Luke 2:1-11 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son ,.... At Bethlehem, as was predicted; and the Jews themselves own, that the Messiah is already born, and born at Bethlehem. They have a tradition, that an Arabian should say to a Jew F11 T. Hieros. Berncot, fol. 5. 1. . "Lo! the king Messiah is born; he said to him, what is his name? Menachem: he asked him, what is his father's name? he replied to him, Hezekiah; he said unto him, from whence is he? he answered, from the palace of the king of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:8

And there were in the same country shepherds ,.... For Bethlehem was a place of pasture: near to Ephrata, the same with Bethlehem, were the fields of the wood, Psalm 132:6 and the tower of Edar or the tower of the flock, Genesis 35:21 and here David kept his father's sheep, 1 Samuel 17:15 so that we need not wonder to hear of shepherds here, abiding in the field, watching over their flock by night : from whence it appears, that Christ was born in the night; and the F15 Tzeror... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:9

And lo, the angel of the Lord ,.... It may be Gabriel, who had brought the tidings of the conception of the Messiah to the virgin, and now the birth of him to the shepherds: came upon them ; on a sudden, unexpectedly, at once, and stood by them, as some versions read; or rather, stood over them, over their heads, just above them; so that he was easily and perfectly seen by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; or a very glorious and extraordinary light shone with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:10

And the angel said unto them; fear not ,.... For he was not a messenger of bad, but of good tidings: for behold, I bring you good tidings; tidings, that were both wonderful and amazing, and therefore a "behold" is prefixed to them, as well as to excite to attention; and which were good news, and glad tidings, for such the birth of Christ of a virgin is: in which the good will and amazing love of Cod to man are displayed, and the promises, and prophecies relating to him fulfilled; and the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day ,.... Day is here put for a natural day, consisting both of night and day; for it was night when Christ was born, and the angels brought the tidings of it to the shepherds. The particular day, and it may be, month and year, in which Christ was born, cannot be certainly known; but this we may be sure of, it was in the fulness of time, and at the exact, season fixed upon between God and Christ in the council and covenant of peace; and that he was born, not unto,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:1

Caesar Augustus - This was Caius Caesar Octavianus Augustus, who was proclaimed emperor of Rome in the 29th year before our Lord, and died a.d. 14. That all the world should be taxed - Πασαν την οικουμενην , the whole of that empire. It is agreed, on all hands, that this cannot mean the whole world, as in the common translation; for this very sufficient reason, that the Romans had not the dominion of the whole earth, and therefore could have no right to raise levies or taxes in those... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:2

This taxing was first made when Cyrenius, etc. - The next difficulty in this text is found in this verse, which may be translated, Now this first enrolment was made when Quirinus was governor of Syria. It is easily proved, and has been proved often, that Caius Sulpicius Quirinus, the person mentioned in the text, was not governor of Syria, till ten or twelve years after the birth of our Lord. St. Matthew says that our Lord was born in the reign of Herod, Luke 2:1 , at which time... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:3

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city - The Roman census was an institution of Servius Tullius, sixth king of Rome. From the account which Dionysius of Halicarnassus gives of it; we may at once see its nature. "He ordered all the citizens of Rome to register their estates according to their value in money, taking an oath, in a form he prescribed, to deliver a faithful account according to the best of their knowledge, specifying the names of their parents, their own age, the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:5

With Mary his espoused wife - There was no necessity for Mary to have gone to Bethlehem, as Joseph's presence could have answered the end proposed in the census as well without Mary as with her; but God so ordered it, that the prophecy of Micah should be thus fulfilled, and that Jesus should be born in the city of David; Micah 5:2 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:7

Laid him in a manger - Wetstein has shown, from a multitude of instances, that φατνη means not merely the manger, but the whole stable, and this I think is its proper meaning in this place. The Latins use praesepe , a manger, in the same sense. So Virgil, Aen. vii. p. 275. Stabant ter centum nitidi in praesepibus altis "Three hundred sleek horses stood in lofty stables." Many have thought that this was a full proof of the meanness and poverty of the holy family, that they were... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 2:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 2:7

Group of Brands