MARVEL (mar'v61), (Heb. daw-law., to separate, to distinguish).
The word means: 1. To be struck with sur prise at the sight or thought of anything strange and uncommon (Jer. iv:9).
2. To exercise a reverential regard to; or with wonder to adore and serve (Rev. xiii:13)• MARVELS OR WONDERS. 1. Things strange and astonishing, as the more rare appear ances of nature (Ps. cvii :24) ; or the miracles which God wrought in delivering Israel out of Egypt (Ps. cv :27).
2. A token or sign; thus Isaiah was a "won der" in Egypt and Ethiopia, as his walking with out his upper robe, and barefoot, was a presage of calamities to these countries (Is. xx :3). (See MIRACLES.) MARY (rna'ry), (Heb. 17.:17?, meer-yawnz% re bellion; Gr. Mapia, nza-ree'a, or Ma/AA, ma-ree-am'). 1. Ube Mother of Jesus. 'The Mother of Jesus' (Acts i:i4), and 'Mary his Mother' (Matt. ii :it), are the appellations of one who has in later times been generally called the 'Virgin Mary,' but who is never so designated in Scrip ture. Little is known of this 'highly favored' individual, in whom was fulfilled the first proph ecy made to man, that 'the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head' (Gen. iii :15). As her history was of no consequence to Chris tianity, it is not given at large. Her genealogy is recorded by St. Luke (ch. iii.), in order to prove the truth of the predictions which had foretold the descent of the Messiah from Adam through Abraham and David, with the design evidently of showing. that Christ was of that royal house and lineage (comp. Davidson's Sacred Hermeneutics, p. 58c), sq.).
Eusebius, the early ecclesiastical historian, al though unusually lengthy upon 'the name Jesus,' and the genealogies in 'Matthew and Luke's Gos pe/s, throws no new light upon Nlary's birth and parentage. The legends respecting Anne, who is said to have been her mother, are pure fables without the slightest evidence.
(1) The Annunciation. The earliest event in her history, of which we have any notice, was the annunciation to her by the angel Gabriel that she was destined, whilst yet a pure virgin, to become the mother of the Messiah—an event which was a literal fulfilment of the prophecy given centuries before by Isaiah, that 'a virgin should conceive, and bear a son, and should call his name Immanuel,' which being interpreted, is 'God with us' (Is. vii:t4; Matt. i :23). On this
occasion she was explicitly informed that she should conceive by the miraculous power of God, and that her child should be 'Holy,' and be called 'the Son of God.' As a confirmation of her faith in this announcement she was also told by the angel that her cousin Elisabeth, who was the wife of one of the chief priests, and who was now far advanced in years, had conceived a son, and that the time was not far off when her re proach among women should cease (Luke i: 36).
(2) Visit to Elisabeth. Almost immediately on receiving this announcement Mary hastened from Nazareth, where she was when the angel visited her, to the house of her cousin, who was then residing in the hilly district in 'a city of Ju dah,' supposed to be Hebron. The meetingof these two. pious females, on whom such unexpected privileges had been conferred, was one of mutual congratulations, and united thanksgiving to the Author of their blessings. It was on this occasion that Mary uttered the Alagnifieat—that splendid burst of grateful adoration which Christians of all parties have from the earliest times delighted to adopt as expressive of the best feelings of the pious heart towards God (Luke 1:39-56). After spending three months with her relative, Mary returned to Nazareth, where a severe trial awaited her, arising out of the condition in which it had now become apparent she was.
(3) Betrothed to Joseph. Betrothed (per haps in early life) to a person of the name of Joseph, an artificer of some sort (Matt. xiii :55), probably, as our translators suppose, a carpenter, the Jewish law held her exposed to the same pen alties which awaited the married wife who should be found unfaithful to the spousal vow. seph, however. being a right-hearted man Cone who feels and acts as a man ought to do in the circumstances in which he is placed'), was un willing to subject her to the evils of a public ex posure of what he deemed her infidelity; and ac cordingly was turning in his mind how he might privately dissolve his connection with her, when an angel was sent to him also to inform him in a dream of the true state of the case, and enjoin upon him to complete his engagement with her by taking her as his wife. This injunction he obeyed, and hence came to be regarded by the Jews as the father of Jesus (Matt. i :18-25).