The Meaning of Luke 1:41 Explained

Luke 1:41

KJV: 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:

YLT: And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe did leap in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Darby: And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Luke 1:41 Mean?

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 1:41

Leaped [εσκιρτησεν]
A common enough incident with unborn children (Genesis 25:22), but Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit to understand what had happened to Mary. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 1:41

Luke 6:23 Leap for joy [σκιρτήσατε]
See Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44. Compare Matthew, be exceeding glad ( ἀγαλλιἄσθε : see on 1 Peter 1:6). [source]
Luke 1:15 Even from his mother's womb []
Ἔτι ,yet, still, means while yet unborn. Tynd., even in his mother's womb. Compare Luke 1:41. [source]
Luke 1:15 Shall not drink [ου μη πιηι]
Strong prohibition, double negative and second aorist subjunctive.The Holy Ghost (πνευματος αγιου — pneumatos hagiou). The Holy Spirit in contrast to the physical excitement of strong drink (Plummer). Luke uses this phrase 53 times, 12 in the Gospel, Mark and John 4 each, Matthew 5 times. Even from his mother‘s womb A manifest Hebraism. Cf. Luke 1:41. [source]
Luke 1:15 Even from his mother‘s womb [ετι εκ κοιλιας μητρος αυτου]
A manifest Hebraism. Cf. Luke 1:41. [source]
Luke 6:23 Leap for joy [σκιρτησατε]
Old verb and in lxx, but only in Luke in the N.T. (here and Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44). It answers to Matthew‘s (Matthew 5:12) “be exceeding glad.” [source]
Ephesians 1:17 The Spirit of wisdom and revelation []
Spirit has not the article, but the reference is to the Holy Spirit. Compare Matthew 12:28; Luke 1:15, Luke 1:35, Luke 1:41; Romans 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2. Wisdom and revelation are special forms of the Spirit's operation. He imparts general illumination (wisdom) and special revelations of divine mysteries. The combination of two words with an advance in thought from the general to the special is characteristic of Paul. Compare grace and apostleship, Romans 1:5; gifts and calling, Romans 11:29; wisdom and prudence, Ephesians 1:8, wisdom and knowledge, Colossians 2:3. [source]
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes [ως αρτιγεννητα βρεπη]
ρεπος — Brephos old word, originally unborn child (Luke 1:41-44), then infant (Luke 2:12), here figuratively, like νηπιοι — nēpioi Αρτιγεννητα — Artigennēta is a late and rare compound (Lucian, imperial inscription) from αρτι — arti and γενναω — gennaō with evident allusion to αναγεγεννημενοι — anagegennēmenoi in 1 Peter 1:23, probably meaning that they were recent converts, possibly slight proof that the Epistle written before Romans by Paul (Kuhl). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 1:41 mean?

And it came to pass as heard the greeting - of Mary - Elizabeth leaped the baby in the womb of her was filled with [the] Spirit Holy
καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν τὸν ἀσπασμὸν τῆς Μαρίας Ἐλισάβετ ἐσκίρτησεν τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ αὐτῆς ἐπλήσθη Πνεύματος Ἁγίου

ἐγένετο  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
ἤκουσεν  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
ἀσπασμὸν  greeting 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀσπασμός  
Sense: a salutation, either oral or written.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Μαρίας  of  Mary 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Μαρία 
Sense: Mary the mother of Jesus.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἐλισάβετ  Elizabeth 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἐλισάβετ  
Sense: the wife of Zacharias and mother of John the Baptist, of the priestly family, and a relative of Mary, Lk.
ἐσκίρτησεν  leaped 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: σκιρτάω  
Sense: to leap.
βρέφος  baby 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: βρέφος  
Sense: an unborn child, embryo, a foetus.
κοιλίᾳ  womb 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: κοιλία  
Sense: the whole belly, the entire cavity.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐπλήσθη  was  filled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: πίμπλημι  
Sense: to fill.
Πνεύματος  with  [the]  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.
Ἁγίου  Holy 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.