Luke 1:35

New Testament Gospel ASV (1901)

What does Luke 1:35 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35 — American Standard Version

Context — Luke 1

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the angel answered and said unto her, etc.] The angel gave her an account of the manner in which what he had said should be effected, as well as observed some things for the strengthening of her faith. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. The words, “upon thee”, are left out in the Syriac and Persic versions; but are retained in others, and in all copies: the formation of Christ's human nature, though common to all the three persons, yet is particularly, and most properly ascribed to the Spirit; not to the first person, the Father, lest it should be thought that he is only the Father of him, as man; nor to the second person, the Son, since it is to him that the human nature is personally…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Holy Ghost--(See on Mat 1:18). power of the highest--the immediate energy of the Godhead conveyed by the Holy Ghost. overshadow--a word suggesting how gentle, while yet efficacious, would be this Power [BENGEL]; and its mysterious secrecy, withdrawn, as if by a cloud, from human scrutiny [CALVIN]. that holy thing born of thee--that holy Offspring of thine. therefore . . . Son of God--That Christ is the Son of God in His divine and eternal nature is clear from all the New Testament; yet here we see that Sonship efflorescing into human and palpable manifestation by His being born, through "the power of the Highest," an Infant of days. We must neither think of a double Sonship, as some do,…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee - See Matthew 1:20. The power of the Highest ... - This evidently means that the body of Jesus would be created by the direct power of God. It was not by ordinary generation; but, as the Messiah came to redeem sinners - to make atonement for “others,” and not for himself it was necessary that his human nature should be pure, and free from the corruption of the fall. God therefore prepared him a body by direct creation that should be pure and holy. See Hebrews 10:5. That holy thing ... - That holy progeny or child. Shall be called the Son of God - This is spoken in reference to the human nature of Christ, and this passage proves, beyond controversy, that…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee - The power of God was put forth by the Holy Ghost, as the immediate Divine agent in this work: and so he exerted the power of the Highest as his own power, who together with the Father and the Son is the most high God. Therefore also - Not only as he is God from eternity, but on this account likewise he shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:36”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“1:35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you: Jesus’ conception was miraculous, by the power of the Most High. No further detail is provided as to how this happened.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“The Holy Ghost: Luk 1:27, Luk 1:31; Mat 1:20 that: Job 14:4, Job 15:16, Job 25:4; Psa 51:5; Eph 2:3; Heb 4:15, Heb 7:26-28 the Son of God: Luk 1:32; Psa 2:7; Mat 14:33, Mat 26:63, Mat 26:64, Mat 27:54; Mar 1:1; Joh 1:34, Joh 1:49, Joh 20:31; Act 8:37; Rom 1:4; Gal 2:20 Luke 1:36”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification