Luke1:36

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Translation

And behold, ELIZABETH, your relative, has conceived

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a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month

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for the one that was called barren.

Paraphrase

Now listen to this, your relative, the one who has BOUND HERSELF TO GIVE ALL ALLEGIANCE TO HER GOD, has become pregnant in her old age with a son, and this is the sixth month of pregnancy for the one everyone thought was cursed and unable to have children.

Footnotes

1: "Elizabeth … has conceived”

Notice that the angel volunteered the information about Elizabeth. Mary needed confirmation and assurance, so the angel all but suggested she go for a visit to see her aged cousin. God knew that she would find spiritual fortitude in a visit with Elizabeth, and she would need that fortitude to face Joseph and her parents and the entire village.

2

Since Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy, the proof of her pregnancy was now evident (i.e. the tell-tale belly). This proof contradicts what others thought of as proof that Elizabeth was cursed and rejected by God. To the contrary, God had seen how she had “bound herself to give all her allegiance to Him” and He was now honoring such a commitment. Rather than being cursed and rejected, she was accepted and honored. While I would argue that God always accepted her, it appears that God delayed showing her honor in order to highlight what He was doing, since now, because of her age, pregnancy was something impossible without God’s intervention.