UTN uW Translation Notes:

Luke 1 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

1. Dedication to Theophilus (1:1–4)
2. The angel Gabriel announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth is going to bear a son, John the Baptist (1:5–25)
3. The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is going to become the mother of Jesus (1:26–38)
4. Mary goes to visit Elizabeth (1:39–56)
5. John the Baptist is born (1:57–80)

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. ULT does this with the poetry in Mary’s song about becoming the mother of Jesus in 1:46–55 and Zechariah’s song about the birth of his son John the Baptist in 1:68–79.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

“He will be called John”

Most people in the ancient Near East would give a child the same name as someone in their families. People were surprised that Elizabeth and Zechariah named their son John because there was no one else in their family with that name.