Luke 1:29 (LSB)

Passage

But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.

Nearby Context

Luke 1:27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Luke 1:28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Luke 1:29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.

Luke 1:30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Luke 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "very", "perplexed", "statement", "pondering", "kind", and "greeting". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "very" and "perplexed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "And coming in he said to her..." into verse 30's "And the angel said to her Do...", so "very" and "perplexed" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "very" and "perplexed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.