Church Fathers Commentary Luke 1:49

"For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name." — Luke 1:49 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: The Virgin shows that she is not to be called blessed because of her own virtue; instead, she explains the reason, saying, For he that is mighty has magnified me.

St. Augustine of Hippo: What great things has He done for you? I believe that as a creature, you gave birth to the Creator; as a servant, you brought forth the Lord. Through you, God redeemed the world; through you, He restored it to life.

Titus of Bostra: What are these great things, if not that I, still a virgin, have conceived by the will of God, overcoming nature? I have been considered worthy to become a mother without being joined to a husband—and not a mother of just anyone, but of the only-begotten Savior.

The Venerable Bede: This refers to the beginning of the hymn, where it is said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. For only that soul for whom He deigns to do mighty things can magnify the Lord with fitting praise.

Titus of Bostra: She refers to Him as "mighty" so that if people disbelieve the work of her conception—namely, that she conceived while still a virgin—she can attribute the miracle to the power of the Worker. Nor is the only-begotten Son defiled because He has come to a woman, for holy is his name.

St. Basil the Great: The name of God is called holy not because its letters contain any special power, but because in every way we consider God, we recognize His purity and holiness.

The Venerable Bede: For in the height of His marvelous power, He is far beyond every creature and is completely distinct from all the works of His hands. This is better understood in the Greek language, where the very word for "holy" signifies something like being "apart from the earth."