A.D. 253 – 1863 10 witnesses 13 excerpts
“For if Mary had known that similar words had been addressed to others, such a salutation would never have appeared to her so strange and alarming.”
“(Diem Nat. Orat. in Christi.) Far different then to the news formerly addressed to the woman, is the announcement now made to the Virgin. In the former, the cause of sin was punished by the pains of childbirth; in the latter, through gladness, sorrow is driven away. Hence the angel not unaptly proclaims joy to the Virgin, saying, Hail.”
“Mark the virgin by her manner of life. Alone in an inner chamber, unseen by the eyes of men, discovered only by an angel; as it is said, And the angel came in unto her. That she might not be dishonoured by any ignoble address, she is saluted by an angel.”
“She wondered also at the new form of blessing, unheard of before, reserved for Mary alone.”
“And the angel came in unto her,.... Into her house, and into the room where she was: and said, hail; all health, happiness, and prosperity attend thee; Mat 28:9. thou art highly favoured; or graciously accepted, or hast obtained grace; not referring to electing, redeeming; justifying, pardoning, adopting, and sanctifying grace, which she had in common with other saints; but to that special and particular favour, in being chosen and singled out from all other women, to be the mother of the Messiah: the Lord is with thee; so the angel to Gideon, Jdg 6:12 or "be with thee", an usual form of salutation among the Jews; Rut 2:4. thou art blessed among women; and will be pronounced so by other women, as she was by Elisabeth, Luk 1:42 and by another woman, Luk 11:27.”
“And the angel came in unto her - Some think that all this business was transacted in a vision; and that there was no personal appearance of the angel. When Divine visions were given, they are announced as such, in the sacred writings; nor can we with safety attribute any thing to a vision, where a Divine communication is made, unless it be specified as such in the text. Hail - Analogous to, Peace be to thee - May thou enjoy all possible blessings! Highly favored - As being chosen in preference to all the women upon earth, to be the mother of the Messiah. Not the mother of God, for that is blasphemy. The Lord is with thee - Thou art about to receive the most convincing proofs of God's peculiar favor towards thee. Blessed art thou among women - That is, thou art favored beyond all others.”
“Hail, full of grace: [5] by the greatest share of divine graces granted to any creature. This translation, approved by the ancient Fathers, agrees with the ancient Syriac and Arabic versions. There was no need therefore to change it into gracious, with Erasmus; into freely beloved, with Beza; into highly favoured, with the Protestant translators. For if seven deacons (Acts vi. 3.) are said to be full of the Holy Ghost, as it is again said of St. Stephen, (Acts vii. 55.) and also of the same St. Stephen, (Acts vi. ver. 8.) that he was full of grace, (as the learned Dr. Wells translates it in his amendments made to the Protestant translation) why should any one be offended at this salutation given to the blessed mother of God; who would not have been raised to this highest dignity, had not her soul been first prepared for it by the greatest share of divine graces? — The Lord is with thee, by his interior graces; and now, at this moment, is about to confer upon thee the highest of all dignities, by making thee truly the mother of God. (Witham) — The Catholic Church makes frequent use of these words which were brought by the archangel from heaven, as well to honour Jesus Christ and his virgin Mother, as because they were the first glad tidings of Christ’s incarnation, and man’s salvation; and are the very abridgment and sum of the whole gospel. In the Greek Church, they are used daily in the Mass [the Divine Liturgy]. See the Liturgy of St. James, and that of St. Chrysostom.”
“" Such a phrase," says Campbell, " is, in the Hebrew idiom, an ex- pression of the superlative." Bloomfield renders it : "the happiest, most fortunate art thou of women."”
“The Greek terra is the perfect participle, in the passive voice, of the verb which signifies to render pleasing, or to endow ivith grace. Eph. i. 6. It might be rendered : endowed with grace. Verbs in that form often signify a fulness, or abundance, Luke xvi. 20, whence the ancient inter- preter rendered it: full of grace. Campbell renders it: "favorite of heaven." Bloomfield remarks : " This is not well rendered ' beloved,* or ' favorite of heaven,' as in Campbell's version. Better (as in the Vulgate) '^ gratia plena'' . . . For (as Valckn observes) all verbs of this form, as atiuatow, 6u.v^o,t:6u>, &c., have a sense of heaping up, or render- ing full.'''' St. Ambrose remarks : " This salutation was reserved to Mary alone: for she alone is properly styled full of grace, since she alone obtained the grace which none other had deserved, to be filled with the Author of grace."”
“(Geometer) But that she was judged worthy of the nuptials is attested by his saying, Full of grace. For it is signified as a kind of token or marriage gift of the bridegroom, that she was fruitful in graces. For of the things which he mentions, the one appertains to the bride, the other to the bridegroom.”
“(Jerome sup.) And it is well said, Full of grace, for to others, grace comes in part; into Mary at once the fulness of grace wholly infused itself. She truly is full of grace through whom has been poured forth upon every creature the abundant rain of the Holy Spirit. But already He was with the Virgin Who sent the angel to the Virgin. The Lord preceded His messenger, for He could not be confined by place Who dwells in all places. Whence it follows, The Lord is with thee.”
“(Aug. in Serm. de Annunt. iii. app. 195.) More than with me, for He Himself is in thy heart, He is (made) in thy womb, He fills thy soul, He fills thy womb.”
“(Geometer) But this is the sum of the whole message. The Word of God, as the Bridegroom, effecting an incomprehensible union, Himself, as it were, the same both planting, and being planted, hath moulded the whole nature of man into Himself. But comes last the most perfect and comprehensive salutation; Blessed art thou among women. i. e. Alone, far before all other women; that women also should be blessed in thee, as men are in thy Son; but rather both in both. For as by one man and one woman came at once both sin and sorrow, so now also by one woman and one man hath both blessing and joy been restored, and poured forth upon all.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.