Luke 1:50 Explained
"And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation." — Luke 1:50 (KJV)
A line from Mary's song, describing mercy as something inherited rather than earned within a single lifetime.
Read it in context: The Book of Luke. Also gathered under verses about mercy.
Luke 1:50 in context
What does Luke 1:50 mean?
'Fear' here is not fright but the posture of someone who takes God seriously; the mercy rests on those, not on the confident. 'From generation to generation' is the striking half: mercy is described as running down a family line and across centuries, which reframes it from a private transaction into something you were handed and will hand on.
What is the context of Luke 1:50?
Mary is visiting Elizabeth, both improbably pregnant, and she answers the greeting with the Magnificat — a song built almost entirely out of older Scripture. Verse 50 sits between what God has done for her and what he does to the powerful.
How do I pray Luke 1:50?
Pray it for the people who come after you as much as for yourself — that is the direction the verse faces. Name whoever handed faith to you, if anyone did, and give thanks for that link specifically. Then ask what you are passing on, which is the question the phrase 'generation to generation' is really asking.
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