New King James Version
Luke 1:7
7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
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 Living Translation (NLT)They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
Context of Luke 1:7
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
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, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
- Genesis 16:1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.
- Genesis 25:21Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
- Genesis 30:1Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”
- Judges 13:2Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.
- 1 Samuel 1:2And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
- Genesis 17:17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
- Genesis 18:11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
- 1 Kings 1:1Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.
- 2 Kings 4:14So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
- Romans 4:19And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
- Hebrews 11:11By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries