1:58a

neighbors: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as neighbors refers to people who knew Elizabeth and Zechariah and lived close to them.

relatives: The word relatives means “kinsmen” or “family members.” It refers to people in the extended or larger family of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Some may have lived a long distance away. This is the same word as in 1:36a.

heard: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heard is the common word for “to hear.” But in this context it also implies that they had received news or learned new information.

1:58b

the Lord had shown her great mercy: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had shown her great mercy is an idiom that is literally “made-great his mercy with her.” It indicates that the Lord had expressed great compassion to her in her need. Elizabeth had suffered because she was not able to have children. God showed his compassion to her by making her able to have a child in her old age.

Some other ways to translate this are:

the Lord had caused his mercy to be great
-or-
the Lord had been very kind to her (God’s Word)
-or-
the Lord had treated her very mercifully/compassionately

Lord: Here the word Lord refers to God. See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

1:58c

they rejoiced with her: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they rejoiced with her means that the neighbors and relatives were happy because of what the Lord had done for Elizabeth, and because she was happy.

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