Luke 1:26-30

Amplified Bible

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

²⁶Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin ^[a]betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was greatly perplexed at what he said, and kept carefully considering what kind of greeting this was. ³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

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Footnotes

Luke 1:27 The first stage of marriage (called shiddukin in Hebrew) in Jewish tradition and law, usually lasting for a year before the wedding night; unlike an engagement, it was legally binding and required a divorce to nullify it. The woman remained with her parents during the betrothal year and was referred to as a “wife” even though the marriage was not consummated during this period of time.