also known to have written a commentary on the Magnificat.
• Meaning of "the lowly": Some interpretations, including liberation theology, understand the term as referring to the socially and economically disadvantaged and read the song as a proclamation that overturns an unjust order. Others emphasize a spiritual meaning, referring to those who are humble before God. Many interpreters hold both aspects together.
• Distinguishing text from tradition: The text does not say that Mary "sang"; it records, "And Mary said." Calling the passage a "song" or "canticle" reflects its poetic form and later liturgical tradition. In addition, some ancient Latin manuscripts are reported to attribute these words to Elizabeth, but the great majority of manuscripts attribute them to Mary.

Use in the Church

The Magnificat has long been sung at Vespers in the Catholic Church and at Evening Prayer in the Anglican and Lutheran traditions. In Catholic usage it is commonly called the "Canticle of Mary." In Korean Protestant churches it is frequently used as a sermon text around Advent and Christmas. It also supplies the text for Christmas cantatas and choir anthems, and works of Western sacred music titled with the Latin "Magnificat" are performed as well.