Luke 2:1-22

The Census and the Birth of Jesus

2:1 Now ¹  in those days a decree ²  went out from Caesar ³  Augustus ⁴  to register ⁵  all the empire ⁶  for taxes. 2:2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor ⁷  of Syria. 2:3 Everyone ⁸  went to his own town ⁹  to be registered. 2:4 So ¹⁰  Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth ¹¹  in Galilee to Judea, to the city ¹²  of David called Bethlehem, ¹³  because he was of the house ¹⁴  and family line ¹⁵  of David. 2:5 He went ¹⁶  to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, ¹⁷  and who was expecting a child. 2:6 While ¹⁸  they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ¹⁹  2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth ²⁰  and laid him in a manger, ²¹  because there was no place for them in the inn. ²² 

The Shepherds’ Visit

2:8 Now ²³  there were shepherds ²⁴  nearby ²⁵  living out in the field, keeping guard ²⁶  over their flock at night. 2:9 An ²⁷  angel of the Lord ²⁸  appeared to ²⁹  them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. ³⁰  2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, ³¹  for I proclaim to you good news ³²  that brings great joy to all the people: 2:11 Today ³³  your Savior is born in the city ³⁴  of David. ³⁵  He is Christ ³⁶  the Lord. 2:12 This ³⁷  will be a sign ³⁸  for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” ³⁹  2:13 Suddenly ⁴⁰  a vast, heavenly army ⁴¹  appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

2:14 “Glory ⁴²  to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among people ⁴³  with whom he is pleased!” ⁴⁴ 

2:15 When ⁴⁵  the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem ⁴⁶  and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord ⁴⁷  has made known to us.” 2:16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. ⁴⁸  2:17 When ⁴⁹  they saw him, ⁵⁰  they related what they had been told ⁵¹  about this child, 2:18 and all who heard it were astonished ⁵²  at what the shepherds said. 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. ⁵³  2:20 So ⁵⁴  the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising ⁵⁵  God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told. ⁵⁶ 

2:21 At ⁵⁷  the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel ⁵⁸  before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus’ Presentation at the Temple

2:22 Now ⁵⁹  when the time came for their ⁶⁰  purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary ⁶¹  brought Jesus ⁶²  up to Jerusalem ⁶³  to present him to the Lord

¹ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

² sn This decree was a formal decree from the Roman Senate.

³ tn Or “from the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

⁴ sn Caesar Augustus refers to Octavian, who was Caesar from 27 b.c. to a.d. 14. He was known for his administrative prowess.

⁵ tn Grk “that all the empire should be registered for taxes.” The passive infinitive ἀπογράφεσθαι (apografesqai) has been rendered as an active in the translation to improve the English style. The verb is regarded as a technical term for official registration in tax lists (BDAG 108 s.v. ἀπογράφω a).

⁶ tn Grk “the whole (inhabited) world,” but this was a way to refer to the Roman empire (L&N 1.83).

⁷ tn Or “was a minister of Syria.” This term could simply refer to an administrative role Quirinius held as opposed to being governor (Josephus, Ant. 18.4.2 [18.88]). See also Luke 2:1.

⁸ tn Grk “And everyone.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁹ tn Or “hometown” (so CEV).

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

¹¹ sn On Nazareth see Luke 1:26.

¹² tn Or “town.” The translation “city” is used here because of its collocation with “of David,” suggesting its importance, though not its size.

¹³ sn The journey from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem was a journey of about 90 mi (150 km). Bethlehem was a small village located about 7 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem.

¹⁴ sn Luke’s use of the term “house” probably alludes to the original promise made to David outlined in the Nathan oracle of 2 Sam 7:12-16, especially in light of earlier connections between Jesus and David made in Luke 1:32. Further, the mention of Bethlehem reminds one of the promise of Mic 5:2, namely, that a great king would emerge from Bethlehem to rule over God’s people.

¹⁵ tn Or “family,” “lineage.”

¹⁶ tn The words “He went” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to begin a new sentence in the translation. The Greek sentence is longer and more complex than normal contemporary English usage.

¹⁷ tn Traditionally, “Mary, his betrothed.” Although often rendered in contemporary English as “Mary, who was engaged to him,” this may give the modern reader a wrong impression, since Jewish marriages in this period were typically arranged marriages. The term ἐμνηστευμένῃ (emnhsteumenh) may suggest that the marriage is not yet consummated, not necessarily that they are not currently married. Some mss read “the betrothed to him wife”; others, simply “his wife.” These readings, though probably not original, may give the right sense.

¹⁸ tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁹ tn The words “her child” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify what was being delivered. The wording here is like Luke 1:57. Grk “the days for her to give birth were fulfilled.”

²⁰ sn The strips of cloth (traditionally, “swaddling cloths”) were strips of linen that would be wrapped around the arms and legs of an infant to keep the limbs protected.

²¹ tn Or “a feeding trough.”

²² tn The Greek word κατάλυμα is flexible, and usage in the LXX and NT refers to a variety of places for lodging (see BDAG 521 s.v.). Most likely Joseph and Mary sought lodging in the public accommodations in the city of Bethlehem (see J. Nolland, Luke [WBC], 1:105), which would have been crude shelters for people and animals. However, it has been suggested by various scholars that Joseph and Mary were staying with relatives in Bethlehem (e.g., C. S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 194; B. Witherington, “Birth of Jesus,” DJG, 69-70); if that were so the term would refer to the guest room in the relatives’ house, which would have been filled beyond capacity with all the other relatives who had to journey to Bethlehem for the census.

²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

²⁴ sn Some argue that shepherds were among the culturally despised, but the evidence for this view of shepherds is late, coming from 5th century Jewish materials. December 25 as the celebrated date of Jesus’ birth arose around the time of Constantine (ca. a.d. 306-337), though it is mentioned in material from Hippolytus (a.d. 165-235). Some think that the reason for celebration on this date was that it coincided with the pagan Roman festival of Saturnalia, and Christians could celebrate their own festival at this time without fear of persecution. On the basis of the statement that the shepherds were living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night it is often suggested that Jesus’ birth took place in early spring, since it was only at lambing time that shepherds stood guard over their flocks in the field. This is not absolutely certain, however.

²⁵ tn Grk “in that region.”

²⁶ tn Grk “living in the field (see BDAG 15 s.v. ἀγραυλέω) and guarding their flock.”

²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²⁸ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:11.

²⁹ tn Or “stood in front of.”

³⁰ tn Grk “they feared a great fear” (a Semitic idiom which intensifies the main idea, in this case their fear).

³¹ tn Grk “behold.”

³² tn Grk “I evangelize to you great joy.”

³³ sn The Greek word for today (σήμερον, shmeron) occurs eleven times in the Gospel of Luke (2:11; 4:21; 5:26; 12:28; 13:32-33; 19:5, 9; 22:34, 61; 23:43) and nine times in Acts. Its use, especially in passages such as 2:11, 4:21, 5:26; 19:5, 9, signifies the dawning of the era of messianic salvation and the fulfillment of the plan of God. Not only does it underscore the idea of present fulfillment in Jesus’ ministry, but it also indicates salvific fulfillment present in the church (cf. Acts 1:6; 3:18; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:412; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [NIGTC], 873).

³⁴ tn Or “town.” See the note on “city” in v. 4.

³⁵ tn This is another indication of a royal, messianic connection.

³⁶ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

³⁷ tn Grk “And this.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

³⁸ sn The sign functions for the shepherds like Elizabeth’s conception served for Mary in 1:36.

³⁹ tn Or “a feeding trough,” see Luke 2:7.

⁴⁰ tn Grk “And suddenly.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁴¹ tn Grk “a multitude of the armies of heaven.”

⁴² sn Glory here refers to giving honor to God.

⁴³ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") referring to both males and females.

⁴⁴ tc Most witnesses (א² B² L Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï sy bo) have ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία (en anqrwpoi" eudokia, “good will among people”) instead of ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας (en anqrwpoi" eudokia", “among people with whom he is pleased”), a reading attested by א* A B* D W pc (sa). Most of the Itala witnesses and some other versional witnesses reflect a Greek text which has the genitive εὐδοκίας but drops the preposition ἐν. Not only is the genitive reading better attested, but it is more difficult than the nominative. “The meaning seems to be, not that divine peace can be bestowed only where human good will is already present, but that at the birth of the Saviour God’s peace rests on those whom he has chosen in accord with his good pleasure” (TCGNT 111).

⁴⁵ tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁴⁶ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

⁴⁷ sn Note how although angels delivered the message, it was the Lord whose message is made known, coming through them.

⁴⁸ tn Or “a feeding trough.”

⁴⁹ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁵⁰ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁵¹ tn Grk “the word which had been spoken to them.”

⁵² tn Grk “marveled.” It is a hard word to translate with one term in this context. There is a mixture of amazement and pondering at work in considering the surprising events here. See Luke 1:21, 63; 2:33.

⁵³ tn The term συμβάλλουσα (sumballousa) suggests more than remembering. She is trying to put things together here (Josephus, Ant. 2.5.3 [2.72]). The words “what they might mean” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁵⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

⁵⁵ sn The mention of glorifying and praising God is the second note of praise in this section; see Luke 2:13-14.

⁵⁶ tn Grk “just as [it] had been spoken to them.” This has been simplified in the English translation by making the prepositional phrase (“to them”) the subject of the passive verb.

⁵⁷ tn Grk “And when eight days were completed.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁵⁸ sn Jesus’ parents obeyed the angel as Zechariah and Elizabeth had (1:57-66). These events are taking place very much under God’s direction.

⁵⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

⁶⁰ tc The translation follows most mss, including early and important ones ({א A B L}). Some copyists, aware that the purification law applied to women only, produced mss ({76 it^pt vg} [though the Latin word eius could be either masculine or feminine]) that read “her purification.” But the extant evidence for an unambiguous “her” is shut up to one late minuscule ({codex 76}) and a couple of patristic citations of dubious worth ({Pseudo-Athanasius} whose date is unknown, and the {Catenae in euangelia Lucae et Joannis}, edited by J. A. Cramer. The Catenae is a work of collected patristic sayings whose exact source is unknown [thus, it could come from a period covering hundreds of years]). A few other witnesses (D pc lat) read “his purification.” The KJV has “her purification,” following Beza’s Greek text (essentially a revision of Erasmus’). Erasmus did not have it in any of his five editions. Most likely Beza put in the feminine form αὐτῆς (auths) because, recognizing that the eius found in several Latin mss could be read either as a masculine or a feminine, he made the contextually more satisfying choice of the feminine. Perhaps it crept into one or two late Greek witnesses via this interpretive Latin back-translation. So the evidence for the feminine singular is virtually nonexistent, while the masculine singular αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) was a clear scribal blunder. There can be no doubt that “their purification” is the authentic reading.

⁶¹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Joseph and Mary) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.