Luke 1:56

Mary abode. It is possible that Mary remained with Elisabeth till after the birth of John, though Luke’s narrative seems to imply that she left prior to that time. It would seem out of character for Mary to leave at the very time Elisabeth would be most in need of her sympathetic and tender ministry. It is probable that Luke here mentions Mary’s departure at this point in order to complete that portion of the narrative dealing with the visit of Mary to Elisabeth. Another instance of this literary device, common throughout both OT and NT, occurs in ch. 3:20, 21, where the imprisonment of John is introduced into the record before the baptism of Jesus, though it actually occurred afterward. The fact that Mary is not mentioned by name in ch. 1:57, 58 in no way implies that she did not participate in the incident here related.

Returned. It is probable that the events of Matt. 1:18-25 — the appearance of the angel to Joseph and Joseph’s marriage — occurred soon after Mary’s return from the home of Elisabeth to Nazareth.