Luke 2:10-14
2:11 a The Messiah (Greek Christos, a translation of Hebrew mashiakh) means “Anointed One” and refers to the coming savior from David’s line (see study note on 1:32-33). As the Good News moved from a Jewish context to the Gentile world, Christians began to use Christos less as a title and more as a name.2:12 b this sign: Shepherds would appreciate the paradox and incongruity between the security of strips of cloth and the lowly circumstances of lying in a manger. Seeing a baby in such a setting was very unusual—a fitting sign that God was at work.
2:13 c The armies of heaven reveal God’s sovereign power and authority (2 Kgs 6:17 d; Ps 148:2 e). “Lord of Heaven’s Armies” is a common Old Testament name for God (e.g., 1 Sam 1:11 f; 17:45 g; 2 Sam 7:8 h; Isa 5:16 i; Rom 9:29 j; Jas 5:4 k).
2:14 l Glory to God in highest heaven: This short hymn is known as the Gloria in excelsis Deo from the first line of the Latin translation. The Messiah’s coming brings glory to God in the heavens and peace to humans on earth.
• peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased: Peace indicates total well-being, not just the absence of hostility. The traditional translation, “on earth peace, good will toward men” (KJV), is based on the reading of some late manuscripts. The NLT text follows more reliable early manuscripts. Peace comes to the recipients of God’s grace.
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