Luke 1:34

Easy-to-Read Version

Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I am still a virgin."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

King James Version (1611)
Then said Marie vnto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

King James Version
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

English Standard Version
And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

New American Standard Bible
But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

New Century Version
Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen since I am a virgin?"

Amplified Bible
Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

Legacy Standard Bible
But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

Berean Standard Bible
"How can this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Contemporary English Version
Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen? I am not married!"

Complete Jewish Bible
"How can this be," asked Miryam of the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Darby Translation
But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then sayde Marie vnto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I knowe not man?

George Lamsa Translation
Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, for no man has known me.

Good News Translation
Mary said to the angel, "I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?"

Lexham English Bible
And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

Literal Translation
But Mary said to the angel, How will this be since I do not know a man?

American Standard Version
And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Bible in Basic English
And Mary said to the angel, How may this be, because I have had no knowledge of a man?

Hebrew Names Version
Miryam said to the angel, "How will this be, seeing I am a virgin?"

International Standard Version
Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not had relations withI have not known">[fn] a man?"

Etheridge Translation
And Mariam said to the angel, How shall this be, because a man is not known to me?

Murdock Translation
And Mary said to the angel: How can this be, as I have not known a man?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then said Marie vnto ye Angel: How shall this be, seing I knowe not a man?

English Revised Version
And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

World English Bible
Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, seeing I am a virgin?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Weymouth's New Testament
"How can this be," Mary replied, "seeing that I have no husband?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Marie seide to the aungel, On what maner schal this thing be doon, for Y knowe not man?

Update Bible Version
And Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I don't know a man?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

New English Translation
Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

New King James Version
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

New Living Translation
Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin."

New Life Bible
Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I have never had a man."

New Revised Standard
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Mary said unto the messenger - How, shall this thing be, seeing that, a man, I know not?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?

Revised Standard Version
And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then sayd Mary vnto ye angell: How shall this be seinge I knowe not a man?

Young's Literal Translation
And Mary said unto the messenger, `How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Mary vnto the angell: How shal this be, seinge I knowe not a ma?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Then said Mary to the angel, what shall this be without any intercourse with man?

THE MESSAGE
Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Mary sheepishly asked, "How's this going to work since I've never slept with a man?"

Contextual Overview

²⁶During Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin girl who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him." ²⁹ But Mary was very confused about what the angel said. She wondered, "What does this mean?" ³⁰ The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. ³¹ Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. ³² He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David. ³³ He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I am still a virgin." ³⁵ The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And here's something else: Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant. She is very old, but she is going to have a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant now for six months.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Judges 13:8-12, Acts 9:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:8 - General Genesis 18:12 - laughed Numbers 11:22 - General Judges 6:15 - wherewith 1 Samuel 16:2 - How can I go Jeremiah 31:22 - A woman Luke 1:18 - Whereby John 3:9 - How Acts 27:31 - Except

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Mary to the angel, how shall this be,.... This she said not as doubting the truth of what was said; for she required no sign, as Zacharias did; nor is she charged with, and blamed for unbelief, as he was; yea, it is expressly said, Luke 1:45 that she believed: nor was this a curious question, as whether she should have this son by a man in a married state, or in her present virgin state; for she clearly understood the angel to mean the latter; and therefore her words express her admiration at it, and also her desire to be informed of the manner how it should be: as to the matter of fact, she did not dispute it, but wanted to be resolved by what means it would be brought about: she knew, by prophecy, that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin, and she perceived, by the angel's declaration, that she was that virgin, but could not imagine in what way this amazing thing should be effected; and therefore proposes this question for the following reason,

seeing I know not a man? "A husband", as the Arabic version renders it; not Joseph, nor any other man; for though she was espoused to Joseph, yet he had not taken her to wife; nor were they, as yet; come together; and before they did, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost, Matthew 1:18 she was a pure virgin, untouched by man. The words are an "euphemism", or a modest way of expressing carnal copulation; see Genesis 4:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Seeing I know not a man — Or, husband. As she was only contracted to Joseph, and not as yet married, she knew that this conception could not have yet taken place; and she modestly inquires by what means the promise of the angel is to be fulfilled in order to regulate her conduct accordingly.