Luke 2

The Census and the Birth of Jesus

¹ Now it came to pass in those days [that a] decree went out by Caesar Augustus to be registering all the inhabited world. ² This first census came [about] from Cyrus the [one] governing Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own city. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from Galilee from the city Nazareth to Judea to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and clan of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary the [one] betrothed to him, the [one] being pregnant. ⁶ Now it came [about] while they were there, the days of her bearing were fulfilled. ⁷ And she bore her first born son, and wrapped him in clothes, and lay him in [a] manger, for there was not place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds' Visit

⁸ And shepherds were in this field dwelling out of doors and watching during [the] watches of the night over their sheep. ⁹ And [an] angel of the Lord stood before them, and glory of the Lord shone round [about] them, and the feared [with] great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them: Be not fearing, for behold I proclaim to you great joy, which will be to all people, ¹¹ that there has been born to you this day [a] savior that is Christ [the] Lord, in the city of David. ¹² And this [is a] sign to you, you will find the child wrapped in clothes and lying in [a] manger. ¹³ And suddenly there came to pass with the angel [a] large host of heaven praising God and saying: ¹⁴ Glory in the highest to God and on earth¹ peace among men of good will². ¹⁵ And it came to pass as the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds were saying to each other: Let us indeed go to Bethlehem and see this word that has come to pass that the Lord has made known to us. ¹⁶ And they came, having hastened, and found Mariam and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw, they made known concerning the word having been spoken to them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard marveled concerning what was spoken by the shepherds to them. ¹⁹ But Maria treasured up all these words, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God upon all concerning what they heard and saw, just as it had been spoken to them.

²¹ And then the eight days of his circumcision were fulfilled, and his name was called Jesus, what he was called by the angel before his being conceived in the belly.

Jesus's Presentation at the Temple

²² And when were filled the days of their cleansing according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present [him] to the Lord, ²³ just as it is written in the law of [the] Lord that³

Every male opening the womb will be called for the Lord

²⁴ and to give sacrifice according to what is said in the law of [the] Lord⁴,

[A] pair of turtle doves and two young doves.

The Prophecy of Simeon

²⁵ And behold [a] man as in Jerusalem by name Simeon, and this man [is] just and devout, expecting⁵ the comfort of Israel, and [the] Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ and it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit [that he would] not see death before he instead see the Christ of [the] Lord. ²⁷ And he came in the spirit into the temple, and when the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to do to him according to the custom of the law concerning him, ²⁸ he himself also received him in his arms and blessed God and said:

²⁹ Now do you release your slave, Lord⁶ (),
According to your word in peace
³⁰ Because mine eyes have seen my salvation
³¹ Which you prepared before the face of all peoples
³² [A] light for revelation of the nations
And glory [of your] people Israel.

³³ And his father and mother were marveling upon what was spoken concerning him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mariam his mother: This [one] is appointed to the fall and rise of many and being opposed for [a] sign, ³⁵ —and [of you], [a] sword will go through her psyche-life⁷ —in order that thoughts⁸ be hidden from many hearts.

The Testimony of Anna

³⁶ And Anna was [a] prophetess, daughter [of] Phanouel, of the tribe of Aser, This [one] was advanced in many days, having zoe-lived⁹ with [her] husband seven years from her virginity, ³⁷ And this [one was a] widow until eighty-four years, and does not leave the temple serving day and night with fastings and entreaties. ³⁸ And having stood by in this hour she was thanking God and was speaking concerning him to all awaiting¹⁰ [the] redemption in Jerusalem.

³⁹ And as they completed everything according to the law of [the] Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own city Nazareth.

⁴⁰ So the child grew and became strong ¹¹, being filled with wisdom, and [the] grace of God was upon him.

Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ And his parents were proceeding according to [their]¹² custom to Jerusalem to the festival of the Passover. ⁴² And when twelve years came to pass, they having gone up according to the custom to the festival, ⁴³ and having completed the days, when they turned back, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and his parents knew it not. ⁴⁴ But having thought him to be in the caravan they came [a few] days way and sought him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ And not having found him they returned to Jerusalem seeking him. ⁴⁶ And it came to pass after three days they found him in the temple seated in the midst of the teachers and hearing them and questioning them; ⁴⁷ and all hearing him were amazed upon his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ And seeing him they were astonished, and his mother said to him: Son, why have you done to us thusly? Behold your father and I suffering pain were seeking you. ⁴⁹ And he said to them: Why were you seeking me? Do you not know that in the [things] of my father I must be? ⁵⁰ And they did not understand the word that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was being subordinate to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus progressed in wisdom and in stature and in grace with God and men.

¹GE "GAY" (γη) "earth", "land" (remember that they didn't understand about the Earth being a planet floating in space yet), sometimes "ground" or "dirt".

²"among men of good will" ℵBD few; "goodwill among men" K most. The problem here is that the text sources differ in a single letter at the word EUDOKIA (ευδoκια, nominative) or EUDOKIAS (ευδoκιας , genitive). Bruce Metzger concludes, in his The Text of the New Testament, p. 230,

"Luke 2:14, therefore, involves a twofold strophe ('glory ... peace') and not a threefold strophe ('glory...peace...good will', all in the nominative). The sense is that the birth of the Messiah, the Lord (vs. 11) is the occasion for the ascription of glory to God in the highest heaven and the enjoyment of peace on earth among men of God's good will, i.e. those persons on whom his favour rests, chosen to be the recipients of the gift of his Messiah."

Also, compare Matt.10:34, where Jesus says He did not come to bring peace on earth to [all] mankind.

³Ex.13:2

⁴Lev.12:2,6

⁵or "receiving"

⁶DESPOTES "DES-poh-tays" (δεσπoτης ) `Lord': owner and absolute master of slaves. Whereas DESPOTES emphasizes ownership and complete right of disposal, KURIOS (also translated `Lord') emphasizes power—having it, having the right to wield it. Only slaves have a DESPOTES; even free persons may have a KURIOS. DESPOTES occurs in Luke.2:29, Acts.4:24, 1Tim.6:1, 1Tim.6:2, 2Time.2:21, Tit.2:9, 1Pet.2:18, 2Pet.2:1, Jude.1:4, Rev.6:10. "Lord" in every other case is KURIOS (κυριoς )

⁷from PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. Animals have PSYCHEs as well as humans. Contrast ZOE (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected.

⁸or "reasonings"

⁹from ZOE "ZOH-ay" (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected. Although it means 'life' in the conventional sense (for example: Matt.9:18, Matt.27:63, Luke.2:36, Acts.25:24, Rom.7:2, 2Cor.1:8, 1Thes.4:17, 1Tim.5:10, Rev.19:20), Jesus uses ZOE exclusively of 'life eternal' (with the possible exceptions of Luke.15:13, Luke.16:25). The other N.T. writers use ZOE in both senses—temporal and eternal, generally clear from the context. The Father is the 'zoe-living God' (see Matt.16:16). The Septuagint (LXX) in Gen.2:7 has "...[God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of zoe-life, and the man became a zoe-living psyche-life" (and see 1Cor.15:45); and Gen.3:20 (LXX) "And Adam called his wife's name ZOE, because she was the mother of all zoe-living." Contrast PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. See John.12:25 where both ZOE and PSYCHE occur. Greek also has the word BIOS (βιoς ) for 'life' in the sense of biological processes.

¹⁰or "receiving"

¹¹insert "in spirit" K most; txt: ℵBD few

¹²or [the] version 3.85.
On 08 Sep 2009, 19:29.