Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 1:32

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:" — Luke 1:32 (ASV)

Shall be called the Son of the Highest.—It is noticeable that this name, applied to our Lord by the angel, appears later as uttered by the demoniacs (Mark 5:7). On the history of the name, see Note on Mark 5:7.

The throne of his father David.—These words seem at first to suggest that the Virgin was of the house of David, and that the title to the throne was thus derived through her. This may have been so (see Note on Luke 3:23-38). The intermarriage that had taken place in ancient times between the house of Aaron and that of David (Exodus 6:23; 2 Kings 11:2) shows that this might be quite consistent with the relationship to Elizabeth mentioned in Luke 1:36.

On the other hand, it must be remembered that the genealogies, both in Matthew and Luke, appear, at first sight, to present the lineage of Joseph only. Therefore, if this was, as many have believed, the Evangelist’s perspective, our Lord, despite the supernatural birth, was thought to inherit from him.

The form of the promise, which might well lead to the expectation of a revived kingdom of Israel like that of David, takes its place among the most memorable instances of prophecies fulfilled in a completely different way than those who first heard them could have imagined. That the Evangelist who recorded it believed it was fulfilled in the Kingdom of Heaven, the spiritual sovereignty of the Christ, is shown by his recording it in the same Gospel that tells of the Crucifixion and Ascension.