The Meaning of Luke 1:66 Explained

Luke 1:66

KJV: And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

YLT: and all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, 'What then shall this child be?' and the hand of the Lord was with him.

Darby: And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And the Lord's hand was with him.

ASV: And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  all  they that heard  [them] laid [them] up  in  their  hearts,  saying,  What  manner  of child  shall  this  be!  And  the hand  of the Lord  was  with  him. 

What does Luke 1:66 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 1:66

What then [τι αρα]
With all these supernatural happenings they predicted the marvellous career of this child. Note Τι — Ti what, not Τις — Tis who. Cf. Acts 12:18. [source]
They laid them up [ετεντο]
Luke‘s explanation in addition to the supernatural events. The expression occurs only in Luke‘s writing (Acts 11:21; Acts 13:11). [source]
The hand of the Lord [χειρ Κυριου]
Luke‘s explanation in addition to the supernatural events. The expression occurs only in Luke‘s writing (Acts 11:21; Acts 13:11). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 1:66

Acts 10:38 God anointed him [εχρισεν αυτον ο τεος]
First aorist active of the verb διηλτεν ευεργετων — chriō to anoint, from which the verbal διερεομαι — Christos is formed (Acts 2:36). The precise event referred to by Peter could be the Incarnation (Luke 1:35.), the Baptism (Luke 3:22), the Ministry at Nazareth (Luke 4:14). Why not to the life and work of Jesus as a whole? Went about doing good (δια — diēlthen euergetōn). Beautiful description of Jesus. Summary (constative) aorist active of ευεργετων — dierehomai to go through (ευεργετεω — dia) or from place to place. The present active participle ευ — euergetōn is from the old verb εργον — euergeteō (ευεργετης — eu well, και ιωμενος — ergon work) and occurs only here in the N.T. The substantive τους καταδυναστευομενους — euergetēs (benefactor) was often applied to kings like Ptolemy Euergetes and that is the sense in Luke 22:25 the only N.T. example. But the term applies to Jesus far more than to Ptolemy or any earthly king (Cornelius a Lapide). And healing And in particular healing. Luke does not exclude other diseases (cf. Luke 13:11, Luke 13:16), but he lays special emphasis on demoniacal possession (cf. Mark 1:23). That were oppressed (κατα — tous katadunasteuomenous). Present passive articular participle of διαβολος — katadunasteuō A late verb in lxx and papyri. In the N.T. only here and James 2:6 (best MSS.). One of the compounds of οτι ο τεος ην μετ αυτου — kata made transitive. The reality of the devil (the slanderer, diabolos) is recognized by Peter. For God was with him Surely this reason does not reveal “a low Christology” as some charge. Peter had used the same language in Acts 7:9 and earlier in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:66 as Nicodemus does in John 3:2. [source]
Acts 10:38 And healing [καταδυναστευω]
And in particular healing. Luke does not exclude other diseases (cf. Luke 13:11, Luke 13:16), but he lays special emphasis on demoniacal possession (cf. Mark 1:23). That were oppressed (κατα — tous katadunasteuomenous). Present passive articular participle of διαβολος — katadunasteuō A late verb in lxx and papyri. In the N.T. only here and James 2:6 (best MSS.). One of the compounds of οτι ο τεος ην μετ αυτου — kata made transitive. The reality of the devil (the slanderer, diabolos) is recognized by Peter. For God was with him Surely this reason does not reveal “a low Christology” as some charge. Peter had used the same language in Acts 7:9 and earlier in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:66 as Nicodemus does in John 3:2. [source]
Acts 10:38 For God was with him [hoti ho theos ēn met' autou)]
Surely this reason does not reveal “a low Christology” as some charge. Peter had used the same language in Acts 7:9 and earlier in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:66 as Nicodemus does in John 3:2. [source]
Acts 11:21 The hand of the Lord was with them [ην χειρ κυριου μετ αυτων]
This O.T. phrase (Exodus 9:3; Isaiah 59:1) is used by Luke (Luke 1:66; Acts 4:28, Acts 4:30; Acts 13:11). It was proof of God‘s approval of their course in preaching the Lord Jesus to Greeks. [source]
Acts 12:18 No small stir [ταραχος ουκ ολιγος]
Litotes Furneaux suggests that Manaen, the king‘s foster-brother and a Christian (Acts 13:1), was the “angel” who rescued Peter from the prison. That is not the way that Peter looked at it. What was become of Peter (τι αρα ο Πετρος εγενετο — tōi ara ho Petros egeneto). An indirect question with the aorist indicative retained. Αρα — Ara adds a syllogism (therefore) to the problem as in Luke 1:66. The use of the neuter τι — tōi (as in Acts 13:25) is different from τις — tis though nominative like Πετρος — Petros literally, “what then Peter had become,” “what had happened to Peter” (in one idiom). See the same idiom in John 21:21 (ουτος δε τι — houtos de tōi). But this one what (verb γενησεται — genēsetai not used). [source]
Acts 12:18 What was become of Peter [τι αρα ο Πετρος εγενετο]
An indirect question with the aorist indicative retained. Αρα — Ara adds a syllogism (therefore) to the problem as in Luke 1:66. The use of the neuter τι — tōi (as in Acts 13:25) is different from τις — tis though nominative like Πετρος — Petros literally, “what then Peter had become,” “what had happened to Peter” (in one idiom). See the same idiom in John 21:21 (ουτος δε τι — houtos de tōi). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 1:66 mean?

And laid [them] up all those having heard in the heart of them saying What then the child this will be for [the] hand of [the] Lord was with him
καὶ ἔθεντο πάντες οἱ ἀκούσαντες ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν λέγοντες Τί ἄρα τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο ἔσται γὰρ χεὶρ Κυρίου ἦν μετ’ αὐτοῦ

ἔθεντο  laid  [them]  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀκούσαντες  having  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
καρδίᾳ  heart 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
λέγοντες  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
παιδίον  child 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: παιδίον  
Sense: a young child, a little boy, a little girl.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
χεὶρ  [the]  hand 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
Κυρίου  of  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.