Luke 1:26-27

Luke 1:26-27. In the sixth month Namely, after Elisabeth had conceived; the angel Gabriel The same angel who had been the messenger of such good news to Zacharias; was sent from God unto a city of Galilee A country which lay “in the most northern part of Palestine, and was bounded on the north by Lebanon and Syria, on the west by Phœnicia, on the south by Samaria, and on the east by Jordan and the sea of Tiberias. Yet, from the gospels it appears, that a part of the country north of the sea and eastward of Jordan was reckoned Galilee: which, therefore, comprehended the possessions of the tribes of Issachar, Zebulon, Naphtali, and Asher. It was divided into Upper and Lower Galilee, whereof the former was called Galilee of the Gentiles, Matthew 4:15, because it bordered upon the Gentile nations, and was partly inhabited by them. Of the populousness and fertility of this country see notes on Matthew 15:16. Named Nazareth A small city in the tribe of Zebulon, now reduced to a very low and contemptible condition, Matthew 2:23. To a virgin espoused It was customary among the Jews, for persons that married to contract before witnesses some time before. And as Christ was to be born of a pure virgin, so the wisdom of God ordered it to be of one espoused, that to prevent reproach he might have a reputed father, according to the flesh. To Joseph, of the house of David Joseph was a descendant of King David, though now in low circumstances. It is of the greatest importance to prove that Christ was lineally descended from David, this being one of the characteristics of the Messiah; but certainly this cannot be inferred from the genealogy of Joseph, because he was only the reputed father of Christ: nor is it necessary to understand the evangelist here as speaking of Joseph’s being of the house of David. His words may be understood differently, as indeed they are read by Dr. Whitby and many others, thus: to a virgin of the house of David, ( espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,) and the virgin’s name was Mary. What strengthens this interpretation is, that this and the preceding verse refer wholly to the virgin, who is described by the place of her residence, Nazareth; by her relation to Joseph, being espoused to him; by her lineage and descent, of the house of David; and by her name, Mary.