New English Translation
Luke 1:7
7But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.
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
5During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. 6They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old. 8Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense.
Read all of Luke 1Luke 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 15:2But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?”
- Genesis 16:1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
- Genesis 25:21Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
- Genesis 30:1When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children or I’ll die!”
- Judges 13:2There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the Danite tribe. His wife was infertile and childless.
- 1 Samuel 1:2He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
- Genesis 17:17Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
- Genesis 18:11Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; Sarah had long since passed menopause.)
- 1 Kings 1:1King David was very old; even when they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm.
- 2 Kings 4:14So he asked Gehazi, “What can I do for her?” Gehazi replied, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
- Romans 4:19Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
- Hebrews 11:11By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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