Lukas 2:16-20

2:16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. ¹  2:17 When ²  they saw him, ³  they related what they had been told ⁴  about this child, 2:18 and all who heard it were astonished ⁵  at what the shepherds said. 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. ⁶  2:20 So ⁷  the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising ⁸  God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told. ⁹ 

[2:16]  ¹ tn Or “a feeding trough.”

[2:17]  ² tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[2:17]  ³ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[2:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “the word which had been spoken to them.”

[2:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “marveled.” It is a hard word to translate with one term in this context. There is a mixture of amazement and pondering at work in considering the surprising events here. See Luke 1:21, 63; 2:33.

[2:19]  ⁶ tn The term συμβάλλουσα (sumballousa) suggests more than remembering. She is trying to put things together here (Josephus, Ant. 2.5.3 [2.72]). The words “what they might mean” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[2:20]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[2:20]  ⁸ sn The mention of glorifying and praising God is the second note of praise in this section; see Luke 2:13-14.

[2:20]  ⁹ tn Grk “just as [it] had been spoken to them.” This has been simplified in the English translation by making the prepositional phrase (“to them”) the subject of the passive verb.

[2:20]  sn The closing remark just as they had been told notes a major theme of Luke 1-2 as he sought to reassure Theophilus: God does what he says he will do.