The Meaning of Luke 1:58 Explained

Luke 1:58

KJV: And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

YLT: and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.

Darby: And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.

ASV: And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  her neighbours  and  her  cousins  heard  how  the Lord  had shewed great  mercy  upon  her;  and  they rejoiced  with her. 

What does Luke 1:58 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 1:57-80 - The Song At The Herald's Birth
This song is second only to that of Mary. It is a noble ode, tracing our Lord's advent back to the early covenant of God with the fathers and anticipating its effects to the end of time.
It is wholesome to apply the song to ourselves and ask how far we have participated in these great blessings. Are we experiencing this daily salvation from our spiritual enemies, who hate us? Do we serve God without the slavish fear of the serf, and with the loyal allegiance of the child? Are all our days characterized by holiness toward God and righteousness toward man? Has the "dayspring from on high" visited our hearts and are our feet walking in the way of peace? Solemn questions these, but they must be faced. [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 1:58

Had magnified [εμεγαλυνεν]
Aorist active indicative. Same verb as in Luke 1:46. [source]
Rejoiced with her [συνεχαιρον αυτηι]
Imperfect tense and pictures the continual joy of the neighbours, accented also by συν — sun - (cf. Philemon 2:18) in its mutual aspect. [source]
Had shewed great mercy upon her [ἐμεγάλυνεν τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ ' αὐτῆς]
Lit., magnified his mercy with her. So Wyc. A Hebrew expression. See 1 Samuel 12:24, Sept. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 1:58 mean?

And heard the neighbors - relatives of her that was magnifying [the] Lord the mercy of Him with her they were rejoicing with her
καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ περίοικοι οἱ συγγενεῖς αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτῆς συνέχαιρον αὐτῇ

ἤκουσαν  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
περίοικοι  neighbors 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: περίοικος  
Sense: dwelling around, a neighbour.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
συγγενεῖς  relatives 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: συγγενής 
Sense: of the same kin, akin to, related by blood.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἐμεγάλυνεν  was  magnifying 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μεγαλύνω  
Sense: to make great, magnify.
Κύριος  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἔλεος  mercy 
Parse: Noun, Accusative 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.
αὐτῆς  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
συνέχαιρον  they  were  rejoicing  with 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: συγχαίρω  
Sense: to rejoice with, take part in another’s joy.
αὐτῇ  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.