1. In those days. That is, about the time when the events occurred, which are narrated in this chapter and the foregoing. Or, more strictly, about the time when John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were born. TCæsar Augustus. The name of the Roman Emperor. He was nephew of Julius Cæsar, the first of that name, and whose successors, for many years, though not of his race, were called Cæsar, as the kings of Egypt were called Ptolemy. The first name of this Emperor was Caius Octavius. He was for a time associated with Antony and Lepidus in the government of Rome; but afterwards obtained supreme authority, when the surname Augustus was given him, in acknowledgment of his dignified rank; and subsequently, by decree of the senate, the month formerly called Sextilis was named August, in his honor. He died about fourteen years after the birth of Christ, at the age of seventy-five years; and so wisely and prosperously had he exercised his government, that after his death, altars were erected to him and he was worshipped as a god by his idolatrous countrymen. This emperor "had the honor to shut the temple of Janus, in token of universal peace, at the time when the Prince of Peace was born. This is remarkable, because that temple was shut but a very few times."-Calmet. All the world, &c. The word oikoumenē, (olxovuévn,) here rendered world, properly denotes the inhabited part of the earth; and the phrase all the world might therefore be taken in its widest signification. But it is often used in a more limited sense, and must be so understood here; for Augustus was not sovereign of the whole world, strictly speaking, and he had no right to tax or register for taxation those who were not subject to his authority. The phrase cannot reasonably be supposed to embrace more than the Roman empire, in which sense it was frequently used; and many commentators understand it to embrace so much here. But others, with apparently good reason, un

all the world should be taxed.

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

derstand it in a still more limited signification, as including only the land of Palestine, as in Luke iv. 25; xxi. 26. This view of the case, and the reasons for adopting it, are plainly and briefly expressed, as follows:-"There has been much difficulty respecting this passage, from the fact that no such taxing of all the world is mentioned by ancient writers. It should have been rendered the whole land, that is, the whole land of Palestine. The whole land is mentioned to show that it was not Judea only, but that it included also Galilee, the place where Joseph and Mary dwelt. That the passage refers only to the land of Palestine, and not to the whole world, or to the whole Roman empire, is clear from the following considerations. (1.) The fact that no such taxing is mentioned as pertaining to any other country. (2.) The account of Luke is confined to this country only. (3.) The words world and whole world are not unfrequently used in this limited sense as confined to a single country."Barnes. See also note on Matt. xxiv. 14. ¶ Should be taxed. The word apographō (ànoyqáqm,) signifies to enrol, or to register, rather than to tax. The translators probably used the word tax, because such registration or enrolment was generally made with reference to taxation. An exact rendering of the word, however, is preferable, as the passage is thus freed, in part, from the difficulty which attends its explanation. In itself, its meaning is sufficiently plain; but, taken in connexion with the following verse, there is an historical difficulty, not very easily obviated.

2. The difficulty attending the subject embraced in this verse is twofold: (1.) It does not appear from history that any general tax was levied, even on the Jews, at the particular time here indicated; and (2.) Cyrenius, or Quirinius as the Latins write the name, was not governor of Syria, until about a dozen years after the birth of our Lord. Various theories have been proposed, to obviate the difficulty. In regard to the first portion, some have supposed that the registration, (see note on ver. 1,) here called taxing, was not

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

made with reference to a tax, but only embraced the names and occupation of the people, that the population and strength of the province might be known; and that this was the reason why the Jews submitted so readily to this, while they were excited to open rebellion by a subsequent actual taxation, Acts v. 37. Others have supposed the registration was made preparatory to a tax, but that the tax itself was not levied for several years, when a second census was taken of persons and property. Thus Bishop Pearce: "We learn from Josephus, Antiq. B. xvi., ch. 9, § 3, that much about this time, the Roman Emperor Augustus was extremely angry with Herod, and signified to him by letter, that he had formerly treated him as a friend; but that for the future he would treat him as a subject. In consequence of this, it seems probable that he sent an order to enrol all the inhabitants of Herod's kingdom, as if he had intended to lay a tax upon them, and make his kingdom tributary, as Pompey had some years before made it; but the emperor's good nature suffered him to go no further than an enrolment, Herod having, after two embassies sent to him without effect, found out a method of pacifying him by a third; and therefore, though an enrolment was then made, yet no taxing then took place, till ten years afterwards, when the emperor had deposed Archelaus the son and successor of Herod." Such are two of the most reasonable theories upon this subject, which I have seen. This portion of the difficulty, however, as is observed by Robinson in his edition of Calmet, "can probably never be fully removed, because of the absence of the necessary historical data." The other portion of the difficulty is not so formidable. For whatever purpose the enrolment or registration was made, it is supposed to have been under the superintendence of Cyrenius, who was specially appointed to that service by the Roman emperor, or who possibly may have been at that time associated with Saturninus in the government of Syria. In either case, if Cyrenius had charge of the enrolment, it might properly be said by Luke to have been "the first

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,

census of Cyrenius, governor of Syria,” as Lardner and others translate the phrase. Cyrenius would thus be called governor by anticipation; or designated by the title, which, at the time this gospel was written, the Jews had become accustomed to associate with his name. See note on Mark ii. 26. Campbell suggests a different remedy for the difficulty, and sustains it with his usual ability. He translates the verse thus: "This first register took effect when Cyrenius was president of Syria." He quotes several examples to justify the expression took effect instead of was made. Matt. v. 18; vi. 10; 1 Cor. xv. 54. According to this theory, it is not necessary to suppose that Cyrenius made this first registration; but only that he used it, with the necessary corrections, in the apportionment of a subsequent tax. This verse has perplexed much wiser heads than mine; and I freely acknowledge my inability to affirm absolutely what is its true interpretation. I only remark, that it involves no article of religious faith or principle of morality. It affects merely the credibility of the historian. But as all the other historical facts mentioned by him are perfectly accordant with the testimony of other writers, and as none contradict him on the point under consideration, we need not hesitate to give full and entire credit to his narrative. ¶ Syria. This country, anciently "called Aram, from the patriarch who peopled its chief provinces, comprehended the country lying between the Euphrates east, the Mediterranean west, Cilicia north, and Phenicia, Judea, and Arabia Deserta, south."-Calmet. Antioch was the capital of the kingdom of Syria. After having been governed by its own kings for many centuries, with occasional periods of subjection to foreign powers, this country was conquered by Pompey, a few years before the birth of Jesus, and became a Roman province. Subsequently Judea was annexed to it, and the two remained under one government for several years.

3. His own city. The Jews were so much accustomed to be numbered in tribes and families, that they would naturally prefer to be thus registered; whether or not they were required by

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the

articles are provided by the travellers themselves. "The furniture carried by the individuals of a caravan consisted of a mattress, a coverlet, a carpet for sitting upon, a round piece of leather which answered the purpose of a table, a few pots and kettles of copper covered with tin, also a tin-plated cup, which was suspended before the breast under the outer garment, and was used for drinking, 1 Sam. xxvi. 11, 12, 16; leathern bags for holding water, and provisions in quality and abundance as each one could afford.In the cities, there are public inns, called khanes and caravansaries, in which the caravans are lodged without expense. They are large, square buildings, in the centre of which is an area or open court. -The first mention of one in the Old Testament is in Jer. xli. 17. It was situated near the city of Bethlehem."-Jahn. At the time mentioned in the text, so many were gathered at Bethlehem to be registered, that it was necessary for a large number to occupy the caravansary. And even here, the portion designed for lodgings, which I suppose to be specially denoted by the inn, was so crowded, that some, and among them Joseph and Mary, were obliged to accommodate themselves as they might, in the portion usually allotted to the camels or other beasts of burden. In this humble place occurred that event, which was celebrated by the angelic hosts, and which has filled the human heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 8. Same country. That is, in the region round about Bethlehem. Shepherds. Men having custody of flocks of sheep, which abounded in Judea. See note on Matt. ix. 36. Abiding in the field. Sheep were ordinarily pastured in the uncultivated portions of the land, at a distance from towns and villages; and the shepherds remained with them by night as well as by day, to prevent them from straying, and to guard them from ravenous beasts. Keeping watch, &c. Literally, watching the watches of the night over their flock. The meaning is, they watched, probably by turns, through the night. Perhaps the peculiar phraseology may have reference to the division of the

field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

night into watches. See note on Matt. xiv. 25. "It was customary to take their flocks out in the spring, about the month of March, into the deserts, or mountainous and uninhabited region, and pasture them there until the rainy season commenced, in October or November, and then drive them home. It would seem to have been during the summer pasturage, that the events in the text and context occurred. If so, our Lord was probably born between the months of March and November, rather than as late as the twenty-fifth of December.-The exact date we cannot now wrest from the remorseless grasp of oblivious antiquity. But we feel, that the twenty-fifth of December is as much embalmed in the associations and affections of the Christian world, and is therefore as cordially to be observed with Christmas festivities and solemnities, as if the precise natal hour were known to have been on that day."-Livermore. The particular day is of little consequence to us. We are accustomed to celebrate the fourth day of July, as the birth-day of our political liberty; but the selection of the day is arbitrary, altogether. The declaration of Independence was adopted on that day, to be sure; but the events by which the great question was determined, so far as the solemn resolutions of the people and their agents could determine it, had occurred previously, and on what particular day the fact of independence became certain, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to decide. Yet, being now disposed to rejoice in the fact, we do not hesitate to adopt the fourth day of July as the season for public manifestations of joy, although we cannot prove that the birth of political liberty occurred on that day, rather than on any other day in the year. So we may express publicly our gratitude to God for the gift of his dear Son, as well on the twenty-fifth day of December, as on any other day. And, surely, if we devote one day in the year to rejoicing in political liberty, we ought to dedicate one day to the expression of joy and gratitude for an infinitely richer blessing,a blessing by which we are made free indeed. John viii. 36.

9 And lo, the angel of the Lord [ came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

9. Angel of the Lord. Perhaps the same angel who had previously visited Zacharias and Mary. This time he came not alone. Ver. 13. It well harmonizes with any rational conception we can form of the angelic character, to suppose they gladly executed the mission entrusted to them. If they rejoice at the conversion of each sinner, much more would they rejoice at the advent of Him who came to sanctify and save all sinners, and announce his birth with holy exultation. Glory of the Lord. Or, a divine glory. It is a common Hebrew idiom, to augment the import of any term by adding the name of God. Thus it is said, Acts vii. 20, that Moses was 66 exceeding fair;" literally, fair to God. Probably, an exceedingly glorious light shone around the shepherds. Sore afraid. Very much terrified. See note on Luke i. 12.

10. Fear not. See note on Luke i. 13. I bring you good tidings of great joy. The word euangelizomai, (evayyeditoμai,) here rendered I bring you good tidings, is translated preach the gospel, Luke iv. 18; xx. 1; Acts xvi. 10. The precise signification is expressed in the common translation. See also Luke viii. 1; Acts xiii. 32. From this word are derived evangelize, to announce good tidings; evangelist, one who announces good tidings; evangelical, whatever is truly good tidings. It is well known that these terms have been strangely perverted; but such is their true meaning; and such is the uniform signification of the original, in the scriptures. The gospel itself was anciently called evangely; and the words are identical in meaning, both signifying good news, or glad tidings. The message, thus particularly denominated here by the angel, is recorded in ver. 11. And well might this message be styled good news; the annunciation of Him who should save mankind from their sins, Matt. i. 21, redeem them from iniquity, Tit. ii. 14, gather them together in himself, Eph. i. 10, and make them one with himself and the Father, John xvii. 21. Such a message was worthy the angelic messenger by whom it was sent, and worthy the

Which

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. all-gracious God who sent it. shall be to all people. The blessing was not limited in its nature, but designed for all; hence the annunciation of it would be good news, tidings of great joy, to all. It should be observed, that the joy is represented as becoming universal; for this it is, according to the construction of the original, which should be to all people, or, in other words, fill all hearts. Not only should the joyful tidings be communicated to all, but they should actually produce universal joy. Perhaps we should not err, by supposing joy to be used figuratively for the blessing which produces it. The import of the sentence, thus understood, would be, I evangelize to you a great blessing, which shall be to all people. I use the word evangelize for the want of a more common one, to answer to the verb in the original, rendered bring good tidings. But this point need not be insisted on. It is the most obvious meaning of the whole message, according to any reasonable construction of the terms, that a general rejoicing of mankind was embraced in it. Many understand the phrase all people in a limited sense, as denoting, not mankind universally, but very many. That the phrase is often used in this sense cannot be denied. But there are good reasons for believing, that, in this case, it should be understood in its most enlarged, comprehensive sense, as including every son and daughter of Adam. (1.) It is the general doctrine of the scriptures, that Jesus came into the world to save all men from sin. John iii. 17; xii. 32; Acts iii. 25, 26; 1 Tim. ii. 6; Heb. ii. 9; 1 John ii. 2. (2.) The revealed character of God justifies the conclusion that the gift of a Saviour was designed for all. He is the father of all; he is merciful to all; he wills the salvation of all; and he is no respecter of persons. Acts xvii. 26; Ps. cxlv. 9; 1 Tim. ii. 4; Acts x. 34. (3.) The known character of men justifies the same conclusion. If any were perfectly holy, not needing salvation from sin, we might suppose the blessing was not for them, and therefore not universal in extent. But all men are sin