Luke 1:27 (WEB)
to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Luke 1:27 (KJV)
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Key words
- παρθένοςparthenos · Greek
- 'virgin' — used twice in one verse; Luke insists on the word.
- ἐμνηστευμένηνemnēsteumenēn · Greek
- 'espoused,' betrothed — the same verb the Septuagint uses for the betrothed virgin who is legally a 'wife' in Deuteronomy 22:23–24.
- ἐξ οἴκου Δαυίδex oikou Dauid · Greek
- 'of the house of David' — Joseph's Davidic lineage.
Why it matters
Gabriel is sent to a virgin who is already betrothed to Joseph. Pitre explains that in Jewish law betrothal was binding marriage, so Mary is effectively Joseph's wife when the angel arrives. That is what makes her question in verse 34 so telling: a betrothed woman expecting normal married life would simply assume the child would come in due course.