30 The reassuring μῆ φοβοῦ, “do not fear,” is found in Judg 6:24, in Dan 10:12, in the Zechariah parallel (Luke 1:13), and often in divine visitations (cf. at 1:13). “To find grace” is a frequent OT idiom (Gen 6:8; 18:3; 30:27; Judg 6:17; etc). The usage here echoes Judg 6:17 (and cf. also Gen 18:4 where additional parallels between v 10 and Luke 1:31, v 12 and Luke 1:34 culminate in the allusion to v 14 in Luke 1:37 [Allard, NRT 78 (1956) 730]), but since we have here in Luke a heavenly affirmation of the divine favor, there is probably also a connection with the one place where this happens in the OT, viz. in the case of Moses (Exod 32:12, 17; in narrative it is also said that Noah found grace with God [Gen 6:8]). The allusion is not, in any case, to the language of the Septuagint. In biblical idiom מצא חן, mās̥ā˒ h̥ēn, (“find favor/grace”), is the passive form for נתן חן, nātan h̥ēn, (“to extend favor/ grace to”), and is the result of a magnanimous act of a superior (cf. Cambe, RB 70 [1963] 196 n. 7) as an expression of favor to an inferior, sometimes, as here, in connection with the bestowal of a distinguished role.
Nolland, J. (2002). Luke 1:1–9:20 (Vol. 35A, p. 51). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
I’ll be more specific, I said “hail.” You said “greeting.” Pretty much the same but why is “hail”an incorrect translation?