Luke 2:1–7

¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Now during this time Caesar Augustus, the then Roman Ruler wanted everyone in his domain to be registered (apparently for taxation purposes). And so, it was that a decree went out commanding all to be registered (vs. 1). This census also began when Quirinus was ruling Syria (that is he was a military commander temporarily assigned to rule there on an interim basis.) Now because of the logistics of such a massive undertaking this census would not have been completed until sometime afterwards the decree was issued. Thus, Luke by telling us as much is really pinning down the time when these things occurred, at the early stages of this world-wide registry (vs. 2) And so it was everyone went to his own city (that is the place of their birth where their family’s geological records were kept) to be registered (vs. 3).

Vs. 4-5 ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

Joseph then with Mary his betrothed wife (who was with the Christ child) went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem to be registered there. The significance of this event is that the Christ was according to the prophetic Word of God to be born of the house (i.e. lineage of David) in the land of Judea in Bethlehem, the place of David’s birth (see Micah 5:2). And so unknown to Mary and Joseph this decree was the catalyst by which God was going to fulfill His prophetic Word concerning His Son’s birth.

Vs. 6-7 ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Thus, while it was there in the little town of Bethlehem that Mary’s days were completed and she gave birth. Thus, God’s timing perfectly coincided with all these events so as to bring about Jesus’ birth, being neither premature or late (vs. 6). Now when Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son, she wrapped Him in swaddling cloth’s (that is wrapped Him in long strips of cloth that were then thought to help babies grow straight) and laid Him in a manger, that is in an animals feed trough (likely lined with straw and blankets) because there was no room for Him in the inn. Jesus birth then was the humblest of births, far removed from the comforts and privileges that this world offers its own. So too He would later die outside of their city and on their Cross, despised and rejected by those He came to save.

Scripture Quotations

New King James Version. (1982): Thomas Nelson