Translation
In as much as ELIZABETH
was barren,
Go to footnote numberthere was no child given to them, and now they were both advanced in years.
Paraphrase
Since the one who had BOUND HERSELF TO GIVE ALL ALLEGIANCE TO HER GOD seemed to be inexplicably cursed with the inability to produce children, no such blessing had been granted to them, and now it appeared their opportunity to have children had passed.
Footnotes
1
Barrenness was seen in ancient times as a curse because it was abnormal. Therefore, most people assumed that a woman who was barren had done something evil to bring on such a terrible curse. Here the text is very specific in telling the reader that was not the case, but also leaving the reader with the disquieting reality that a terrible curse had fallen on someone who was righteous and totally committed to God.