Luke 1:44 (WEB)
For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Luke 1:44 (KJV)
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
Key words
- ἐσκίρτησεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὸ βρέφοςeskirtēsen en agalliasei to brephos · Greek
- 'the babe leaped in my womb for joy' — the unborn John dances before the new Ark as David danced before the old.
Why it matters
Elizabeth explains that the child leaped for joy at Mary's greeting. Pitre notes that most readers take this as the main point of the Visitation, and then shows it is one strand of a larger design (p 54): John leaps as David leaped before the Ark (2 Samuel 6:16), because Mary carries the presence of God as the Ark once did.