Luke 2:11
in Luke 2Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
KJV
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
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This verse in Luke 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseon Luke 2:11-20
And the angel of the Lord, he says, appeared to the shepherds, proclaiming joy to them: "For [Luke 2:11, etc.] there is born in the house of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Then [appeared] a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace, to men of good will." The falsely-called Gnostics say that these angels came from the Ogdoad, and made manifest the descent of the superior Christ.
This site's exposition
unto you is born this day
on Luke 2:11-12
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord opens the today thread this Gospel returns to again and again, salvation announced in the present tense rather than as a future hope. Three titles stack in one clause, Saviour, Christ, and Lord, a density of confession the angels give before any disciple has said a word of it, naming his office, his anointing, and his deity together. This shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger gives the shepherds a sign that is deliberately unimpressive, no royal trappings, only the plain evidence that the message is true because the details match exactly.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
on Luke 2:10-11
Why then did the angel not go to Jerusalem, why did he not seek out the scribes and Pharisees, why did he not enter the synagogue of the Jews, but found "shepherds living out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night" and announced it to them? Does the word not hint at anything but truly the presenting matter, that the angel came to such ignorant shepherds, and does it signify nothing other than that? But the angel announces Christ to the shepherds of the churches.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed; he is the Lord, Lord of all; he is a sovereign prince; nay, he is God, for the Lord, in the Old Testament, answers to Jehovah.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A Savior, which is Christ the Lord - A Savior, σωτηρ, the same as Jesus from σωζειν, to make safe, to deliver, preserve, to make alive, thus used by the Septuagint for החיה hecheiah, to cause to escape; used by the same for פלט to confide in, to hope. See the extensive acceptations of the verb in Mintert, who adds under Σωτηρ: “The word properly denotes such a Savior as perfectly frees us from all evil and danger, and is the author of perpetual salvation.” On the word Jesus, see Joh 1:29 (note).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Compare Isa 9:6, "Unto us a Child is born." It is a birth--"The Word is made flesh" (Joh 1:14). "In the city of David"--in the right line and at the right spot; where prophecy bade us look for Him, and faith accordingly expected Him. How dear to us should be these historic moorings of our faith!
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
G.K. Chesterton1874–1936
The Everlasting Man, Part II Ch. 1 "The God in the Cave" (1925)
on Luke 2:8-20
The shepherds had found their Shepherd.
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτι | hoti | For | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἐτέχθη | etechthe | has been born | G5088 → | 18 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| σήμερον | semeron | today | G4594 → | 41 times |
| σωτὴρ | soter | a Savior | G4990 → | |
| ὅς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| χριστὸς | christos | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| κύριος | kurios | [the] Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πόλει | polei | [the] City | G4172 → | 163 times |
| Δαυίδ. | dauid | of David. | G1138 → | 59 times |
ὅτιFor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἐτέχθηhas been born
etechtheG5088 →18 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
σήμερονtoday
semeronG4594 →41 times
σωτὴρa Savior
soterG4990 →
ὅςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
χριστὸςChrist
christosG5547 →523 times
κύριος[the] Lord
kuriosG2962 →711 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πόλει[the] City
poleiG4172 →163 times
Δαυίδ.of David.
dauidG1138 →59 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
it leads to
- Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
- Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
- 1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son…
- Matthew 28:18
Through
Matthew 16:16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
it leads to
- John 11:27
“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
- Matthew 14:33
Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”
- John 11:27
Through
Matthew 1:21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
it leads to
- Acts 13:23
From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.
- Acts 13:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Luke
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man, Part II Ch. 1 "The God in the Cave"; Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter 10); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, Homilies on Luke.