Skip to content
Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος, Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία· διότι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου, καὶ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην.
RBT Greek Interlinear:
Strongs 2036  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Eipen
Εἶπεν
Said
V-AIA-3S
Strongs 1161  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
de
δὲ
and
Conj
Strongs 4314  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
pros
πρὸς
toward
Prep
Strongs 846  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
auton
αὐτὸν
himself
PPro-AM3S
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
ho

the
Art-NMS
Strongs 32  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
angelos
ἄγγελος
angel
N-NMS
Strongs 3361  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus

Μὴ
Not
Adv
Strongs 5399  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
phobou
φοβοῦ
fear
V-PMM/P-2S
Strongs 2197  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Zacharia
Ζαχαρία
Zechariah
N-VMS
Strongs 1360  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
dioti
διότι
Therefore
Conj
Strongs 1522  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
eisēkousthē
εἰσηκούσθη
has been heard
V-AIP-3S
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus


the
Art-NFS
Strongs 1162  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
deēsis
δέησίς
want/lack
N-NFS
Strongs 4771  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
sou
σου
of you
PPro-G2S
Strongs 2532  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kai
καὶ
and
Conj
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus


the
Art-NFS
Strongs 1135  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gynē
γυνή
woman
N-NFS
Strongs 4771  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
sou
σου
of you
PPro-G2S
Strongs 1665  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Elisabet
Ἐλισάβετ
Elizabeth
N-NFS
Strongs 1080  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gennēsei
γεννήσει
will bear
V-FIA-3S
Strongs 5207  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
huion
υἱόν
a son
N-AMS
Strongs 4771  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
soi
σοι
you
PPro-D2S
Strongs 2532  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kai
καὶ
and
Conj
Strongs 2564  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kaleseis
καλέσεις
you will call/summon
V-FIA-2S
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
to
τὸ
the
Art-ANS
Strongs 3686  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
onoma
ὄνομα
name
N-ANS
Strongs 846  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
autou
αὐτοῦ
himself
PPro-GM3S
Strongs 2491  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Iōannēn
Ἰωάννην
Favored
N-AMS
RBT Hebrew Literal:
Hannah has been heard
And he said toward himself, the Angel, "Fear not, He Is Remembered! Because the Want/Lack1a of yourself, she has been heard, and the Woman of yourself, God of Seven, will bear a son to yourself and you will summon the Name of himself, Favored.
Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And the messenger said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy supplication has been heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
LITV Translation:
But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias, because your prayer was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you shall call his name John.
ESV Translation:
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Footnotes

1a

Non obsecrans sum, supplicans sum!

The Greek word δέησις (deēsis) originally carried the meaning of "want," "need," or "lack," particularly in philosophical and rhetorical contexts. Aristotle (Rhetoric 1385a21) explicitly connects δεήσεις with ὀρέξεις (desires), reinforcing its fundamental meaning as an expression of deficiency or longing.

Plato (Eryxias 405e) uses it alongside ἐπιθυμίαι (desires), further highlighting its association with necessity and lack. 

In religious contexts, as is the case with a great many Greek words, it was ritualized and elevated into "supplication" or "prayer." This is a classic example of inverting definitions where a word with a bad sense is craftily flipped to have a good sense. Begging and pleading out of lack or need is a bad, miserable condition. Unless it's religious, then it's good, even glorious. And in order to convey how glorious it is, a lofty word like "supplication" is concocted, one that sounds lofty, and indeed, just a little out of reach of the masses. How and where did this happen?

Latin. The word "supplication" comes from the the Latin supplicans "to pray earnestly." The rise of Latin in the 4th-6th centuries and the commissioning of the Latin Vulgate gave rise to the Latin Liturgical Language (i.e. Holier than thou speak). It was a sort of "superiority complex" where it was felt that there should be a "holy" language set apart from common language, just for the Church. This multiplied until Holy Latin Speak was universally entrenched in all aspects of Church life, including Mass, prayers, theological treatises.

Non obsecrans sum, supplicans sum!

"I'm not begging, I'm supplicating!"

The exclusive use of Latin also created a powerful clerical barrier. Since the liturgy was in Latin, only the ordained clergy, who were educated in the language, could fully understand and administer the Mass and other sacraments. This kept religious knowledge largely in the hands of the high and mighty holier than thou's, while the common people often did not understand what was being said during the liturgy. If you want keep control of people, keep the people down, and dumb.

Holy Latin Speak was so exclusive and entrenched as the sole language of the Catholic Church for centuries that, by the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), the idea of translating liturgy and scripture into the common languages of "fallen man" (the common languages of the people) was seen as a revolutionary. Previously, it was not allowed.

This exemplifies how religious traditions often reshape everyday language, imbuing ordinary words with sacred or liturgical connotations, obscuring their original, more practical meanings. This is why "Biblical Greek" is a thing, and why (most?) who attempt to learn it often end up wanting to shoot themselves.