Luke 2:1 BSB — MannaFest

Luke 2:1

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled.

KJV

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

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Commentary

3 voices

Ambrose of Milan

Catena Aurea by Aquinas (397)

He has rightly added the name of the governor, to mark the course of time. For if the names of the Consuls are affixed to the tables of prices, how much more ought the time to be noted down, of that event which was the redemption of all men? There is described a secular registration, implied a spiritual, to be laid before the King not of earth but of Heaven; a registering of faith: a census of souls. For the old census of the Synagogue was abolished, a new census of the Church was preparing.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

And it came to pass in those days,.... When John the Baptist was born, and Christ was conceived, and his mother pregnant with him, and the time of his birth drew on. The Ethiopic version reads, "in that day"; as if it was the same day in which John was circumcised, and Zacharias delivered the above song of praise: that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus; second emperor of Rome; the name Caesar was common to all the emperors, as Pharaoh to the Egyptians, and afterwards Ptolemy.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

In those days - About the time of the birth of John and of Christ. A decree - A law commanding a thing to be done. Caesar Augustus - This was the Roman emperor. His first name was Octavianus. He was the nephew of Julius Caesar, and obtained the empire after his death. He took the name “Augustus - i. e., august,” or honorable - as a compliment to his own greatness; and from him the month “August,” which was before called “Sextilis,” received its name.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

15 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Ἐγένετο	Egeneto	It came to pass	G1096 →
δὲ	de	then	G1161 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
ταῖς	tais	the	G3588 →
ἡμέραις	hēmerais	days	G2250 →
ἐκείναις	ekeinais	those	G1565 →
ἐξῆλθεν	exēlthen	went out	G1831 →
δόγμα	dogma	a decree	G1378 →
παρὰ	para	from	G3844 →
Καίσαρος	Kaisaros	Caesar	G2541 →
Αὐγούστου	Augoustou	Augustus	G828 →
ἀπογράφεσθαι	apographesthai	to register	G583 →
πᾶσαν	pasan	all	G3956 →
τὴν	tēn	the	G3588 →
οἰκουμένην.	oikoumenēn	world.	G3625 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
leads to
- Revelation 14:6
  Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.
- Romans 10:18
  But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
- Romans 16:25–26
  Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- Mark 16:15–16
  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Luke 24:47
  and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
Through
Luke 3:1
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
leads to
- Luke 23:6–11
  When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean.
- Genesis 49:10
  The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
- Matthew 27:2
  They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

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About Luke

The Return of the Prodigal Son — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Luke: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: Luke 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

What the record shows

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Luke

What the record shows

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Luke