He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
εποιησεν κρατος εν βραχιονι αυτου διεσκορπισεν υπερηφανους διανοια καρδιας αυτων
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 13 commentaries
For in His arm, that is, His incarnate Son, He hath shewed strength, seeing that nature was vanquished, a virgin bringing forth, and God becoming man.
This might also be understood of the Jews whom He scattered into all lands as they are now scattered.
But these words may be more appropriately taken to refer to the hostile ranks of the evil spirits. For they were raging on the earth, when our Lord’s coming put them to flight, and restored those whom they had bound, to His obedience.
He shaped the world with His hand. By His might, He brought forth greatness and triumph. Here, "hand" signifies power, for those engaged in battle possess strength in their hand. He brought low the arrogant in the intentions of their hearts. Those who harbor pride in their minds, who take pride in themselves.
But to those that fear Him, He hath done mighty things with His arm; though thou comest weak to God, if thou hast feared Him thou shalt obtain the promised strength.
Or she says, Hath shewed, for will shew strength, not as long ago by the hand of Moses against the Egyptians, nor as by the Angel, (when he slew many thousand of the rebel Assyrians,) nor by any other instrument save His own power, He openly triumphed, overcoming spiritual (intelligibiles) enemies. Hence it follows, he hath scattered, &c. that is to say, every heart that was puffed up and not obedient to His coming He hath laid bare, and exposed the wickedness of their proud thoughts.
In describing the state of mankind, she shews what the proud deserve, and what the humble; saying, He hath shewed strength with his arm, &c. i. e. with the very Son of God. For as your arm is that whereby you work, so the arm of God is said to be His word by whom He made the world.
"Manifest Your strength within Me—in My Son." This expression has its roots in Hebrew (Exodus 20:6, Psalm 117:15-16). "Scatter the arrogant intentions of their hearts." It has been noted that God bestowed favor upon the Virgin seemingly without reason, symbolizing that the leaders of the Jewish people were consumed by pride. The most devout among them, the Pharisees, were plagued by vanity, leading to their exclusion, while She was chosen. The Virgin references the Old Testament to illustrate that this was a recurring theme. "Scattered" signifies being dispersed in various directions; "proud in thought" indicates a high regard for oneself. Thus, the Pharisees, laden with arrogance, dismissed the common folk, deeming them unknowledgeable about the law and condemned.
Meanwhile, they believed they were well-versed in everything concerning the Messiah. They told Nicodemus to "Search the scriptures, for no prophet arises from Galilee" (John 7:49, 52). Political arrogance was exemplified in Caiaphas. After the resurrection of Lazarus, during a council meeting discussing how to handle Jesus, he proclaimed to the other council members—who included respected individuals like Nicodemus—that "you understand nothing; for it is better that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish" (John 11:49-50). The Jews exhibited various forms of pride, even while they faced numerous humiliations. The term "waste" (διεσχορπισεν) is a potent one, implying a garment torn to threads and scattered. Indeed, the proud also diminish themselves. Humility draws people together, whereas pride divides them. The proud seek to elevate themselves above all, but only God holds that position. Thus, the pursuit of self-exaltation inevitably leads to dishonor. Truly, the proud are undone by the thoughts of their hearts.
"Scatter the arrogant in the intentions of their hearts" (Luke 1:51). Here lies God's wisdom in addressing pride! No strenuous effort or elaborate scheme is required; merely the thoughts within their hearts suffice. In what way do thoughts diminish the proud? Quite naturally and necessarily. A humble heart resembles a tranquil reservoir, where the waters rest peacefully, stirred only by the gentle breezes of God's grace. It reflects the brilliance of the spiritual sun, radiating currents of goodwill and positive actions. Conversely, a proud heart is akin to a tumultuous spring, crashing down rocky cliffs, perpetually erupting in chaos. The thoughts of the proud consume themselves. Captivated by one lofty notion or another, the proud individuates into fragments, squandering their strength, skills, and time in futility. By attempting various endeavors that exceed their capacities, they frequently stumble and shatter. This law of disintegration intensifies among the proud, who find it impossible to coexist harmoniously. The thoughts within their hearts conflict with one another, leading to mutual intolerance. "Scatter the arrogant intentions of their hearts."
She lists the attributes of the Divine and declares that through His strength He accomplished the astonishing triumph. He has humbled the arrogant by the inclinations of their hearts. Those who are proud in their minds, that is, those who elevate themselves and are consumed with vanity.
This joyful and divinely inspired salutation delivered to Mary by Elizabeth filled Our Lady with profound joy, prompting her to express her overflowing spirit of gratitude and elation towards God, the Redeemer, in an inspired song. The hymn can be viewed in several sections: verses 46-47 serve as an introduction that sets the tone for what follows, highlighting God as the Savior. Salvation is perceived as Messianic in nature. In verse 48 and the first part of verse 49, God as Savior is exalted in relation to Mary’s circumstances. The lineage of David was diminished at the time, and its descendants held no significant societal standing. Yet, in her humble background, Mary considered herself the least favored.
Nevertheless, the Lord looked kindly upon her lowly condition; from this moment forward, generations will honor her as the mother of the Savior, the Messiah. Mary’s exultation is a testament to God’s omnipotence, leading her to proclaim Him as mighty. The latter part of verse 49 and verse 60 act as a bridge to the praise of God for His salvation of the people of Israel, expounded in verses 51-55. In this transition, a general conclusion is drawn from God’s actions toward Mary, reflecting on His holiness and His infinite mercy towards those who seek holiness and work out their salvation with reverent awe. This same holiness and mercy of God towards future generations who reverence Him form the basis of what He has accomplished through the Messiah for Israel (vv. 54-55: ‘mercies are mentioned for Abraham and his seed to the ages of ages’), and what Mary prophetically envisions as already achieved. In the latter part of her song, the expressions initially take on a general and metaphorical quality (51-53), and then (in vv. 54-55), it becomes clear who the lowly and famished are—those God will suddenly elevate from their humiliated state, showcasing the might of His power (‘the power of His muscle’). It becomes evident that the proud of heart, the powerful, and the affluent are the Gentiles who then dominated the world and specifically Israel. Until that point, the Lord appeared to have utterly forsaken and abandoned His people—Israel—allowing the Gentiles to rule over them; but now He embraces them anew in His love, fulfilling the promises of mercy made to Abraham and his descendants, assurances that will endure for eternity, as these mercies manifest through the Messiah, the eternal King seated upon David's throne.
Aware of her remarkable significance and the future glory that awaits her, the Blessed Virgin Mary, exalted in her humility, confidently proclaims her destined role. She sees herself as solely an instrument of divine Providence, yet as a specifically chosen vessel, she holds the highest place among other favored women, serving as the portal for the Messiah to enter the world. "He showed the strength of His arm, He scattered the haughty from the thoughts of their hearts; He cast down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, and let the rich go with nothing." These verses encapsulate the core message of the gospel, that true power and wealth stem from humility. God does not require our aid in His divine work.
We must humble ourselves and acknowledge our lowly state to be pleasing to Him. The arrogant Pharisees, the powerful and wealthy of this world, including Herod and Caesar, were cast aside, while the humble virgin of Israel was elevated, becoming the object of worldwide glorification in both heaven and earth. The reign of pride, tyranny, and wealth has come to an end. God dismisses these in order to bestow His love, holiness, and radiant glory upon those who embody humility, meekness, and poverty.
Demonstrating the might of His power, the term "muscle" serves as a metaphor for strength; the concept of muscular strength symbolizes divine omnipotence. This display of God's power is illustrated through various significant aspects of the Messiah's kingdom. By divine revelation, the Blessed Virgin perceives the profound transformation that God will implement through the inauguration of her Son’s kingdom, a change that she envisions as already fulfilled, similar to how it was often depicted in the prophecies of the Old Testament—hence, such expressions are articulated in the past tense. This transformation is referenced in few yet impactful elements, primarily focusing on the restoration of humanity's true relationship with divine truth and holiness, which had been distorted by mankind.
"He scattered the haughty" reflects the essence of pride, which stands in contrast to humility, rooted in reverence for God (Luke 1:52; Luke 1:50). This parallel highlights the relationship between God's righteousness in the Messiah’s new kingdom and the elevated versus the humble, with the humble notably representing the nation of Israel (Luke 1:54). The proud, who are to be brought low in the Messiah’s reign, can also signify paganism and its advocates (cf. Theophilus). Those haughty in spirit, who presume to elevate themselves in the eyes of God, are dispersed, rendered destitute, and humbled. The Savior of the world did not make His appearance among the proud Gentiles nor did He select them as instruments for His salvific purpose; rather, it was the marginalized and humiliated Jewish people from whom salvation originated (John 4:22).
He demonstrated strength through His might; He dispersed those who boasted in the intentions of their hearts during the tumult.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 10 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS