Translation
Her neighbors and relatives heard that God had magnified his mercy
Go to footnote numberto her, and they rejoiced with her.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that God had
shown her that his mercy is great, and they rejoiced with her.
Footnotes
1: “magnified His mercy"
Here is that theme of mercy again. This obviously is a message for all of us, but in an immediate and personal way for Elizabeth, the theme of mercy was repeated often because she was considered cursed on account of her barrenness. The actions of God, and the words God used in telling the story to others, obliterate any notion that she was cursed.
2: “they rejoiced with her”
The rejoicing of her neighbors and relatives seems to imply, not only that they were happy for her, but also that they understood that she was not cursed, rather she was accepted by God and was a recipient of God’s mercy and grace which He demonstrated so powerfully on her behalf.