Luke 2:2
New International Version
(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

New Living Translation
(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

English Standard Version
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Berean Standard Bible
This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Berean Literal Bible
This registration first took place when Quirinius was governing Syria.

King James Bible
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

New King James Version
This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

New American Standard Bible
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

NASB 1995
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

NASB 1977
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Legacy Standard Bible
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Amplified Bible
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Christian Standard Bible
This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

American Standard Version
This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
This census was the first in the government of Quraynus in Syria.

Contemporary English Version
These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Douay-Rheims Bible
This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria.

English Revised Version
This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Good News Translation
When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

International Standard Version
This was the first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Literal Standard Version
this census first came to pass when Quirinius was governor of Syria—

Majority Standard Bible
This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

New American Bible
This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

NET Bible
This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

New Revised Standard Version
This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

New Heart English Bible
This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Webster's Bible Translation
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

Weymouth New Testament
It was the first registration made during the governorship of Quirinius in Syria;

World English Bible
This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Young's Literal Translation
this enrolment first came to pass when Cyrenius was governor of Syria --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Birth of Jesus
1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire. 2This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And everyone went to his own town to register.…

Cross References
Matthew 4:24
News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed--and He healed them.

Luke 2:1
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.

Luke 2:3
And everyone went to his own town to register.

Acts 5:37
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered.


Treasury of Scripture

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

taxing.

Acts 5:37
After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

governor.

Luke 3:1
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Acts 13:7
Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

Acts 18:12
And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

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Census Enrollment First Governor Itself Numbering Registration Ruler Syria Taxing
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Census Enrollment First Governor Itself Numbering Registration Ruler Syria Taxing
Luke 2
1. Augustus taxes all the Roman empire.
6. The nativity of Jesus.
8. An angel relates it to the shepherds, and many sing praises to God for it.
15. The shepherds glorify God.
21. Jesus is circumcised.
22. Mary purified.
25. Simeon and Anna prophesy of Jesus,
39. who increases in wisdom,
41. questions in the temple with the teachers,
51. and is obedient to his parents.














(2) And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.--Here we come upon difficulties of another kind. Publicius Sulpicius Quirinus ("Cyrenius" is the Greek form of the last of the three names) was Consul B.C. 12, but he is not named as Governor of Syria till after the deposition of Archelaus, A.D. 6, and he was then conspicuous in carrying out a census which involved taxation in the modern sense; and this was the "taxing" referred to in Gamaliel's speech (Acts 5:37) as having led to the revolt of Judas of Galilee. How are we to explain the statement of St. Luke so as to reconcile it with the facts of history? (1) The word translated "first" has been taken as if it meant "before," as it is rendered in John 1:15; John 1:30. This cuts the knot of the difficulty, but it is hardly satisfactory. This construction is not found elsewhere in St. Luke, and his manner is to refer to contemporary events, not to subsequent ones. It is hardly natural to speak of one event simply as happening before another, with no hint as to the interval that separated them, when that interval included ten or twelve years. (2) Our knowledge of the governors of Syria at this period is imperfect. The dates of their appointments, so far as they go, are as follows:--

B.C. 9.--Sentius Saturninus.

B.C. 6.--T. Quintilius Varus.

A.D. 6.--P. Sulpicius Quirinus.

It was, however, part of the policy of Augustus that no governor of an imperial province should hold office for more than five or less than three years, and it is in the highest degree improbable that Varus (whom we find in A.D. 7 in command of the ill-fated expedition against the Germans) should have continued in office for the twelve years which the above dates suggest. One of the missing links is found in A. Volusius Saturninus, whose name appears on a coin of Antioch about A.D. 4 or 5. The fact that Quirinus appears as a rector, or special commissioner attached to Caius Caesar, when he was sent to Armenia (Tac. Ann. iii. 48), at some period before A.D. 4, the year in which Caius died--probably between B.C. 4 and 1--shows that he was in the East at this time, and we may therefore fairly look on St. Luke as having supplied the missing link in the succession, or at least as confirming the statement that Quirinus was in some office of authority in the East, if not as praeses, or proconsul then as quaetor or Imperial Commissioner. Tacitus, however, records the fact that he triumphed over a Cilician tribe (the Homonadenses) after his consulship; and, as Cilicia was, at that time, attached to the province of Syria, it is probable that he was actually "governor" in the stricter sense of a term somewhat loosely used. St. Luke is, on this view, as accurate in his history here as he is proved to be in all other points where he comes in contact with the contemporary history of the empire, and the true meaning is found by emphasising the adjective, "This enrolment was the first under Quirinus's government of Syria." He expressly distinguishes it, i.e., from the more memorable "taxing" of which Gamaliel speaks (Acts 5:37). St. Luke, it may be noted, is the only New Testament writer who uses the word. Justin Martyr, it may be added, confidently appeals to Roman registers as confirming St. Luke's statement that our Lord was born under Quirinus. . . .

Verse 2. - (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) Hostile criticism makes a still more direct attack upon the historical statement made by St. Luke here. Quirinius, it is well known, was governor (legatus or praeses) of Syria ten years later, and during his office a census or registration - with a view to taxation - which led to a popular disturbance, was made in his province. These critics say that St. Luke mentions, as taking place before the birth of Jesus, an event which really happened ten years after. Much historical vestigation has been made with a view to explain this difficulty. It has been now satisfactorily demonstrated that, strangely enough, this Quirinius - who ten years later was certainly governor (legatus) of Syria - at the time of the birth of the Savior held high office in Syria, either as praeses (governor) or quaestor (imperial commissioner). The Greek word rendered by the English "governor" would have been used for either of these important offices. On the whole question of these alleged historical inaccuracies of St. Luke, it may be observed:

(1) Strangely enough, none of the early opponents of Christianity, such as Celsus or Porphyry, impugn the accuracy of our evangelist here. Surely, if there had been so marked an error on the threshold of his Gospel, these distinguished adversaries of our faith, living comparatively soon after the events in question, would have been the first to hit so conspicuous a blot in the story they hated so well. And

(2) nothing is more improbable than that St. Luke, a man of education, and writing, too, evidently for people of thought and culture, would have ventured on a definite historical statement of this kind, which would, if wrong, have been so easily exposed, had he not previously thoroughly satisfied himself as to its complete accuracy. Generally, the above conclusions are now adopted, lately, amongst others, by Godet, Farrar, Plumptre, and Bishop Ellicott (in his Hulsean Lectures). Godet has an especially long and exhaustive note on this subject. The conclusions are mainly drawn from the researches of such scholars as Zumpt and Mommsen. Cyrenius; Latin, Quirinus. He is mentioned by the historians Tacitus and Suetonius. He appears to have been originally of humble birth, and, like so many of the soldiers of fortune of the empire, rose through his own merits to his great position. He was a gallant and true soldier, but withal self-seeking and harsh. For his Cilician victories the senate decreed him a triumph. He received the distinguished honor of a public funeral, A.D. 21 (Tac., 'Ann.,' 2:30; 3:22, 48; Suet., 'Tib.,' 49).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
This [was the]
αὕτη (hautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

first
πρώτη (prōtē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4413: First, before, principal, most important. Contracted superlative of pro; foremost.

census
ἀπογραφὴ (apographē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 582: An enrollment, census-taking, record. From apographo; an enrollment; by implication, an assessment.

to take place [while]
ἐγένετο (egeneto)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

Quirinius
Κυρηνίου (Kyrēniou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2958: Cyrenius or Quirinius, governor of Syria. Of Latin origin; Cyrenius, a Roman.

was governor
ἡγεμονεύοντος (hēgemoneuontos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2230: To govern. From hegemon; to act as ruler.

of
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Syria.
Συρίας (Syrias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4947: Syria, a great Roman imperial province, united with Cilicia. Probably of Hebrew origin; Syria, a region of Asia.


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Luke 2:1
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