Luke 2

Luke 2:9

Arose. In consequence of the angel’s words. Went into the hill country. The central plateau of Judea, containing the cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron. Hebron was a Levitical city (Joshua 21:11). Whether the city was Hebron, Juttah, or some other, is only conjecture.

Luke 2:12

Blessed [art] thou among women. The language of Elizabeth, Oriental poetry, is that of an inspired prophet.

Luke 2:13

Mother of my Lord. Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Luke 2:16

Mary said. Mary also is filled with the spirit of prophecy. These two godly women are the first human prophets of the New Testament. Mary’s language is in part drawn from the Psalms. This hymn is divisible into three parts: (1) recognition of God’s strange grace upon her own humble person and character (Lu 1:46-49); (2) a recognition that it is ever thus that God exalts the humble, and brings low the proud (Lu 1:50-53); (3) the result is that humble Israel is now to be exalted according to God’s promise to Abraham (Lu 1:54,55).

Luke 2:17

My Saviour. Mary, by this word, reckons herself among that which was lost. She obtained salvation, not from herself, but from Jesus. (Bengel).

Luke 2:18

Call me blessed. Pronounce me highly favored, or happy in being the mother of the Messiah. Abraham was blessed in being the father of the faithful; Paul in being the apostle to the Gentiles; Peter in first preaching the gospel to them; but who would think of worshiping or praying to Abraham, Paul, or Peter?

Luke 2:25

To Abraham. See Genesis 12:1-3 13:14-17 15:5. And to his seed. The seed promised to Abraham was to be a blessing to the whole world. Compare the hymn of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1).

Luke 2:29

On the eighth day. On the eighth day male Jewish children were circumcised and named (Genesis 17:12). The kinsmen present called the child after his father’s name, a common Jewish custom, but Elizabeth protested that his name should be John, that given by the angel. The matter was referred to the father.

Luke 2:33

Asked for a writing tablet. Because his tongue had not yet been loosed.

Luke 2:35

Fear came on all. On account of so many marvels.

Luke 2:37

Zacharias . . . prophesied. As soon as his tongue was loosed it was employed to praise the Lord. All inspired utterances are called prophesying, but in the present case there was clearly inspired prediction. In the Old Testament spirit the kingdom of Christ in the future is described in general terms.

Luke 2:39

An horn of salvation. An allusion to the Savior (2 Samuel 22:3 Psalms 18:2). The horn was a symbol of power (Jeremiah 48:25 Lamentations 2:3 Daniel 7:24 Zechariah 1:19).

Luke 2:40

As he spke by the mouth of his holy prophets. “Of him have all the prophets borne witness” (Acts 10:43). “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). Bishop Brownrig says: ``The whole volume of Scripture did prophesy of him. He was the sum and scope of all their predictions. He was Abraham’s promised seed, Abraham’s Isaac, Jacob’s Shiloh, Moses’ Great Prophet, Esaias’ Immanuel, Ezekiel’s Shepherd, Daniel’s Holy One, Zechariah’s Branch, Malachi’s Angel; all of them predictions to foretell his coming. All their types and ceremonies pointed at him. He was Abel’s Sacrifice, Noah’s Dove, Abraham’s First Fruits, Aaron’s Rod, the Israelites’ Rock, the Patriarchs’ Manna, David’s Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple; all these prefigured his incarnation. They were the folds and swathing of the this babe Jesus.''

Luke 2:41

From our enemies. The priest is, at the same time the patriot in the best sense of the term, deeply moved by the sight of Roman tyranny.

Luke 2:43

The oath. This oath is recorded in Genesis 22:16-17. It was an oath in which God swore by himself, because he could swear by no greater (Hebrews 6:13,14), that he would surely bless Abraham and his posterity; that promise was now to be entirely fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah.

Luke 2:46

Thou, child. The babe, John, before him. The Highest. “The Most High” is an epithet in Scripture only of the “supreme God”.

Luke 2:47

By the remission of their sins. The remainder of the sentence embodies the gospel in brief. It promises (1) salvation, (2) not merely political but spiritual. A remission of, and redemption from sin, (3) indicates the cause–the divine mercy (compare John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-8), and (4) promises the result, “like to eyes in darkness, and peace to feet straying in paths of sorrow and perplexity”.

Luke 2:48

The dayspring. Christ is the “morning light”, the “rising sun” (Malachi 4:2). The gospel brings “light” with it (John 3:19).

Luke 2:50

The child . . . was in the deserts. In the wilderness of Judea where he could have ample opportunity for communion with God.

Luke 2:52

The Birth of Jesus SUMMARY OF LUKE 2: The Decree of Augustus Caesar. The Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The Babe in the Manger. The Shepherds and the Song of the Angels. The Circumcision of the Child. The Child in the Temple. The Prophecy of Simeon. The Prophecy of Anna. The Child at Nazareth. Jesus with the Doctors. My Father’s Business. Went out a decree from Caesar Augustus. Augustus Caesar, the nephew and heir of Julius Caesar, the first of the Roman emperors, was now the ruler of the civilized world. Though Judea was ruled by Herod as king, he was dependent upon and the servant of Augustus Caesar. That all the world. The Roman empire which embraced all the world then known to civilization; all southern and western Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. Should be taxed. A census was to be taken as a preliminary to a poll tax in the provinces.