Chapter

Luke 2:20

ESV And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
NIV The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
NASB And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
CSB The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
NLT The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
KJV And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
NKJV Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

What does Luke 2:20 mean?

Many cultures celebrate Jesus' birth: the Christmas holiday. A common tradition in those celebrations is a "nativity scene:" a set of miniature figures representing Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and others on the night of His birth. Most nativity scenes include sheep and cattle, as well as the wise men who came from the east (Matthew 2:9–11). However, the Bible itself only directly mentions Jesus, His family, and the shepherds. This passage certainly allows for others to be there (Luke 2:18), however.

The shepherds are heading back to their fields after visiting a newborn Jesus and His mother (Luke 2:16–19). They came in response to angelic messengers (Luke 2:8–15) who announced that Messiah had been born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–7). It's fitting that God's first public proclamation about Jesus was delivered to common people. Rather than announcing Christ's birth to kings, scholars, or priests, the angels went to "ordinary" persons (1 Corinthians 1:26–30). The message of the gospel is universal, and accessible to all—a fact echoed in the way angels first carried it to everyday laborers in humble circumstances.
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