The song of Mary (Luke 1: 46–55) expresses her personal emotion and experience as she meditated upon the message of the angel Gabriel to her “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest” (v. 30-32).
The song of Mary is considered one of the most inspiring hymns in all holy literature, a lyric of beauty. It is saturated with a spirit of humility and thankfulness as she glorifies the power and mercy of God. The gift of inspiration fell upon Mary and she said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever” (Luke 1).
A quick review of the song:
- (vs. 46–48) She is speaking of her feelings of adoration and holy joy that she was chosen and honored above women, and marvels that God has chosen her and passed others by.
- (vs. 49, 50) She glorifies the power, holiness, and mercy of God.
- (vs. 51–53) She speaks of the sharp contrast between what God values and what man values.
- (vs. 54, 55) She closes with gratitude for the eternal faithfulness of God to His chosen people.
The song of Mary has been gathered from the best works that the prophets have written. It has been compared with that of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1–10), which was a prayer of thanksgiving for Samuel. Also, it is similar to the song of Moses (Ex. 15) and that of Deborah and Barak (Judges 5), and follows in spirit to Psalms 113 and 126, and others.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
