Luke 2

Luke 2:1

[a] all the world] That οἰκουμένη doth not always signify the whole world, may be concluded by Acts xi. 28, where the prophecy of the famine through the whole world seems to belong to the same which was foretold by Christ, Matt. xxiv. 7, and so to refer only to Judæa, (see

[b] taxed] The ἀπογραφή is here literally descriptio; and that is

(not an exacting of tribute, or taxation, but) a setting down, or enrolling

every person according to their families and estates. So in Hesychius,

ἀπογραφή, ἀρίθμησις, ἢ ἡ γινομένη μήνυσις, it signifies the numbering of the

people, or declaring how many and what kind of people they are; and Phavorinus, that ἀπογραφὴν ποιῆσθαι is, when “each man is sent for to make known,” ὅσατε ἔχει, καὶ ὅθεν τὰ χρήματα καὶ πόσα ταῦτα εἴη, “what and how much he hath, and whence his estate came to him.” This is it that the Greek and Latin Gloss in H. Stephanus hath expressed by

ἀπογραφή, census, professus, professio, the word professio being the pro-

per Latin word for this matter, and therefore the Vulgar very fitly hath

it, ver. 3. of this chap., ibant profiteri, “they went to tell what they

were worth,” &c. Suidas indeed, in the word ἀπογραφή, mentioning this

of Augustus, saith it was to the other end, of bringing into his “trea-

sury” αὐτάρκη τινὰ μοῖραν, “a sufficient proportion;” and that it was

therefore called ἀπογραφὴ πρώτη, the first of this kind, by way of equal

and moderate distribution, because “they that were in power before him were wont to take away what they would.” But, though Suidas be an

excellent grammarian, yet in matter of history his authority is not great;

and it is sure enough the Roman subjects paid their vectigalia, certain

taxes, before this, and the publicans were the gatherers of them. And

Cassiodore’s words, which somewhat look toward that of taxing, yet refer

Luke 2:4

And so, though Joseph dwelt in Galilee in the city Nazareth, he was forced to go into Judæa, unto the city of David— ᵈ by turns over their flock, some one watch of the night, some another.

Luke 2:7

[c] manger] Φάτνη signifies βουστάσιον or ἱπποστάσιον, saith Is. Casaubon ad Baron. i. e. a stable where cattle stand, and not only the place where their meat is put, the manger. So in Latin, præsepe, Virgil. Æneid. vii. 17. … in præsepibus ursi

Sævire— and, Stabant ter centum nitidi in præsepibus altis;

and to this the story best agrees which gives the reason of their laying him in the φάτνη, because there was no room (not in the stable, but) in the inn.

Luke 2:8

[d] keeping watch] It is sufficiently known that the night was distinguished into several watches: the ὀψί, and μεσονύκτιον, and ἀλεκτροφωνία, and πρωί, Mark xiii. 35, the evening, and midnight, and cockcrowing, and morning; the first ending at nine in the evening, the second at twelve, the third at three, the fourth at six in the morning, as the day is divided into the third, and sixth, and ninth, and twelfth hours. Now these the shepherds in those countries, (which lay chiefly upon feeding cattle,) i. e. the inhabitants of the countries, did so distribute among them, that such a number of them might continue in the field and watch abroad so many hours in the night; and when that watch ended, so many other fresh men might come and succeed to that care; and this the form of speech in Greek doth import, φυλάσσοντες φυλακὰς τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ποίμην αὐτῶν, i. e. literally rendered, watching the watches of the night over their flock; and so the Vulgar readeth it, custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem.

Luke 2:9

And an angel of God appeared to them in a shining cloud, signifying God’s especial signal presence there, (see note [k] on Matt. iii.): and they—

¹ enrolled. ² this first enrolling was. ³ the stable. ⁴ watching the watches of

the night over their flock.

Luke 2:11

For the Messias or God incarnate is this day born in Bethlehem, David’s city.

Luke 2:12

And by this you shall distinguish this child from all others; Ye shall find— • angels, so far from envying this dignity of man’s nature that they congratulated it, and thereupon sang this hymn, Glory to God—

Luke 2:14

God be glorified by them which are in the highest heavens, the angels, &c., because of that peace which this birth of Christ hath brought on the earth, and because of that favour, mercy, reconciliation of God toward men, which is wrought thereby, or because of that reconciliation of God toward those that are found sincere before him. f whole story of all that was told them— g comparing them one with another in her private meditation, without speaking of them to any.

[e] on earth peace, good will to—] The concurrence of so many

Luke 2:21

And when the eighth day was come, wherein it was the law and custom for children to be circumcised and named, he was circumcised, and his name imposed on him, which was JESUS, according as he had been named of the angel—

they brought him, as their firstborn, to present him to the priest, and then to redeem him, as Num. xviii. 15. is appointed;

Luke 2:23

(According to that law given to the Jews, that as the firstborn male of other creatures, so the firstborn son (in remembrance of God’s slaying all the firstborn of the Egyptians to deliver them) should be consecrated to God, Exod. xiii. 3, and since the Levites were by God taken instead of the firstborn, it is to be redeemed, Num. iii. 12 and 46.)

Luke 2:24

And then for her own purification after childbirth, Lev. xii. 6, to offer her pair of turtles, being not able to offer a lamb (which is an argument that the magi had not yet brought their presents, Matt. ii. 11.) according to the commandment of God, that he which is not able to bring a lamb shall bring a pair of turtles, &c., Lev. xii. 8.

an upright and godly man, looking for and expecting the coming of the Messias, see ver. 38, whether in a spiritual only, or (as most expected) in a temporal kingdom, to restore their liberty to the Jews.

Luke 2:26

And he had received revelation from the Holy Ghost, that before he died the Messias should come, and he should see him.

Luke 2:27

And at this very time he came by the guidance and dictate of the Spirit into the temple, and when Joseph and Mary brought in Jesus to perform those things which were according to the law usual to be done, then took he—

‘recited this hymn, Lord, now lettest—

Luke 2:29

Lord, now thou hast fulfilled thy promise revealed to me, ver. 26, I am heartily content to die:

Luke 2:30

For I have with these fleshly eyes of mine beheld the Messias,

Luke 2:31

Whom thou hast so long promised, and at last exhibited in the sight of all the congregation;

Luke 2:32

A light afforded to the Gentile world, Isaiah xlix. 6, to reveal to them God’s righteousness, (or the way of living which will be acceptable to God,) Psalm cxvi. 18, and (after he hath reformed the religion of the Jews, taught them the substantial instead of the ceremonial observances) to bring the Gentiles to the receiving of that religion, and so to bring much glory and honour to that nation, to those at least that do receive him, or in case they will do so.

“is appointed by God to be a means of bringing punishment and ruin upon all obdurate impenitents, and on the other side to redeem, restore, recover those that will be wrought on by him throughout all this people; and he shall be vehemently opposed; so holy and severe in his precepts and practice that he shall be a butt or sign, such as are mentioned Isaiah viii. 18, a mark for all obdurate sinners to set themselves against;

Luke 2:35

(And that opposition shall bring upon thee either death itself or some sore affliction,) that the machinations and designs of men, (see note [ʃ] on Matt. xv.) which are now kept secret, may come forth, and be discovered by their dealings with him, by the judgments which they pass upon him, some receiving him as the Messias, others not. See note [ʃ] on Rom. viii.

“very old, and had lived in the matrimonial estate but seven years, unto which she came a pure virgin;

[f] a sword shall pierce] That Mary the mother of Christ was put to death is the affirmation of Epiphanius, l. 3. hær. 78. contra Dicomarianitas, and this place of scripture said to be fulfilled by it, Ἦτοι ἀνῤῥέθη, καθὼς γέγραπται, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῆς διελεύσεται ῥομφαία, “She was put to death according as it is written, A sword shall pass through thy soul also;” and so he goes on, ἐν μάρτυσιν αὐτῆς τὸ κλίος, “her glory is among the martyrs.” If she were not actually put to death, some great sensitive affliction, the sharpness of which is here compared to a sword, and said to pass through her ψυχή, her animal or sensitive soul, is here certainly meant by it.

Luke 2:37

And being now a widow of about eighty-four years old, she constantly frequented the temple (see

[g] served God with fastings] Of this Anna it is the testimony of Cyril of Jerusalem, cat. 10, that she was ἐγκρατὴς, εὐλαβεστάτη, καὶ ἀσκήτρια. The first title refers to her continence and widow-chastity for so many years (having lived with an husband but seven years after marriage, he, in all probability, dying at that time); the second, to her devotion and strict observance of piety; the third, not to a solitary monial life, (as the Latin interpreter there falsely renders it,) but to such a strict observance of all that σκληραγωγία, or austerity, in fasting so often every week, and attending of public (and private) prayers so often every day, (and all this for the whole space of her ensuing life,) as was anciently observable among the ἀσκηταί, or devout persons. Thus did she take herself up from the cares and affairs of the world, that she might have the full vacancy for the service of God, and daily frequented the temple at the hours of prayer, not that she did neither eat nor sleep, or that in any respect she could be said to dwell there always, but that serving God there at all the set times of prayer, and to prayer adding the weekly observances of fasting also, she returned from those performances to her own house, and there properly inhabited; and this is enough to own that expression here, that she departed not from the temple, i. e. forsook it not, kept close to it at the set times, (though she was at her own house also at other times,) as the apostles, ch. xxiv. 53, are said to have been διὰ παντὸς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, continually in the temple; and Acts i. 13, διαμένοντες, continuing there; which yet doth not note that they were never out of it, but, as it follows, ἦσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ δεήσει, they continued unanimously constant in prayer and supplication; not

Luke 2:40

And Jesus grew in stature of body and faculties of mind, (his divine Spirit assisting and strengthening his natural faculties,) and was induced with great wisdom through the grace and power of God’s Spirit upon him. q had continued there all the feast days, and then came home, as they— r after they were come a day’s journey they missed him, and made strict inquiry after him amongst their—

Luke 2:73

Gen. xxii. 16. ’ give us power, ability, grace, that we being secured and rescued from danger of enemies might obey and attend him in a sincere performance of all duties toward God and man, and cheerfully and constantly persevere therein.

Luke 2:76

And this John shall be a prophet of God, (foretelling judgments on the nations if they repent not speedily,) or rather of an higher rank, pointing out Christ (see note [d] on Matt. xi.), and as his forerunner, by the preaching of repentance and change, to fit men for Christ.

Luke 2:77

To teach men that in Christ there is a possibility of obtaining salvation for sinners, to wit, by pardon of their sins upon repentance and new life.

Luke 2:78

Which is a special act of compassion in God, through which it is that this rising sun, i. e. the Messias or Christ, so called by the prophets, is come from heaven to visit and abide among us.

Luke 2:79

To shine forth to blind, ignorant, obdurate worldlings living in a state of death, and to put us into that way that will bring us to salvation.

[t] shadow of death] What is the meaning of this figurative speech, the shadow of death, will be best conjectured by comparing it with psalm xxiii. 4, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, &c. There making God his shepherd, ver. 1, he compares himself to a sheep, which feeds sometimes upon a hill, sometimes in a valley; and again may be supposed to be in danger of wolves, or else free from that danger. The hills being the highest, have all the light and warmth of the sun upon them, and the valleys contrariwise, that are shaded by the hills, have much less of that warmth or light, and being also more subject to incursion of wolves than the hills were, (where their coming would be more discernible); this is there the meaning of the valley of the shadow of death, a gloomy vale of danger of the utmost evil. Proportionably here, (in a spiritual sense,) the shadow of death is a state of sin and ignorance, want of light or knowledge, and want of warmth or grace, the description of the state under the law, which afforded neither of these in any proportion to what is now done by Christ, and so left men in a dangerous condition, till Christ was thus pleased to shine upon them, and thereby to rescue them out of it.

Luke 2:80

And John grew, and had the Spirit of God daily more and more shewing himself in him, and dwelt in the bill country of Judæa, where he was born, till the time of his preaching or setting to the execution of his office among the Jews. ## CHAP. II. AND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar in

† deal mercifully with our fathers, μινὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν πούφαι ἔλεος. * delivered with-

out fear from the hands of our enemies might serve him. * rising of the sun, or the east.

• Augustus the Roman emperor, that all persons the Roman empire should have their names and