Luke 1:7

Luke 1:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
• New International Version (NIV)But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

Context of Luke 1:7

5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly. Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn’t become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children. 8Zechariah was on duty with his division of priests. As he served in God’s presence, 9he was chosen by priestly custom to go into the Lord’s temple to burn incense.

Luke 1:7 word by word

καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς τέκνον, καθότι ἦν ἡ Ἐλισάβετ στεῖρα καὶ ἀμφότεροι προβεβηκότες ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῶν ἦσαν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• theyαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• hadεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• noοὐou · noG3756
• childτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• because thatκαθότιkathoti · as/just asG2530
• ElisabethἘλισάβετElisabet · ElizabethG1665
• barrenστεῖραsteiros · barrenG4723
• bothἀμφότεροςamphoteros · bothG297
• well strickenπροβαίνωprobainō · to advanceG4260
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• yearsἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250

Cross-references for Luke 1:7

• Genesis 15:2Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inherit my household.
• Genesis 16:1Sarai, Abram’s wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.
• Genesis 25:21Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
• Genesis 30:1Rachel saw that she could not have children for Jacob, and she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
• Judges 13:2There was a man from Zorah named Manoah. Manoah was from the family of Dan. His wife was not able to have children.
• 1 Samuel 1:2Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
• Genesis 17:17Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, “Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?”
• Genesis 18:11Abraham and Sarah were old. Sarah was past the age of childbearing.
• 1 Kings 1:1King David had grown old, and although he was covered with blankets, he couldn’t get warm.
• 2 Kings 4:14“What should we do for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
• Romans 4:19Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children.
• Hebrews 11:11Faith enabled Abraham to become a father, even though he was old and Sarah had never been able to have children. Abraham trusted that God would keep his promise.

Commentaries on Luke 1:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Both were now well stricken in years - By the order of God, sterility and old age both met in the person of Elisabeth, to render the birth of a son (humanly speaking) impossible. This was an exact parallel to the case of Sarah and Abraham, Genesis 11:30; Genesis 17:17. Christ must (by the miraculous power of God) be born of a virgin: whatever was connected with, or referred to, his incarnation must be miraculous and impressive. Isaac was his grand type…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Well stricken in years - Old or advanced in life, so as to render the prospect of having children hopeless.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-25Verses 5-25 The father and mother of John the Baptist were sinners as all are, and were justified and saved in the same way as others; but they were eminent for piety and integrity. They had no children, and it could not be expected that Elisabeth should have any in her old age. While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were praying without. All the prayers we offer up to God, are acceptable and successful only…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Elizabeth was barren: Giving birth to children was a woman's greatest role in this culture. Being unable to have children made women feel ashamed. God miraculously intervened in the lives of various Old Testament women so they could have children (Genesis 18:10–12; 25:21; 30:22–23; Judges 13; 1 Samuel 1:1–28).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. So with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Elkanah and Hannah, Manoah and his wife.Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 1:7

• Barrenness
• Elisabeth (Elizabeth)
• Joy
• Temple
• Zacharias (Zechariah)

In the dictionaries

• Barren
• Begin
• Certainty
• Conceive
• Estate
• Ministration
• Noise
• Righteousness
• Salutation
• Sign

Commentaries on Luke 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings