32 A light G5457 to G1519 lighten G602 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 the glory G1391 of thy G4675 people G2992 Israel. G2474
And he said, H559 It is a light thing H7043 that thou shouldest be my servant H5650 to raise up H6965 the tribes H7626 of Jacob, H3290 and to restore H7725 the preserved H5341 H5336 of Israel: H3478 I will also give H5414 thee for a light H216 to the Gentiles, H1471 that thou mayest be my salvation H3444 unto the end H7097 of the earth. H776
That G1487 Christ G5547 should suffer, G3805 and that G1487 he should be the first G4413 that should rise G386 from G1537 the dead, G3498 and should G3195 shew G2605 light G5457 unto the people, G2992 and G2532 to the Gentiles. G1484
Arise, H6965 shine; H215 for thy light H216 is come, H935 and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 is risen H2224 upon thee. For, behold, the darkness H2822 shall cover H3680 the earth, H776 and gross darkness H6205 the people: H3816 but the LORD H3068 shall arise H2224 upon thee, and his glory H3519 shall be seen H7200 upon thee. And the Gentiles H1471 shall come H1980 to thy light, H216 and kings H4428 to the brightness H5051 of thy rising. H2225
I the LORD H3068 have called H7121 thee in righteousness, H6664 and will hold H2388 thine hand, H3027 and will keep H5341 thee, and give H5414 thee for a covenant H1285 of the people, H5971 for a light H216 of the Gentiles; H1471 To open H6491 the blind H5787 eyes, H5869 to bring out H3318 the prisoners H616 from the prison, H4525 and them that sit H3427 in darkness H2822 out of the prison H3608 house. H1004
And G2532 the city G4172 had G2192 no G3756 need G5532 of the sun, G2246 neither G3761 of the moon, G4582 to G2443 shine G5316 in G1722 it: G846 for G1063 the glory G1391 of God G2316 did lighten G5461 it, G846 and G2532 the Lamb G721 is the light G3088 thereof. G846
For G1063 so G3779 hath G1781 the Lord G2962 commanded G1781 us, G2254 saying, I have set G5087 thee G4571 to be G1519 a light G5457 of the Gentiles, G1484 that thou G4571 shouldest be G1511 for G1519 salvation G4991 unto G2193 the ends G2078 of the earth. G1093 And G1161 when the Gentiles G1484 heard this, G191 they were glad, G5463 and G2532 glorified G1392 the word G3056 of the Lord: G2962 and G2532 as many as G3745 were G2258 ordained G5021 to G1519 eternal G166 life G2222 believed. G4100
The sun H8121 shall be no more thy light H216 by day; H3119 neither for brightness H5051 shall the moon H3394 give light H216 unto thee: but the LORD H3068 shall be unto thee an everlasting H5769 light, H215 and thy God H430 thy glory. H8597
The people G2992 which G3588 sat G2521 in G1722 darkness G4655 saw G1492 great G3173 light; G5457 and G2532 to them which G3588 sat G2521 in G1722 the region G5561 and G2532 shadow G4639 of death G2288 light G5457 is sprung up. G393 G846
Surely his salvation H3468 is nigh H7138 them that fear H3373 him; that glory H3519 may dwell H7931 in our land. H776
That, G2443 according as G2531 it is written, G1125 He that glorieth, G2744 let him glory G2744 in G1722 the Lord. G2962
Now G1161 I say G3004 that Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 was G1096 a minister G1249 of the circumcision G4061 for G5228 the truth G225 of God, G2316 to G1519 confirm G950 the promises G1860 made unto the fathers: G3962 And G1161 that the Gentiles G1484 might glorify G1392 God G2316 for G5228 his mercy; G1656 as G2531 it is written, G1125 For G1223 this G5124 cause G1223 I will confess G1843 to thee G4671 among G1722 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 sing G5567 unto thy G4675 name. G3686
And G2532 the angel G32 said G2036 unto them, G846 Fear G5399 not: G3361 for, G1063 behold, G2400 I bring G2097 you G5213 good tidings G2097 of great G3173 joy, G5479 which G3748 shall be G2071 to all G3956 people. G2992
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Luke 2
Commentary on Luke 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
In this chapter, we have an account of the birth and infancy of our Lord Jesus: having had notice of his conception, and of the birth and infancy of his forerunner, in the former chapter. The First-begotten is here brought into the world; let us go meet him with our hosannas, blessed is he that cometh. Here is,
And this, with what we have met with (Mt. 1 and 2), is all we have concerning our Lord Jesus, till he entered upon his public work in the thirtieth year of his age.
Luk 2:1-7
The fulness of time was now come, when God would send forth his Son, made of a woman, and made under the law; and it was foretold that he should be born at Bethlehem. Now here we have an account of the time, place, and manner of it.
According to this decree, the Jews (who were now nice in distinguishing their tribes and families) provided that in their enrolments particular care should be had to preserve the memory of them. Thus foolishly are they solicitous to save the shadow, when they had lost the substance.
That which Augustus designed was either to gratify his pride in knowing the numbers of his people, and proclaiming it to the world, or he did it in policy, to strengthen his interest, and make his government appear the more formidable; but Providence had another reach in it. All the world shall be at the trouble of being enrolled, only that Joseph and Mary may. This brought them up from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, because they were of the stock and lineage of David (v. 4, 5); and perhaps, being poor and low, they thought the royalty of their extraction rather than a burden and expense to them than a matter of pride. Because it is difficult to suppose that every Jew (women as well as men) was obliged to repair to the city of which their ancestors were, and there be enrolled, now, at a time when they kept not to the bounds of their tribes, as formerly, it may be offered as a conjecture that this great exactness was used only with the family of David, concerning which, it is probable, the emperor gave particular orders, it having been the royal family, and still talked of as designed to be so, that he might know its number and strength. Divers ends of Providence were served by this.
Luk 2:8-20
The meanest circumstances of Christ's humiliation were all along attended with some discoveries of his glory, to balance them, and take off the offence of them; for even when he humbled himself God did in some measure exalt him and give him earnests of his future exaltation. When we saw him wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, we were tempted to say, "Surely this cannot be the Son of God.' But see his birth attended, as it is here, with a choir of angels, and we shall say, "Surely this cannot be the Son of God.' But see his birth attended, as it is here, with a choir of angels, and we shall say, "Surely it can be no other than the Son of God, concerning whom it was said, when he was brought into the world, Let all the angels of God worship him,' Heb. 1:6.
We had in Matthew an account of the notice given of the arrival of this ambassador, this prince from heaven, to the wise men, who were Gentiles, by a star; here we are told of the notice given of it to the shepherds, who were Jews, by an angel: to each God chose to speak in the language they were most conversant with.
Luk 2:21-24
Our Lord Jesus, being made of a woman, was made under the law, Gal. 4:4. He was not only, as the son of a daughter of Adam, made under the law of nature, but as the son of a daughter of Abraham was made under the law of Moses; he put his neck under that yoke, though it was a heavy yoke, and a shadow of good things to come. Though its institutions were beggarly elements, and rudiments of this world, as the apostle calls them, Christ submitted to it, that he might with the better grace cancel it, and set it aside for us.
Now here we have two instances of his being made under that law, and submitting to it.
At his circumcision, according to the custom, he had his name given him; he was called Jesus or Joshua, for he was so named of the angel to his mother Mary before he was conceived in the womb (Lu. 1:31), and to his supposed father Joseph after, Mt. 1:21.
Luk 2:25-40
Even when he humbles himself, still Christ has honour done him to balance the offence of it. That we might not be stumbled at the meanness of his birth, angels then did him honour; and now, that we may not be offended at his being presented in the temple, like other children born in sin, and without any manner of solemnity peculiar to him, but silently, and in the crowd of other children, Simeon and Anna now do him honour, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
The account given of him here is,
Now,
Luk 2:41-52
We have here the only passage of story recorded concerning our blessed Saviour, from his infancy to the day of his showing to Israel at twenty-nine years old, and therefore we are concerned to make much of this, for it is in vain to wish we had more. Here is,