Bede — Commentary on Scripture

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

But Mary said to the angel: How will this be, since I do not know a man? She reverently expressed the purpose of her mind, that is, that she had decided to lead a virginal life. Because she was the first among women to devote herself to such great virtue, she rightfully deserved, by unique merit, to excel in blessedness above other women. How, she said, will this be? She did not say: How will I know this; but, How will this be, she said, since I do not know a man. She inquired about the order of obedience to which she should submit, not asking for a sign to believe. For it did not befit the virgin chosen to bear God to exist in doubtful mistrust but in cautious prudence, since man could not easily know the mystery that was hidden in God through the ages. Therefore, because she had read, Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, but had not read how it could happen, rightfully believing in what she had read, she asked the angel about what she did not find in the prophet (Isaiah VII).

Luke 1:35 · 2 passages

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And the angel, responding, said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Not by the seed of man, which you do not know, he said, but by the work of the Holy Spirit by which you are filled, you will conceive. There will be conception in you, desire will not be. There will be no heat of lust, where the Holy Spirit makes a shadow. Indeed, in that he said, And the power of the Most High will overshadow you, both natures of the incarnate Savior can also be indicated. For a shadow is usually formed by both light and a body. And to whom it is overshadowed, indeed by the light or heat of the sun it is refreshed as much as is sufficient, but the heat of the sun itself, lest it be unbearable, is moderated by an intervening light cloud or some other body. Therefore, to the Blessed Virgin, because as a pure human she could not fully contain all the fullness of the divinity bodily, the power of the Most High overshadowed, that is, the incorporeal light of divinity assumed a body in her of humanity. Of which the prophet beautifully says: Behol…

And the angel, responding, said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Not by the seed of man, which you do not know, he said, but by the work of the Holy Spirit by which you are filled, you will conceive. There will be conception in you, desire will not be. There will be no heat of lust, where the Holy Spirit makes a shadow. Indeed, in that he said, And the power of the Most High will overshadow you, both natures of the incarnate Savior can also be indicated. For a shadow is usually formed by both light and a body. And to whom it is overshadowed, indeed by the light or heat of the sun it is refreshed as much as is sufficient, but the heat of the sun itself, lest it be unbearable, is moderated by an intervening light cloud or some other body. Therefore, to the Blessed Virgin, because as a pure human she could not fully contain all the fullness of the divinity bodily, the power of the Most High overshadowed, that is, the incorporeal light of divinity assumed a body in her of humanity. Of which the prophet beautifully says: Behold, the Lord, he says, ascends upon a light cloud, and will enter Egypt (Isaiah 19), which is to say: Behold, the Word of God coeternal with the Father, and light from light born before the ages, will assume flesh at the end of the ages and a soul not weighed down by any burden of sin, and from the virginal womb, as a bridegroom from his chamber, (Psalm 18) will come forth into the world.

Therefore, the holy one to be born from you will be called the Son of God. In distinction from our holiness, Jesus is asserted to be uniquely holy in his birth. For we, even if we are made holy, are not born holy, because we are constrained by the condition of corruptible nature itself. Rightly, then, we each lament with the Prophet, saying: "Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 50). But He alone is truly holy who, to overcome the condition of corruptible nature itself, was not conceived from a commingling of carnal union. "The holy one," He says, "will be called the Son of God." What do you say here, Nestorian, who denies the blessed Mary to be the Mother of God, trying to attack the clearly open truth? Behold, It said that God will come, the Son of God will be born. How, then, either is the Son of God not God, or the one who bore God, how can she not be Θεοτόκος, that is, the Mother of God?

Luke 1:36 · 3 passages

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

And behold, your cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who was called barren, for with God, nothing will be impossible. Lest the Virgin doubt her ability to give birth, she receives the example of the barren old woman who is to give birth, in order to learn that all things are possible with God, even those that seem contrary to the natural order. If anyone is troubled by how he calls Elizabeth the cousin of Blessed Mary, since one comes from the house of David and the other from the daughters of Aaron, let him note that their ancestors of both tribes could have joined in marriage by children given to each other. And if this explanation is not sufficient for one arguing more contentiously, as though this could not have happened contrary to the interdiction of the law, let him read Exodus, where it is written: "Aaron took Elizabeth, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as a wife, and she bore him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar" (Exodus 6). And let him see that before the law's decree, by divine providence…

And behold, your cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who was called barren, for with God, nothing will be impossible. Lest the Virgin doubt her ability to give birth, she receives the example of the barren old woman who is to give birth, in order to learn that all things are possible with God, even those that seem contrary to the natural order. If anyone is troubled by how he calls Elizabeth the cousin of Blessed Mary, since one comes from the house of David and the other from the daughters of Aaron, let him note that their ancestors of both tribes could have joined in marriage by children given to each other. And if this explanation is not sufficient for one arguing more contentiously, as though this could not have happened contrary to the interdiction of the law, let him read Exodus, where it is written: "Aaron took Elizabeth, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as a wife, and she bore him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar" (Exodus 6). And let him see that before the law's decree, by divine providence, the priestly and royal lineage had already been joined. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ, who according to the flesh was to be a true King and Priest, would take this flesh from both lineages, namely David and Aaron. Hence, in this dual lineage, the mystical chrism was celebrated according to the law, a foretelling of both the name and generation of Christ. And David himself, entering the house of God, received the holy bread and the sword as a king and priest. He was prefiguring the one who would come from his seed, who would fight for our freedom by the right of a king, and for our absolution would offer the bread of his flesh.

Now when the mediator between God and human beings appeared in the world, it was fitting that he had his physical origin from both tribes because, in the humanity which he assumed, he would possess the roles of both priest and king.

So it was then, lest the virgin should despair of being able to bear a son, that she received the example of one both old and barren about to bring forth, in order that she might learn that all things are possible with God, even those which seem to be opposed to the order of nature. Whence it follows, For there shall be no word (verbum) impossible with God.

Having received the consent of the virgin, the angel soon returns heavenward, as it follows, And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:38 · 2 passages

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

And the angel departed from her. Rising in those days, Mary went into the hill country with haste to a city of Judah. With the virgin's consent granted, the angel soon returned to the heavens, she sought the mountains. She hastens to visit Elizabeth, not as one who is incredulous about the oracle, nor doubtful about the example, but joyful for the vow, and devout for the duty. At the same time, she provides a typical example, that every soul which has conceived the word of God in the mind immediately ascends the lofty peaks of virtues with the step of love, so as to penetrate the city of Judah, that is, of confession and praise, and to be able to dwell as it were for three months in it, up to the perfection of faith, hope, and charity.

But Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word. How great the humility with devotion, who wishes for the angel's promise to be fulfilled, and calls herself, though chosen to be the mother, the handmaid. She most explicitly insinuates that she claims no merit for herself in that she complies with the Lord's commands. Let it be (she says), conceived without a man's seed in the virgin, let it be born of the Holy Spirit in full flesh, let the Holy one be born from a mother woman without a human father, let him be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:39-40 · 2 passages

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

She went so that she could offer her congratulations concerning the gift which she had learned her fellow servant had received. This was not in order to prove the word of the angel by the attestation of a woman. Rather it was so that as an attentive young virgin she might commit herself to ministry to a woman of advanced age.

Mary is blessed by Elisabeth with the same words as before by Gabriel, to show that she was to be reverenced both by men and angels.

This is the fruit which is promised to David, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. (Ps. 132:11.)

Nor is it to be wondered at, that our Lord, about to redeem the world, commenced His mighty works with His mother, that she, through whom the salvation of all men was prepared, should herself be the first to reap the fruit of salvation from her pledge.

But every soul which has conceived the word of God in the heart, straightway climbs the lofty summits of the virtues by the stairs of love, so as to be able to enter into the city of Juda, (into the citadel of prayer and praise, and abide as it were for three months in it,) to the perfection of faith, hope, and charity.

Luke 1:40

And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

And she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Learn, O virgin, the humility of Mary, so that you may be chaste in body and devout in heart. The younger visits the elder, the virgin greets the wife. For it is fitting that the more chaste the virgin, the more humble she should be, and by deferring to elders, she may commend the habit of chastity with the testimony of humility. Alternatively: Mary to Elizabeth, the Lord came to John, so that this one might be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that one might consecrate baptism. The humility of the greater is indeed the exaltation of the lesser. Consequently, it follows:

Luke 1:41

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. See the distinction and the proprieties of each word. Elizabeth heard the voice first, but John felt the grace first. She heard by the order of nature, he leaped by the reason of the mystery. She sensed the coming of Mary, he sensed the coming of the Lord. These speak of grace, those inwardly work, and they undertake the mystery of piety by the progress of the mothers, and with a double miracle, the mothers prophesy by the spirit of the little ones. The infant leaped, and the mother was filled. The mother was not filled before the child, but as the child was filled with the Holy Spirit, he also filled the mother.

Luke 1:42 · 3 passages

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

And she cried out with a loud voice and said: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. It should be noted that the prophecy about Christ mentioned previously is fulfilled not only through the miracles of events but also through the specificity of the words. For this is the fruit that is promised to the patriarch David under oath: From the fruit of your womb, I will place someone on my throne (Psalm 131). At the same time, it should be observed that Mary is blessed by Elizabeth with the same voice as by Gabriel, showing that she is to be revered by both angels and humans and rightly preferred above all other women.

“Blessed is the fruit of your womb”—since through you we have recovered both the seed of incorruption and the fruit of our heavenly inheritance, which we lost in Adam.

[Elizabeth is attributed] properly with a great voice because she recognized the great gifts of God … [and] she sensed that he whom she knew to be present everywhere was also present bodily there. Indeed, by a “great” voice is not to be understood so much a loud voice as a devoted one. She was not capable of praising the Lord with the devotion of a moderate voice. Being full of the Holy Spirit, she was on fire, harboring in her womb the one than whom no one of those born of woman would be greater. She rejoiced that he had come there—he who, conceived from the flesh of a virgin mother, would be called, and would be, the Son of the Most High.

Luke 1:43 · 2 passages

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

And how has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? She does not inquire as if she does not know what she indeed recognizes to be of the Holy Spirit, namely, that she is blessed by the mother of the Lord for the advancement of her offspring, but, struck by the novelty of the miracle, she confesses that this is not of her own merit but of divine gift.

“And whence does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Oh! What great humility in the mind of the prophet! How true the utterance of the Lord, in which he said, “Upon whom does my spirit rest if not upon one who is humble and quiet and who trembles at my words?” As soon as Elizabeth saw the one who had come to her, she recognized that she was the mother of the Lord. But she discovered in herself no such merit by which she might have become worthy to be visited by such a guest. “Whence does this happen to me,” she asked, “that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Undoubtedly the very Spirit who conferred upon her the gift of prophecy at the same time endowed her with the favor of humility. Filled with the prophetic spirit, she understood that the mother of the Savior had drawn near to her. But being discreet in the spirit of humility, she understood that she herself was less than worthy of Mary’s coming.

Luke 1:44

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

For behold, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the child leaped for joy in my womb. Elizabeth was embarrassed by the burden of pregnancy as long as she did not know the mystery of the religion. But she who hid herself because she had conceived a son began to boast because she was bearing a prophet. And she who was previously embarrassed now blesses, and she who doubted before is now affirmed. For behold (she says), as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the child leaped for joy in my womb. Therefore, she cried out with a loud voice when she sensed the Lord’s coming, because she believed the birth to be religious. For there was no cause for shame where faith in the given birth of the prophet newly ascended, not affected.

Luke 1:45

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

And blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. You see that Mary did not doubt, but believed, and therefore attained the fruit of faith. Blessed (she says) is she who believed. And indeed she is truly blessed, who is more excellent than the priest. While the priest doubted, the virgin corrected the error. Nor is it surprising if the Lord, about to redeem the world, began His work with His mother, so that she through whom salvation was being prepared for all, might receive the first fruit of salvation from the pledge. And it is equally noteworthy how much grace adorned the soul of Elizabeth when Mary entered, whom she enlightened simultaneously concerning the past, present, and future by the spirit of prophecy. For by saying, Blessed is she who believed, she clearly indicates that she recognized by the spirit the words of the angel that were spoken to Mary. And by adding: For there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told you by the Lord, she also foresaw what would follow in the future. And naming her t…

And blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. You see that Mary did not doubt, but believed, and therefore attained the fruit of faith. Blessed (she says) is she who believed. And indeed she is truly blessed, who is more excellent than the priest. While the priest doubted, the virgin corrected the error. Nor is it surprising if the Lord, about to redeem the world, began His work with His mother, so that she through whom salvation was being prepared for all, might receive the first fruit of salvation from the pledge. And it is equally noteworthy how much grace adorned the soul of Elizabeth when Mary entered, whom she enlightened simultaneously concerning the past, present, and future by the spirit of prophecy. For by saying, Blessed is she who believed, she clearly indicates that she recognized by the spirit the words of the angel that were spoken to Mary. And by adding: For there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told you by the Lord, she also foresaw what would follow in the future. And naming her the mother of her Lord, because she understood that she was carrying the Redeemer of the human race in her womb.

Luke 1:46-49

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

In the following words she teaches us how worthless she felt of herself and that she received by the heavenly grace that was lavished on her every sort of good merit that she had. She says, “For he has considered the humility of his handmaid. For behold from this time on all generations will call me blessed.” She demonstrates that in her own judgment she was indeed Christ’s humble handmaid, but with respect to heavenly grace she pronounces herself all at once lifted up and glorified to such a degree that rightly her preeminent blessedness would be marveled at by the voices of all nations.