Luke 1 · Verse 7

Luke 1:7

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Luke 1:7, King James Version

Luke 1:7 in other translations

BSBBut they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.
WEBBut they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
ASVAnd they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
YLTand they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.
DARBYAnd they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
BBEAnd they were without children, because Elisabeth had never given birth, and they were at that time very old.
WebsterAnd they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were far advanced in years.

What does Luke 1:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. So with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Elkanah and Hannah, Manoah and his wife.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 Both were now well stricken in years - By the order of God, sterility and old age both met in the person of Elisabeth, to render the birth of a son (humanly speaking) impossible. This was an exact parallel to the case of Sarah and Abraham, Gen 11:30; Gen 17:17. Christ must (by the miraculous power of God) be born of a virgin: whatever was connected with, or referred to, his incarnation must be miraculous and impressive. Isaac was his grand type, and therefore must be born miraculously - contrary to the common course and rule of nature: Abraham was a hundred years of age, Sarah was ninety, Gen 17:17, and it had Ceased to be with Sarah After The Manner Of Women, Gen 18:11, and therefore, from her age and state, the birth of a child must, according to nature, have been impossible; and it was thus; that it might be miraculous. John the Baptist was to be the forerunner of Christ; his birth, like that of Isaac, must be miraculous, because, like the other, it was to be a representation of the birth of Christ; therefore his parents were both far advanced in years, and besides, Elisabeth was naturally barren. The birth of these three extraordinary persons was announced nearly in the same way. God himself foretells the birth of Isaac, Gen 17:16. The angel of the Lord announces the birth of John the Baptist, Luk 1:13; and six months after, the angel Gabriel, the same angel, proclaims to Mary the birth of Christ! Man is naturally an inconsiderate and incredulous creature: he must have extraordinary things to arrest and fix his attention; and he requires well-attested miracles from God, to bespeak and confirm his faith. Every person who has properly considered the nature of man must see that the whole of natural religion, so termed, is little else than a disbelief of all religion.

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 1:7 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
οὐκouknoG3756
ἦνēnthere wasG1510
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
τέκνον,teknonchild,G5043
καθότιkathotiinasmuch asG2530
ἦνēnwasG1510
ἡhē<the>G3588
ἘλισάβετElisabetElizabethG1665
στεῖραsteirabarrenG4723
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀμφότεροιamphoteroibothG297
προβεβηκότεςprobebēkoteshaving advancedG4260
ἐνeninG1722
ταῖςtaistheG3588
ἡμέραιςhēmeraisyearsG2250
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
ἦσαν.¶ēsanwere.G1510

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

Cross references for Luke 1:7

  • Hebrews 11:11

    Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

  • Genesis 18:11

    Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

  • Genesis 25:21

    And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

  • 1 Samuel 1:2

    And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

  • Genesis 17:17

    Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

  • 2 Kings 4:14

    And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

  • Judges 13:2-3

    And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

  • Genesis 16:1-2

    Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

  • Genesis 30:1

    And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

  • Romans 4:19

    And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

  • Genesis 15:2-3

    And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

  • 1 Samuel 1:5-8

    But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they had.
Ge 15:2,3; 16:1,2; 25:21; 30:1; Jud 13:2,3; 1Sa 1:2,5-8
well.
Ge 17:17; 18:11; 1Ki 1:1; 2Ki 4:14; Ro 4:19; Heb 11:11

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

Context

  • Luke 1:6

    And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

  • Luke 1:7

    And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

  • Luke 1:8

    And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

Read all of Luke 1

Luke 1:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y no tenían hijo, porque Elisabet era estéril, y ambos eran avanzados en días.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ils n’avaient pas d’enfant, parce qu’Élisabeth était stérile; et ils étaient tous deux fort avancés en âge.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie hatten kein Kind, weil Elisabeth unfruchtbar war; und beide waren in ihren Tagen weit vorgerückt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et non erat illis filius, eo quod esset Elisabeth sterilis, et ambo processissent in diebus suis.