Luke 1:37 Meaning: Nothing Will Be Impossible with God
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Luke 1:37: "For nothing will be impossible with God." (NRSV)
What it means. The angel Gabriel speaks these words to Mary after telling her she will bear the Son of God. They assure her that God is able to do what God has promised. As proof, Gabriel points to her relative Elizabeth, who has conceived a son in her old age. The verse is less a promise that we can do anything than a declaration that God's word never fails.
Few Bible verses are quoted as often as this one. It shows up on coffee mugs, graduation cards, hospital walls, and tattoos. That is understandable. When life feels impossible, we want to hear that it isn't. But Luke 1:37 has a setting, and the setting makes it stronger, not weaker. It was first spoken to a frightened young woman who had just been asked to believe something no one had ever believed before.
Pastor's heads-up: The truth of this verse gives us a strong foundation to trust God with our future. While not promising everything will go our way, God will accomplish God’s will in our lives, as we see below.
Luke 1:37 in context
Luke 1 tells two birth announcements side by side. First, Gabriel tells the elderly priest Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth, who had been called barren, will bear a son, John. Zechariah doubts and is struck silent (Luke 1:5-25). Six months later, Gabriel goes to Nazareth and tells Mary, a young woman engaged to Joseph, that she will conceive and bear Jesus, the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:26-33).
Mary asks the obvious question: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). Gabriel answers in three steps:
How: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35).
A sign: "Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren" (Luke 1:36).
The reason: "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
Then Mary answers: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). So Luke 1:37 is the hinge between God's promise and Mary's yes. It does not stand alone. It answers a question, points to evidence, and invites trust. For the full passage, see Luke 1:26-38: The Annunciation.
What the Greek says
In Greek, Luke 1:37 reads ouk adynatēsei para tou theou pan rhēma. A word-for-word rendering is "every word from God will not be powerless."
The key word is rhēma. Like the Hebrew word dabar behind it, rhēma can mean either "word" or "thing." That is why translations differ. Some say "nothing will be impossible with God," reading rhēma as "thing." Others say "no word from God will ever fail," reading it as "word." Both are faithful, and they belong together. What God says, God can do. We are not giving up a trust by translating it a different way.
Luke makes the point with the very next verse. Mary answers, "let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38), and the Greek for "word" is rhēma again. Gabriel says no word from God is powerless. Mary says, then let that word happen to me. The sheer trust Mary has is incredible, and she is a remarkable example for us to follow.
The echo of Abraham and Sarah
Luke 1:37 is not a new saying. It echoes God's question to Abraham when Sarah laughed at the promise of a son in her old age: "Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14). In the Greek Old Testament that Luke's readers knew, Genesis 18:14 uses nearly the same words as Luke 1:37.
The echo is deliberate. Elizabeth, old and childless, is a new Sarah. Mary's son is the child of a promise even greater than Isaac's. And God's answer to Sarah's laughter is the same answer Gabriel gives Mary. See the sermon The Going of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:1-4) and Bible Verses About God's Promises.
Luke 1:37 in different Bible translations
| Translation | Luke 1:37 |
|---|---|
| NRSV | For nothing will be impossible with God. |
| ESV | For nothing will be impossible with God. |
| NASB | For nothing will be impossible with God. |
| CSB | For nothing will be impossible with God. |
| KJV | For with God nothing shall be impossible. |
| NKJV | For with God nothing will be impossible. |
| NIV (1984) | For nothing is impossible with God. |
| NIV (2011) | For no word from God will ever fail. |
| NLT | For the word of God will never fail. |
The familiar line "nothing is impossible with God" comes from the 1984 NIV. The current NIV and the NLT chose the "word" reading instead. If you memorized one wording and find another in a newer Bible, nothing has been lost. The two say the same thing from different sides.
Is "with God all things are possible" in Luke 1:37?
No. "With God all things are possible" is the King James wording of Matthew 19:26, which Jesus speaks after the rich young man walks away: "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, NRSV). Mark 10:27 and Luke 18:27 tell the same story. See Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-30).
The two sayings are close cousins. Luke 1:37 is about God keeping a promise to give life. Matthew 19:26 is about God doing what no human can do: saving a person whose heart is tied to wealth. Both rest on the same truth. What is impossible for us is not impossible for God.
Nothing is Impossible with God Verses List
| Verse | What it says (NRSV) | The setting |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 18:14 | "Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?" | God promises Sarah a son in her old age |
| Job 42:2 | "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." | Job answers God after the whirlwind |
| Jeremiah 32:17 | "Nothing is too hard for you." | Jeremiah buys a field as Jerusalem falls |
| Jeremiah 32:27 | "Is anything too hard for me?" | God answers Jeremiah's prayer |
| Matthew 19:26 | "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible." | After the rich young man leaves |
| Mark 9:23 | "All things can be done for the one who believes." | A father pleads for his son |
| Mark 14:36 | "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." | Jesus prays in Gethsemane |
| Luke 18:27 | "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God." | Luke's telling of the rich ruler |
Notice Mark 14:36. Jesus himself believes all things are possible for God, and still prays, "not what I want, but what you want." The God of the impossible is also the God whose will we trust when the impossible thing we ask for does not happen.
Guardrail: Luke 1:37 is not a blank check. The verse does not promise that God will do whatever we want, or that enough faith guarantees a cure, a job or a breakthrough. It promises that God can and will do what God has said. Mary did not choose the impossible thing. God chose it, and she trusted.
Guardrail: Luke 1:37 is not Philippians 4:13. The two are often paired. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) is about contentment in every circumstance, plenty or hunger. Luke 1:37 is about God's power to keep promises. Both are about God's strength, not our own. See I Can Do All Things Through Christ (Philippians 4:13).
Living Luke 1:37
Read it with verse 38. The verse was never meant to stand alone. Gabriel's "nothing will be impossible" is answered by Mary's "let it be with me according to your word." The right response to God's power is not a demand but a surrender.
Look for the Elizabeth beside you. God gave Mary a sign she could visit: an older relative who was living proof of God's faithfulness. When something feels impossible, look for the people God has already carried through. Mary went straight to Elizabeth's house (Luke 1:39-45).
Pray it honestly. A simple prayer drawn from Luke 1:37-38:
Faithful God, nothing you have promised is beyond your power. When I cannot see the way, help me trust your word. Give me Mary's courage to say, "Here am I." Let it be with me according to your word. Amen.
Looking at what God has done in another person’s life can sometimes show us what’s possible in ours. We see someone pray, deliberate, and then decide on a course of action, and their trust and work paid off. They grew in wisdom, patience, and perseverance. We see that process and the possible outcome and we are spurred to action, to take that creative ministry choice, to go on that mission trip, or follow where God leads us.
For more verses to pray and memorize, see Bible Verses About Faith, Bible Verses About Faith in Hard Times, Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times, Bible Verses About Trust and Bible Verses About Doubt.
Questions about Luke 1:37
What does Luke 1:37 mean? It means God is able to do everything God has promised. Gabriel says it to Mary to assure her that she can conceive the Son of God, and he points to Elizabeth's pregnancy as proof.
Who said "nothing will be impossible with God"? The angel Gabriel, speaking to Mary in Nazareth (Luke 1:26-38).
What is the KJV of Luke 1:37? "For with God nothing shall be impossible."
Why does the NIV say "no word from God will ever fail"? The Greek word rhēma can mean "word" or "thing." The 2011 NIV and the NLT translate it as "word." Older versions translate it as "thing." Both are accurate.
Is "with God all things are possible" the same verse? No. That wording is Matthew 19:26 in the King James Version. The idea is closely related, but the setting is different.
Does Luke 1:37 mean God will give me whatever I ask? No. It means God's word is always able to accomplish what God intends. Even Jesus, who said all things are possible for God, prayed, "not what I want, but what you want" (Mark 14:36).
What verse comes after Luke 1:37? Luke 1:38: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."
Keep reading
Sources
Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, updated edition (Doubleday, 1993).
Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Eerdmans, 1997).
John Nolland, Luke 1:1-9:20, Word Biblical Commentary 35A (Word Books, 1989).
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version unless noted. Other translations are quoted in the comparison table.
