Elizabeth
A descendant of Aaron, wife of the priest Zechariah, and mother of John the Baptist. Both were righteous and both were old, and she had been unable to have children. When the angel's promise was fulfilled she kept to herself for five months, saying the Lord had taken away her reproach. When Mary came to visit, the child leapt in Elizabeth's womb and she cried out that Mary was blessed among women — the greeting that prompts the Magnificat. At the naming she insisted, against the family, that the boy be called John.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
LukeThere was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Luke 1:5
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:41 — The baby leaps in her womb
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 3 recorded sayings
“The Lord has done this to me, for his eyes were on me, to take away my shame in the eyes of men.” — Luke 1:25
“And she said with a loud voice: May blessing be on you among women, and a blessing on the child of your body. How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For, truly, when the sound of your voice came to my ears, the baby in my body made a sudden move for joy. Happy will she be who had faith that the things which the Lord has said to her will be done.” — Luke 1:42-45
“But his mother made answer and said, No, his name is John.” — Luke 1:60
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
Events
In art
