Luke 1:5

“There was, in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
Luke 1:5 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

There was,Ἐγένετοinἐνthe daysταῖς ἡμέραιςof Herod,Ἡρῴδουkingβασιλέωςof Judea,τῆς Ἰουδαίαςa certainτιςpriestἱερεύςnamedὀνόματιZechariah,Ζαχαρίαςofἐξthe divisionἐφημερίαςof Abijah;Ἀβιάandκαὶhe hadαὐτῷa wifeγυνὴfromἐκthe daughtersτῶν θυγατέρωνof Aaron,Ἀαρώνandκαὶherαὐτῆςnameτὸ ὄνομαwasElizabeth.Ἐλισάβετ

Theme · 1 Chronicles 24:10

Go to 1 Chronicles 24:10

Luke says that Zechariah was of the division of Abijah; 1 Chronicles 24:10 gives Abijah the eighth of the twenty-four divisions of the priests.

The same term appears in both passages.

ἈβιάAbiaG7אֲבִיָּהaviyaH29“Abijah”

Luke 1:5, word by word

There wasἘγένετοEgeneto

happen

For an event to occur, for something to take place in history.

Where else “Egeneto” appears

the daysἡμέραιςhēmerais

lifetime

The time or the years of someone's life.

Where else “hēmerais” appears

of HerodἩρῴδουHērōidou

Herod

Herod, the name of several rulers of one family under Rome: Herod the Great, king of Judea when Jesus was born; his son Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee; and his grandson Herod Agrippa I.

Where else “Hērōidou” appears

kingβασιλέωςbasileōs

king

The one who rules a people with the highest authority.

Where else “basileōs” appears

of JudeaἸουδαίαςIoudaias

Judea

See it on the map Where else “Ioudaias” appears

priestἱερεύςhiereus

priest

Priest: one who offered the sacrifices in the temple.

Where else “hiereus” appears

namedὀνόματιonomati

name

The word by which a person or thing is called, which often says who they are.

Where else “onomati” appears

ZechariahΖαχαρίαςZacharias

Zechariah

Zechariah: the priest, father of John the Immerser; also Zechariah son of Barachiah, killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

Where else “Zacharias” appears

the divisionἐφημερίαςephēmerias

division

Division: one of the groups of priests that served in the temple in turn, a week at a time.

Where else “ephēmerias” appears

of AbijahἈβιάAbia

Abijah

Abijah: son of Rehoboam, king of Judah; also the head of a priestly division, from whom Zechariah the priest took his turn.

Where else “Abia” appears

a wifeγυνὴgynē

wife

A married woman, joined to her husband.

Where else “gynē” appears

the daughtersθυγατέρωνthygaterōn

dear daughter

"Daughter" as an endearment, or a city's people.

Where else “thygaterōn” appears

of AaronἈαρώνAarōn

Aaron

Aaron, brother of Moses and the first high priest.

Where else “Aarōn” appears

ElizabethἘλισάβετElisabet

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, wife of the priest Zechariah and mother of John the Immerser; a relative of Mary.

Where else “Elisabet” appears

Translation note

The priests served in the temple by turns; Abijah’s was the eighth (1 Chronicles 24:10).

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Judea
Today: southern Israel and West Bank, Judean hills
The southern region of Israel, including Jerusalem; in Jesus' time it was a Roman province.
Jesus was born there, and John the Immerser preached there (Matt 2:1; 3:1). Jesus told his disciples to be witnesses in Judea (Acts 1:8).
Matthew 2:1 Matthew 3:1 Acts 1:8 Luke 1:5

The context

4so that you may know the certainty concerning the words in which you have been instructed.

5 · This verse (above)

6And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

Read all of Luke 1

To study Luke 1 in a group

1. What it says
What does the angel Gabriel tell Mary about the son she will have, and how does she answer at the end? (vv. 30-38)
2. What it means
Why do you think Zechariah was left unable to speak while Mary was not, when both asked the angel a question? (vv. 18-20, 34-38)
3. How I live it
Which promise of God is hard for you to believe today, and what small step could you take in trust, like Mary?

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