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MAGNIFICAT

The hymn or psalm of praise appearing in Luke 1:46-55, so named from the first words of the Latin translation: Magnificat anima mea Dominum,“My soul magnifies the Lord.” It is one of several hymns in Luke’s Infancy narrative (cf. Luke 1:68-79; 2:14, 29-32). This hymn is ascribed to Mary as an expression of her faith on hearing Elizabeth’s blessing. It follows the pattern of traditional psalms or hymns, with expressions of praise (Luke 1:46-47) followed by the occasion for praise (vv. 48-55).

The Magnificat can be divided into two strophes or verses, the first (vv. 46-50) is Mary’s expression of praise for the actions God has performed in relation to her. The paired verses or couplets each exhibit the classic parallelism of Hebrew poetry. The first couplet expresses Mary’s joy (vv. 46-47). The second recounts God’s salvific action in raising her from her “low estate” and her resultant status (vv. 48-49). The concluding verse in this strophe (v. 50) marks a transition to the more corporate vision of the second strophe.

In the second strophe (vv. 51-55) God’s action is also described as an exaltation of the humble. However, in an echo of the prophets, this theme is expanded into an expression of God’s salvific justice in exalting the humble, the poor, and the hungry, while at the same time putting down the mighty, the rich, and the rulers. This strophe can be divided into two couplets (vv. 51-52, 53-54) and a concluding verse (v. 55) that parallels the conclusion of the first strophe. Each couplet begins with a strong verb describing God’s action and a parallel secondary verb providing additional emphasis. The structure and effect of the hymn as a whole make God’s actions with relation to Mary a symbol or paradigm for the universal saving work of God which is now beginning in Jesus. This theme of the divine reversal inherent in God’s salvific actions thus anticipates both the words and actions of Jesus’ ministry.

The Magnificat appears to be modeled, to some extent, after the Song of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:1-10. Because of these similarities and the similar situations of Elizabeth and Hannah, rather than Mary, some scholars have suggested that the hymn is mistakenly attributed to Mary. While a few minor textual variants support reading Elizabeth, the surrounding narrative and weight of manuscript evidence argue against it.

Bibliography. R. C. Tannehill, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts 1 (Philadelphia, 1986).

Matthew S. Collins







Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)

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