The Meaning of Luke 1:50 Explained

Luke 1:50

KJV: And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

YLT: And His kindness is to generations of generations, To those fearing Him,

Darby: and his mercy is to generations and generations to them that fear him.

ASV: And his mercy is unto generations and generations On them that fear him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  his  mercy  [is] on them that fear  him  from  generation  to generation. 

What does Luke 1:50 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God"s mercy (Gr. eleos) balances His power and holiness ( Psalm 103:17; cf. Matthew 23:23). The Greek word eleos translates the Hebrew hesed, meaning "loyal love," in the Septuagint. His mercy refers to His compassion, specifically on those with whom He has entered into covenant relationship. Those who fear God reverence and trust Him.

Context Summary

Luke 1:39-56 - The Song Of The Virgin Mother
Zacharias lived in a Levitical city in the hill country of Judah. The narrative evidently implies that there had been no previous communication between the two women of what had happened. In their greeting both were led and taught of the Spirit.
Evidently Mary was living in close familiarity with the Scriptures. Often she had been deeply moved by their radiant promises, and had pleaded that God would at last help His people and send the Savior. Now that this blessing had come to her, she voiced her thanks, not only under the express inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but in the familiar expressions of Scripture. No others would have sufficed. Compare Hannah's song of praise, under similar circumstances, 1 Samuel 2:1-10. This song is called the Magnificat, that being the first word in the Latin version. Wonder and praise, humility and exultation, adoration and congratulation-these colors chase one another in the heart of this jewel. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 1

1  The preface of Luke to his whole gospel
5  The conception of John the Baptist;
26  and of Jesus
39  The prophecy of Elisabeth and of Mary, concerning Jesus
57  The nativity and circumcision of John
67  The prophecy of Zachariah, both of Jesus,
76  and of John

Greek Commentary for Luke 1:50

Fear [ποβουμενοις]
Dative of the present middle participle. Here it is reverential fear as in Acts 10:2; Colossians 3:22. The bad sense of dread appears in Matthew 21:46; Mark 6:20; Luke 12:4. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 1:50

Matthew 5:7 The merciful []
See on Luke 1:50. [source]
Luke 1:45 For [οτι]
It is not certain whether οτι — hoti here is “that” or “because.” It makes good sense either way. See also Luke 7:16. This is the first beatitude in the New Testament and it is similar to the last one in the Gospels spoken to Thomas to discourage his doubt (John 20:29). Elisabeth wishes Mary to have full faith in the prophecy of the angel. This song of Elisabeth is as real poetry as is that of Mary (Luke 1:47-55) and Zacharias (Luke 1:68-70). All three spoke under the power of the Holy Spirit. These are the first New Testament hymns and they are very beautiful. Plummer notes four strophes in Mary‘s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-48, Luke 1:49, Luke 1:50, Luke 1:51-53, Luke 1:54, Luke 1:55). Every idea here occurs in the Old Testament, showing that Mary‘s mind was full of the spiritual message of God‘s word. [source]
Romans 9:15 I will have mercy - compassion [ἐλεήσω - οἰκτειρήσω]
See Exodus 33:19. For mercy see on 2 John 1:3; see on Luke 1:50. The former verb emphasizes the sense of human wretchedness in its active manifestation; the latter the inward feeling expressing itself in sighs and tears. Have mercy therefore contemplates, not merely the sentiment in itself, but the determination of those who should be its objects. The words were spoken to Moses in connection with his prayer for a general forgiveness of the people, which was refused, and his request to behold God's glory, which was granted. With reference to the latter, God asserts that His gift is of His own free grace, without any recognition of Moses' right to claim it on the ground of merit or service. [source]
2 John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy and peace [ἔσται μεθ ἡμῶν χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη]
The verb is in the future tense: shall be. In the Pauline Epistles the salutations contain no verb. In 1 and 2Peter and Jude, πληθυνθείη bemultiplied, is used. Grace ( χάρις ) is of rare occurrence in John's writings (John 1:14, John 1:16, John 1:17; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 22:21); and the kindred χαρίζομαι tofavor, be kind, forgive, and χάρισμα giftare not found at all. See on Luke 1:30. Mercy ( ἔλεος ), only here in John. See on Luke 1:50. The pre-Christian definitions of the word include the element of grief experienced on account of the unworthy suffering of another. So Aristotle. The Latin misericordia (miser “wretched,” cor “the heart”) carries the same idea. So Cicero defines it, the sorrow arising from the wretchedness of another suffering wrongfully. Strictly speaking, the word as applied to God, cannot include either of these elements, since grief cannot be ascribed to Him, and suffering is the legitimate result of sin. The sentiment in God assumes the character of pitying love. Mercy is kindness and goodwill toward the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them. Trench observes: “In the Divine mind, and in the order of our salvation as conceived therein, the mercy precedes the grace. God so loved the world with a pitying love (herein was the mercy ), that He gave His only-begotten Son (herein the grace ), that the world through Him might be saved. But in the order of the manifestation of God's purposes of salvation, the grace must go before the mercy and make way for it. It is true that the same persons are the subjects of both, being at once the guilty and the miserable; yet the righteousness of God, which it is quite as necessary should be maintained as His love, demands that the guilt should be done away before the misery can be assuaged; only the forgiven may be blessed. He must pardon before He can heal … . From this it follows that in each of the apostolic salutations where these words occur, grace precedes mercy” (“Synonyms of the New Testament”). [source]
Revelation 2:10 Fear not [υηδὲν φοβοῦ]
Lit., fear nothing. For the verb, see on Luke 1:50. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 1:50 mean?

And the mercy of Him [is] to generations to those fearing Him
καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰς τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν

ἔλεος  mercy 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔλεος  
Sense: mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
εἰς  [is]  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
γενεὰς  generations 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: γενεά  
Sense: fathered, birth, nativity.
τοῖς  to  those 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
φοβουμένοις  fearing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).