Luke 2:4–11
He is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger; shepherds are told a Savior has been born
Study it word by word4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
5to be registered with Mary, who was engaged to him, being pregnant.
6And it happened while they were there that the days were completed for her to give birth.
7And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room.
8And there were shepherds in that same region, living out in the fields and keeping watch by night over their flock.
9And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were afraid with great fear.
10And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for look, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people;
11for today a Savior has been born to you who is the Messiah, the Lord, in the city of David.
In its context
2This was the first registration, when Quirinius was governing Syria.
3And all were going to be registered, each to his own town.
…
12And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God and saying,
Its words in the original
- ἈνέβηAnebē· go up
Go up, come up, ascend.
- ἸωσὴφIōsēph· Joseph
Joseph, the name of several men in the Bible: the son of Jacob, Mary's husband (a descendant of David), Joseph of Arimathea, and others.
- ΓαλιλαίαςGalilaias· Galilee
Galilee, the northern region of the land of Israel, beside the Lake of Gennesaret.
- πόλεωςpoleōs· city, town
City, town.
- ΝαζαρὲθNazareth· Nazareth
Nazareth, the village in Galilee where Jesus grew up.
- ἸουδαίανIoudaian· Judea
Judea, the southern region of the land of Israel, around Jerusalem.
- ΔαυὶδDauid· David
David, the king of Israel from whose line God promised a king forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
- καλεῖταιkaleitai· call
Call; name; invite.
- ΒηθλέεμBēthleem· Bethlehem
Bethlehem, a town of Judah a few miles from Jerusalem; the city of David, where Jesus was born.
- εἶναιeinai· be
Be, exist.
- οἴκουoikou· house
House; also household, family.
- πατριᾶςpatrias· family, clan
Family, clan, line of descent.
- ἀπογράψασθαιapograpsasthai· register, enroll
Register, enroll in a census; also write down.
- σὺνsyn· with
With, together with.
- ΜαριὰμMariam· Mary
Mary, the name of several women in the New Testament: Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and others.
- ἐμνηστευμένῃemnēsteumenēi· be betrothed
Be betrothed, pledged to be married. A Jewish betrothal was binding like a marriage, though the couple did not yet live together.
- ἐγκύῳenkyōi· pregnant
Pregnant.
- ἐγένετοegeneto· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- ἐπλήσθησανeplēsthēsan· fill, fulfill
Fill, be filled; of time, be fulfilled, come to an end.
- ἡμέραιhēmerai· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- τεκεῖνtekein· give birth
Give birth.
- υἱὸνhuion· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- πρωτότοκονprōtotokon· firstborn
Firstborn.
- ἐσπαργάνωσενesparganōsen· wrap in cloths
Wrap a newborn in strips of cloth.
- ἀνέκλινενaneklinen· recline
Recline at table, as people ate at banquets; lay down.
- φάτνῃphatnēi· manger
Manger: a feeding trough for animals; also a stall.
- διότιdioti· because
"Because", "for", "since".
- τόποςtopos· place
Place.
- καταλύματιkatalymati· guest room
Guest room, lodging place.
- ποιμένεςpoimenes· shepherd
Shepherd.
- χώρᾳchōrai· region, country
Region, country; countryside, field.
- ἀγραυλοῦντεςagraulountes· live outdoors
Live out in the fields, spend the night outdoors.
- φυλάσσοντεςphylassontes· guard, keep
Keep, obey; also guard, protect.
- φυλακὰςphylakas· prison, watch
Prison; also guard, and each of the watches of the night.
- νυκτὸςnyktos· night
Night. "By night".
- ποίμνηνpoimnēn· flock
Flock.
- ἄγγελοςangelos· messenger, angel
Messenger. When sent from heaven, an angel.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ἐπέστηepestē· stand by, come upon
Stand by, appear suddenly beside someone; come upon, arrive; of an event, be at hand, come on.
- δόξαdoxa· glory
Glory: splendor, honor, the weight of God's presence.
- περιέλαμψενperielampsen· shine around
Shine around someone.
- ἐφοβήθησανephobēthēsan· fear, be afraid
Fear, be afraid; also show reverent respect.
- φόβονphobon· fear
Fear; also reverent respect.
- μέγανmegan· great
Great, large.
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- εὐαγγελίζομαιeuangelizomai· proclaim good news
Announce the good news; in the passive, have the good news announced or be announced as good news.
- χαρὰνcharan· joy
Joy, gladness.
- λαῷlaōi· people
People. Often the people of Israel.
- σήμερονsēmeron· today
Today.
- σωτὴρsōtēr· Savior
Savior.
- χριστὸςchristos· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.