Luke 1 · Verse 15

Luke 1:15

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
Luke 1:15, King James Version

Luke 1:15 in other translations

BSBfor he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
WEBFor he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
ASVFor he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
YLTfor he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother's womb;
DARBYFor he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
BBEFor he will be great in the eyes of the Lord; he will not take wine or strong drink; and he will be full of the Spirit of God from his birth.
WebsterFor he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

What does Luke 1:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. great in the sight of the Lord--nearer to Him in official standing than all the prophets. (See Mt 11:10, 11.) drink neither wine nor strong drink--that is, shall be a Nazarite, or "a separated one" (Nu 6:2, &c.). As the leper was the living symbol of sin, so was the Nazarite of holiness; nothing inflaming was to cross his lips; no razor to come on his head; no ceremonial defilement to be contracted. Thus was he to be "holy to the Lord [ceremonially] all the days of his separation." This separation was in ordinary cases temporary and voluntary: only Samson (Jud 13:7), Samuel (1Sa 1:11), and John Baptist were Nazarites from the womb. It was fitting that the utmost severity of legal consecration should be seen in Christ's forerunner. He was the Reality and Perfection of the Nazarite without the symbol, which perished in that living realization of it: "Such an High Priest became us, who was Separate from Sinners" (He 7:26). filled with the Holy Ghost, from ... womb--a holy vessel for future service.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. Shall be great. (q) Shall be eminent, or distinguished as a preacher.

In the sight of the Lord. Greek, before the Lord. That is, shall be really or truly great. God shall regard him as such.

Shall drink neither wine. The kind of wine commonly used in Judea was a light wine, often not stronger than cider in this country. It was the common drink of all classes of the people. Jn 2:11. The use of wine was forbidden only to the Nazarite, Nu 6:3. It was because John sustained this character that he abstained from the use of wine.

Strong drink. (r) It is not easy to ascertain precisely what is meant by this word, but we are certain that it does not mean strong drink in our sense of the term. Distilled spirits were not then known. The art of distilling was discovered by an Arabian chemist in the ninth or tenth century; but distilled liquors are not used by Arabians. They banished them at once, as if sensible of their pernicious influence; nor are they used in Eastern nations at all. Europe and America have been the places where this poison has been most extensively used, and there it has beggared and ruined millions, and is yearly sweeping thousands unprepared into a wretched eternity. The strong drink among the Jews was probably nothing more than fermented liquors, or a drink obtained from fermented dates, figs, and the juice of the palm, or the lees of wine, mingled with sugar, and having the property of producing intoxication. Many of the Jewish writers say that by the word here translated strong drink was meant nothing more than old wine, which probably had the power of producing intoxication. Isa 5:11.

Shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, (s) &c. Shall be divinely designated or appointed to this office, and qualified for it by all needful communications of the Holy Spirit. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be illuminated, sanctified, and guided by his influence. In this place it refers --

1st. To the divine intention that he should be set apart to this work, as God designed that Paul should be an apostle from his mother's womb, Gal 1:15.

2nd. It refers to an actual fitting for the work from the birth by the influence of the Holy Spirit, as was the case with Jeremiah (Jer 1:5), and with the Messiah himself, Ps 22:9,10.

(q) Lk 7:28 (r) Nu 6:3 (s) Jer 1:5

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 He shall be great in the sight of the Lord - That is, before Jesus Christ, whose forerunner he shall be; or he shall be a truly great person, for so this form of speech may imply. Neither wine nor strong drink - Σικερα, i.e. all fermented liquors which have the property of intoxicating, or producing drunkenness. The original word σικερα, sikera, comes from the Hebrew, שכר shakar, to inebriate. "Any inebriating liquor," says St. Jerome, (Epis. ad Nepot)." is called sicera, whether made of corn, apples, honey, dates, or any other fruits." One of the four prohibited liquors among the East Indian Moslimans is called sikkir. "Sikkir is made by steeping fresh dates in water till they take effect in sweetening it: this liquor is abominable and unlawful." Hedaya, vol. iv. p. 158. Probably this is the very liquor referred to in the text. In the Institutes of Menu it is said, "Inebriating liquor may be considered as of three principal sorts: that extracted from dregs of sugar, that extracted from bruised rice, and that extracted from the flowers of the madhuca: as one, so are all; they shall not be tasted by the chief of the twice-born." Chap. xi. Inst. 95. Twice-born is used by the Brahmins in the same sense as being born again is used by Christians. It signifies a spiritual regeneration. From this word comes our English term cyder, or sider, a beverage made of the fermented juice of apples. See the note on Lev 10:9. Shall be filled with the Holy Ghost - Shall be Divinely designated to this particular office, and qualified for it, from his mother's womb - from the instant of his birth. One MS., two versions, and four of the primitive fathers read εν τῃ κοιλιᾳ, In the womb of his mother - intimating that even before he should be born into the world the Holy Spirit should be communicated to him. Did not this take place on the salutation of the Virgin Mary? - and is not this what is intended, Luk 1:44? To be filled with the Holy Ghost, implies having the soul influenced in all its powers, with the illuminating, strengthening, and sanctifying energy of the Spirit.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 1:5-25

The father and mother of John the Baptist were sinners as all are, and were justified and saved in the same way as others; but they were eminent for piety and integrity. They had no children, and it could not be expected that Elisabeth should have any in her old age. While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were praying without. All the prayers we offer up to God, are…

Read the full comment on Luke 1:5-25 →

Luke 1:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἔσταιestaiHe will beG1510
γὰρgarforG1063
μέγαςmegasgreatG3173
ἐνώπιονenōpionbeforeG1799
τοῦtoutheG3588
κυρίου,kuriouLord,G2962
καὶkaiandG2532
οἶνονoinonwineG3631
καὶkaiandG2532
σίκεραsikerastrong drinkG4608
οὐoucertainlyG3756
μὴmēnotG3361
πίῃ,piēshall he drink,G4095
καὶkaiandG2532
πνεύματοςpneumatos[of the] SpiritG4151
ἁγίουhagiouHolyG40
πλησθήσεταιplēsthēsetaihe will be filledG4130
ἔτιetievenG2089
ἐκekfromG1537
κοιλίαςkoilias[the] wombG2836
μητρὸςmētrosof [the] motherG3384
αὐτοῦ.autouof him.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 1:15

  • Jeremiah 1:5

    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

  • Numbers 6:2-4

    Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

  • Ephesians 5:18

    And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

  • Judges 13:4-6

    Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

  • Galatians 1:15

    But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

  • Luke 7:33

    For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

  • Acts 2:4

    And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

  • Joshua 4:14

    On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

  • 1 Chronicles 17:8

    And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

  • Luke 7:28

    For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

  • Genesis 48:19

    And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

  • Genesis 12:2

    And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
great.
7:28; Ge 12:2; 48:19; Jos 3:7; 4:14; 1Ch 17:8; 29:12; Mt 11:9-19
Joh 5:35
and shall.
7:33; Nu 6:2-4; Jud 13:4-6; Mt 11:18
filled.
Zec 9:15; Ac 2:4,14-18; Eph 5:18
even.
Ps 22:9; Jer 1:5; Ga 1:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 1:14

    And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

  • Luke 1:15

    For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

  • Luke 1:16

    And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

Read all of Luke 1

Luke 1:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque será grande delante de Dios, y no beberá vino ni sidra; y será lleno del Espíritu Santo, aun desde el seno de su madre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		car il sera grand devant le ✶Seigneur, et il ne boira ni vin ni cervoise; et il sera rempli de l’Esprit Saint déjà dès le ventre de sa mère.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn er wird groß sein vor dem Herrn; weder Wein noch starkes Getränk wird er trinken und schon von Mutterleibe an mit Heiligem Geiste erfüllt werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		erit enim magnus coram Domino: et vinum et siceram non bibet, et Spiritu Sancto replebitur adhuc ex utero matris suæ: