And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
See the notes at Matthew 1:21-23,32-33 .
He shall be great ... The whole of this magnificent announcement is purposely couched in almost the terms of Isaiah's sublime prediction (Isaiah 9:6). "He shall be great." Of His Forerunner too it had been said by the same Gabriel, "He shall be great;" but it was immediately added, "in the sight of the Lord" - an explanation highly suitable in the case of a mere servant, but omitted, with evident purpose, in the present case. Indeed, the words that follow,
And shall be called the Son of the Highest - or, "of the Most High" х huios (G5207) hupsistou (G5310) = ben (H1121) `Elyown (H5945)], would have forbidden such an explanation, as altogether unsuitable here. And is there one reader of unsophisticated and teachable spirit who can take these last words as designed to express a merely figurative relation of a creature to God? But see the note at John 5:18; and at Romans 8:32.