CHAPTER 7

7. The salutation of the virgin by Gabriel, who explains to her that she shall conceive without lying with a man, while a virgin, 19. by the Holy Spirit coming upon her without the heats of lust. 21. She submits.

1. Now at this time of her first coming into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to her from God to declare to her the conception of our Savior and the manner and way of her conceiving him.

The Bible teaching about angels is that they are incorporeal beings created long before the material world. When medieval theologians debated how many angels could stand on the head of a pin, it was a serious metaphysical inquiry about whether spirits occupied space. Although evidently angels are sexless, they are always referred to as male in the Bible. Two in the canonical Scriptures are named: Gabriel (Daniel 8:16 and Luke 1:19,26) and Michael the archangel (Daniel 10:13,21 and 12:1; Jude 9 and Revelation 12:7). One is named Raphael in the book of Tobit in the Apocrypha.

2. Accordingly going to her, he filled the chamber where she was with a prodigious light, and in a most courteous manner saluting her, he said,

3. Hail, Mary! Virgin of the Lord most acceptable! O Virgin full of Grace! The Lord is with you, you are blessed above all women, you are blessed above all men, that have been born until this time.

This agrees with Luke 1:28.

4. But the Virgin, who had before been well acquainted with the countenances of angels, and to whom such light from heaven was no uncommon thing,

5. Was neither terrified with the vision of the angel, nor astonished at the greatness of the light, but only troubled about the angel's words:

6. And began to consider what so extraordinary a salutation should mean, what it did portend, or what sort of end it would have.
This agrees with Luke 1:29.

7. To this thought the angel, divinely inspired, replied:
Not that angels cannot read human thoughts without divine inspiration. Biblical angels and demons ("fallen angels") are superhuman, not supernatural.

8. Fear not, Mary, as though I intended anything inconsistent with your chastity in this salutation:
9. For you have found favor with the Lord, because you made virginity your choice.

10. Therefore while you are a Virgin, you shall conceive without sin and bring forth a son.

11. He shall be great, because he shall reign from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth.
This adds something to Luke 1:31ff.

12. And he shall be called the Son of the Highest; for he who is born in a humble state on earth reigns in an exalted one in heaven.

Note the present tense of "reigns." It is an intimation of the doctrine of the pre-existence or eternal sonship of Christ.

13. And the Lord shall give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

14. For he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and his throne is forever and ever.



15. To this discourse of the angel the Virgin replied not as though she were unbelieving, but willing to know the manner of it.

16. She said, How can that be? For seeing, according to my vow, I have never known any man, how can I bear a child without the addition of a man's seed?

17. To this the angel replied and said, Think not, Mary, that you shall conceive in the ordinary way.

18. For, without lying with a man, while yet a Virgin, you shall conceive; while a Virgin, you shall bring forth; and while a Virgin shall be able to nurse your baby.

19. For the Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you, without any of the heats of lust.

20. So that which shall be born of you shall be only holy, because it only is conceived without sin, and when born, shall be called the Son of God.

21. Then Mary, stretching forth her hands and lifting her eyes to heaven, said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.

This agrees with Luke 1:38, except Luke adds "And the angel departed from her." "King of kings and Lord of lords" agrees with John's vision of the post-resurrection Christ in heaven: "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:16).