Luke 1:56

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
Mary	Μαριὰμ Mariam	G3137	Maria or Mariam (i.e. Mirjam) · noun — nominative singular feminine, a proper name
abode	Ἔμεινεν Emeinen	G3306	to stay (in a given place · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
with	σὺν sun	G4862	with or together (but much closer than G3326 (μετά) or… · preposition
her	αὐτῇ autēa	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular feminine
about	ὡσεί hōseí	G5616	as if
three	τρεῖς treis	G5140	"three" · adjective — accusative plural masculine
months	μῆνας mēnas	G3376	a month · noun — accusative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
returned	ὑπέστρεψεν hupestrepsen	G5290	to turn under (behind) · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
to	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
own	αὐτῆς.¶ autēs	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular feminine
house	οἶκον oikon	G3624	a dwelling (more or less extensive · noun — accusative singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 1:39-56

We have here an interview between the two happy mothers, Elisabeth and Mary: the angel, by intimating to Mary the favour bestowed on her cousin Elisabeth (Luk 1:36), gave occasion for it; and sometimes it may prove a better piece of service that we think to bring good people together, to compare notes. Here is, I. The visit which Mary made to Elisabeth. Mary was the younger, and younger with child; and therefore, if they must come together, it was fittest that Mary should take the journey, not insisting on the preference which the greater dignity of her conception gave her, Luk 1:39. She arose, and left her affairs, to attend this greater matter: in those days, at that time (as it is commonl…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 1:56

abode with her about three months--What an honored roof was that which, for such a period, overarched these cousins! and yet not a trace of it is now to be seen, while the progeny of those two women--the one but the honored pioneer of the other--have made the world new. returned to her own house--at Nazareth, after which took place what is recorded in Mat 1:18-25.

Adam Clarke on Luke 1:56

And Mary abode with her about three months - According to some, the departure of Mary from Hebron must have been but a few days before the birth of John; as nine months had now elapsed since Elisabeth's conception; see Luk 1:36. Hence it immediately follows: -

John Gill on Luke 1:56

And Mary abode with her about three months,.... That is, she continued with Elisabeth, as the Syriac and Persic versions express, about the space of three months; in which time, she had full satisfaction of the truth of the sign the angel had given her; namely, of Elisabeth's conception and pregnancy, for by this time she was ready to give birth; and she must now be fully assured, that she was with child herself: this space of three months is a term of time fixed by the Jewish doctors, to know whether a woman is with child or not, as in case of divorce or death: the rule runs thus (k), "every woman that is divorced, or becomes a widow, lo! she may not marry, nor be betrothed, until she wait…

The Church Fathers

"She returned home after three months," so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband.
— Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.28

(Metaphrastes.) For it is the custom for virgins to go away when the pregnant woman brings forth. But when she reached her own home, she went to no other place, but abode there until she knew the time of her delivery was at hand. And Joseph doubting, is instructed by an Angel.
— Ancient Greek Expositor ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

For the chaste soul which conceives a desire of the spiritual word must of necessity submit to the yoke of heavenly discipline, and sojourning for the days as it were of three months in the same place, cease not to persevere until it is illuminated by the light of faith, hope, and charity.
— Bede ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

John the Baptist — The “forerunner of our Lord.” We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chr.…
Mary — Hebrew Miriam. (1.) The wife of Joseph, the mother of Jesus, called the “Virgin Mary,” though never so designated in Scripture (Matt. 2:11; Acts 1:14). Little is known of her personal history. Her…
Elisabeth (Elizabeth) · The wife of Zacharias and the mother of — The wife of Zacharias and the mother of
Jesus, The Christ · .Mary visits El — .Mary visits El
Mary · .Visits her cousin, El — .Visits her cousin, El
Nazareth · Joseph and Mary live at — Joseph and Mary live at
Zacharias (Zechariah) · 2. The father of — 2. The father of

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Luke 1:56

Word by word — the Greek

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 1:39-56

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 1:56

Adam Clarke on Luke 1:56

John Gill on Luke 1:56

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Luke 1:56

Word by word — the Greek

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 1:39-56

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 1:56

Adam Clarke on Luke 1:56

John Gill on Luke 1:56

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Luke 1:56-66

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Luke 1:54-55