Luke 1:7 Meaning and Explanation
“And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A faithful couple carries a long, quiet sorrow, and God has not forgotten them.
The Context of Luke 1:7
Zacharias, a priest, and his wife Elisabeth are introduced as righteous people who walked blamelessly in God's commandments (verses 5 to 6). This verse names the ache underneath their good lives: years of longing for a child, now seemingly past hope.
What Does Luke 1:7 Mean?
After telling us how faithful this couple was, Luke sets down the hard, plain fact of their lives: no child, and the years for it slipping away. In their world childlessness was felt as a deep grief and often a quiet shame. Here are two people who did everything right, and still carried an empty place that prayer had not filled. Scripture does not hide it or explain it away. It simply lets their sorrow stand, honest and unhealed.
Yet this very verse is the doorway. The God who seemed silent was preparing to send His messenger, and from this aging, disappointed couple would come John, the one who points the way to Christ. The long wait was not God's forgetting; it was the eve of His answer. For everyone whose hope feels too late, this is the shape of grace: the story of Jesus begins in a home where prayers had gone unanswered for years.
Luke 1:7 in the Original Language
steira (στεῖρα), 'barren' -- unable to bear children, a word Scripture often pairs with God's surprising gift of life.
How to Apply Luke 1:7 Today
Some sorrows go unanswered for years even in faithful lives, and Scripture does not pretend otherwise. This verse lets us hold our own long waiting honestly, while remembering that the story of Christ began in just such a home, where God had not forgotten after all.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 1:7
What does Luke 1:7 mean?
A faithful couple carries a long, quiet sorrow, and God has not forgotten them.
What is the context of Luke 1:7?
Zacharias, a priest, and his wife Elisabeth are introduced as righteous people who walked blamelessly in God's commandments (verses 5 to 6). This verse names the ache underneath their good lives: years of longing for a child, now seemingly past hope.
How can I apply Luke 1:7 today?
Some sorrows go unanswered for years even in faithful lives, and Scripture does not pretend otherwise. This verse lets us hold our own long waiting honestly, while remembering that the story of Christ began in just such a home, where God had not forgotten after all.