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Luke 2:8-20
New English Translation

The Shepherds’ Visit

8 Now[a] there were shepherds[b] nearby[c] living out in the field, keeping guard[d] over their flock at night. 9 An[e] angel of the Lord[f] appeared to[g] them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified.[h] 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully,[i] for I proclaim to you good news[j] that brings great joy to all the people: 11 Today[k] your Savior is born in the city[l] of David.[m] He is Christ[n] the Lord. 12 This[o] will be a sign[p] for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”[q] 13 Suddenly[r] a vast, heavenly army[s] appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory[t] to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among people[u] with whom he is pleased!”[v]

15 When[w] the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord[x] has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger.[y] 17 When[z] they saw him,[aa] they related what they had been told[ab] about this child, 18 and all who heard it were astonished[ac] at what the shepherds said. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean.[ad] 20 So[ae] the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising[af] God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.[ag]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  2. Luke 2:8 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.
  3. Luke 2:8 tn Grk “in that region.”
  4. Luke 2:8 tn Grk “living in the field (see BDAG 15 s.v. ἀγραυλέω) and guarding their flock.”
  5. Luke 2:9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  6. Luke 2:9 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:11.
  7. Luke 2:9 tn Or “stood in front of.”
  8. Luke 2:9 tn Grk “they feared a great fear” (a Semitic idiom which intensifies the main idea, in this case their fear).sn Terrified. See similar responses in Luke 1:12, 29.
  9. Luke 2:10 tn Grk “behold.”
  10. Luke 2:10 tn Grk “I evangelize to you great joy.”
  11. Luke 2:11 sn The Greek word for today (σήμερον, sēmeron) 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).
  12. Luke 2:11 tn Or “town.” See the note on “city” in v. 4.
  13. Luke 2:11 tn This is another indication of a royal, messianic connection.
  14. Luke 2:11 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn The term χριστός (christos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.
  15. Luke 2:12 tn Grk “And this.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  16. Luke 2:12 sn The sign functions for the shepherds like Elizabeth’s conception served for Mary in 1:36.
  17. Luke 2:12 tn Or “a feeding trough,” see Luke 2:7.
  18. Luke 2:13 tn Grk “And suddenly.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  19. Luke 2:13 tn Grk “a multitude of the armies of heaven.”
  20. Luke 2:14 sn Glory here refers to giving honor to God.
  21. Luke 2:14 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) referring to both males and females.
  22. Luke 2:14 tc Most witnesses (א2 B2 L Θ Ξ Ψ ƒ1,13 M sy bo) have ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία (en anthrōpois eudokia, “good will among people”) instead of ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας (en anthrōpois eudokias, “among people with whom he is pleased”), a reading attested by א* A B* D W (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).
  23. Luke 2:15 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.
  24. Luke 2:15 sn Note how although angels delivered the message, it was the Lord whose message is made known, coming through them.
  25. Luke 2:16 tn Or “a feeding trough.”
  26. Luke 2:17 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  27. Luke 2:17 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.
  28. Luke 2:17 tn Grk “the word which had been spoken to them.”
  29. Luke 2:18 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.
  30. Luke 2:19 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.
  31. Luke 2:20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.
  32. Luke 2:20 sn The mention of glorifying and praising God is the second note of praise in this section; see Luke 2:13-14.
  33. Luke 2:20 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.sn The closing remark just as they had been told notes a major theme of Luke 1-2 as he sought to reassure Theophilus: God does what he says he will do.
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Matthew 1:8-2:12
New English Translation

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon,[a] Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah[b] the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 After[c] the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel,[d] Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom[e] Jesus was born, who is called Christ.[f]

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ,[g] fourteen generations.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together,[h] she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph, her husband to be,[i] was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her[j] privately. 20 When he had contemplated this, an[k] angel of the Lord[l] appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him[m] Jesus,[n] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him[o] Emmanuel,”[p] which means[q] “God with us.”[r] 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord[s] told him. He took his wife, 25 but did not have marital relations[t] with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named[u] Jesus.

The Visit of the Wise Men

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time[v] of King Herod,[w] wise men[x] from the East came to Jerusalem 2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[y] and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod[z] heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem[aa] with him. 4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law,[ab] he asked them where the Christ[ac] was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”[ad]

7 Then Herod[ae] privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 8 He[af] sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 9 After listening to the king they left, and once again[ag] the star they saw when it rose[ah] led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully.[ai] 11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down[aj] and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense,[ak] and myrrh.[al] 12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,[am] they went back by another route to their own country.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:10 tc ᾿Αμώς (Amōs) is the reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (א B C [Dluc] Γ Δ Θ ƒ1 33 it sa bo), and as such is most likely autographic. This is a variant spelling of the name ᾿Αμών (Amōn). The translation uses this more well-known spelling “Amon” which is found in the Hebrew MT and the majority of LXX mss. See also the textual discussion of “Asa” versus “Asaph” (vv. 7-8); the situation is similar.
  2. Matthew 1:11 sn Before the mention of Jeconiah, several medieval mss add Jehoiakim, in conformity with the genealogy in 1 Chr 3:15-16. But this alters the count of fourteen generations mentioned by the author of Matthew in v. 17. It is evident that the author is selective in his genealogy for a theological purpose.
  3. Matthew 1:12 tn Because of the difference between Greek style, which usually begins a sentence with a conjunction, and English style, which generally does not, the conjunction δέ (de) has not been translated here.
  4. Matthew 1:12 sn The Greek text and the KJV read Salathiel. Most modern English translations use the OT form of the name (cf. Ezra 3:2).
  5. Matthew 1:16 tc There are three significant variant readings at this point in the text. Some mss and versional witnesses (Θ ƒ13 it) read, “Joseph, to whom the virgin Mary, being betrothed, bore Jesus, who is called Christ.” This reading makes even more explicit than the feminine pronoun (see sn below) the virginal conception of Jesus and as such seems to be a motivated reading. The Sinaitic Syriac ms alone indicates that Joseph was the father of Jesus (“Joseph, to whom was betrothed Mary the virgin, fathered Jesus who is called the Christ”). Although much discussed, this reading has not been found in any Greek witnesses. B. M. Metzger suggests that it was produced by a careless scribe who simply reproduced the set formula of the preceding lines in the genealogy (TCGNT 6). In all likelihood, the two competing variants were thus produced by intentional and unintentional scribal alterations respectively. The reading adopted in the translation has overwhelming support from a variety of witnesses (P1 א B C L W Γ [ƒ1] 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M co), and therefore should be regarded as authentic. For a detailed discussion of this textual problem, see TCGNT 2-6.sn The pronoun whom is feminine gender in the Greek text, referring to Mary.
  6. Matthew 1:16 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn The term χριστός (christos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in the LXX (the Greek translation of the OT known as the Septuagint) into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul’s letters to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.
  7. Matthew 1:17 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
  8. Matthew 1:18 tn The connotation of the Greek is “before they came together in marital and domestic union” (so BDAG 970 s.v. συνέρχομαι 3).
  9. Matthew 1:19 tn Grk “husband.” See following note for discussion.
  10. Matthew 1:19 tn Or “send her away.”sn In the Jewish context, “full betrothal was so binding that its breaking required a certificate of divorce, and the death of one party made the other a widow or widower (m. Ketub. 1:2; m. Sota 1:5; m. Git. passim…)” (R. H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, 21).
  11. Matthew 1:20 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  12. Matthew 1:20 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
  13. Matthew 1:21 tn Grk “you will call his name.”
  14. Matthew 1:21 sn The Greek form of the name Iēsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (“Yahweh” is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Judea and Galilee, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.
  15. Matthew 1:23 tn Grk “they will call his name.”
  16. Matthew 1:23 sn A quotation from Isa 7:14. It is unclear whether the author is citing the MT or the LXX. The use of the word παρθένος (parthenos, “virgin”) may be due to its occurrence in the LXX, but it is also possible that it is the author’s translation of the Hebrew term עַלְמָה (’almah, “young woman”). The second phrase of the quotation is modified slightly from its original context; both the MT and LXX have a second person singular verb, but here the quotation has a third person plural verb form. The spelling of the name here (Emmanuel) differs from the spelling of the name in the OT (Immanuel) because of a different leading vowel in the respective Greek and Hebrew words. In the original context, this passage pointed to a child who would be born during the time of Ahaz as proof that the military alliance of Syria and Israel against Judah would fail. Within Isaiah’s subsequent prophecies this promise was ultimately applied to the future Davidic king who would one day rule over the nation.
  17. Matthew 1:23 tn Grk “is translated.”
  18. Matthew 1:23 sn A quotation from Isa 7:14; 8:8, 10. The Hebrew name Emmanuel literally means “God (is) with us.” This phrase occurs three times in the OT in close proximity, and subsequent uses are likely related to preceding ones. Thus it is very likely the present author had each in mind when he defined the name in v. 23.
  19. Matthew 1:24 tn See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20. Here the translation “the angel of the Lord” is used because the Greek article (ὁ, ho) which precedes ἄγγελος (angelos) is taken as an anaphoric article (ExSyn 217-19) referring back to the angel mentioned in v. 20.
  20. Matthew 1:25 tn Or “did not have sexual relations”; Grk “was not knowing her.” The verb “know” (in both Hebrew and Greek) is a frequent biblical euphemism for sexual relations. However, a translation like “did not have sexual relations with her” was considered too graphic in light of the popularity and wide use of Matthew’s infancy narrative. Thus the somewhat less direct but still clear “did not have marital relations” was preferred.
  21. Matthew 1:25 tn Grk “and he called his name Jesus.” The coordinate clause has been translated as a relative clause in English for stylistic reasons.
  22. Matthew 2:1 tn Grk “in the days.”
  23. Matthew 2:1 sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Judea (with the support of Rome) from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.
  24. Matthew 2:1 sn The Greek term here, sometimes transliterated into English as magi, describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).
  25. Matthew 2:2 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolē) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).
  26. Matthew 2:3 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
  27. Matthew 2:3 tn Here the city (Jerusalem) is put by metonymy for its inhabitants (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 579).
  28. Matthew 2:4 tn Or “and scribes of the people.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateus) as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
  29. Matthew 2:4 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
  30. Matthew 2:6 sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.
  31. Matthew 2:7 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
  32. Matthew 2:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  33. Matthew 2:9 tn Grk “and behold the star.”
  34. Matthew 2:9 tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.
  35. Matthew 2:10 tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”
  36. Matthew 2:11 tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
  37. Matthew 2:11 sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).
  38. Matthew 2:11 sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was widely used in the ancient Near East by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans as perfume, as incense, and for medicinal purposes (W. Michaelis, TDNT 7:457). It was also used in preparing a corpse for burial (cf. John 19:39).
  39. Matthew 2:12 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
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