Luke 2:10

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Fear not.—It is worth noting that this is almost the normal accompaniment of the angelic manifestations in the Gospel (Matthew 28:5-10; Luke 1:13; Luke 1:30). They were intended to lessen, not to increase the dread which men feel on being brought into contact with the supernatural world.

I bring you good tidings.—The verb is formed from the word for glad tidings, which we translate as “gospel”—i.e., good spell, good news.

Which shall be to all people.—Better, to all the people. The words point, in the first instance, to the joy which shall be for Israel as God’s “people,” and as such distinguished from the other “nations” of the world. (Comp. Luke 2:32.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:8-20 Angels were heralds of the new-born Saviour, but they were only sent to some poor, humble, pious, industrious shepherds, who were in the business of their calling, keeping watch over their flock. We are not out of the way of Divine visits, when we are employed in an honest calling, and abide with God in it. Let God have the honour of this work; Glory to God in the highest. God's good-will to men, manifested in sending the Messiah, redounds to his praise. Other works of God are for his glory, but the redemption of the world is for his glory in the highest. God's goodwill in sending the Messiah, brought peace into this lower world. Peace is here put for all that good which flows to us from Christ's taking our nature upon him. This is a faithful saying, attested by an innumerable company of angels, and well worthy of all acceptation, That the good-will of God toward men, is glory to God in the highest, and peace on the earth. The shepherds lost no time, but came with haste to the place. They were satisfied, and made known abroad concerning this child, that he was the Saviour, even Christ the Lord. Mary carefully observed and thought upon all these things, which were so suited to enliven her holy affections. We should be more delivered from errors in judgment and practice, did we more fully ponder these things in our hearts. It is still proclaimed in our ears that to us is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord. These should be glad tidings to all.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The glory of the Lord - This is the same as a "great" glory - that is, a splendid appearance or "light." The word "glory" is often the same as light, 1 Corinthians 15:41; Luke 9:31; Acts 22:11. The words "Lord" and "God" are often used to denote "greatness" or "intensity." Thus, "trees of God" mean great trees; "hills of God," high or lofty hills, etc. So "the glory of the Lord" here means an exceedingly great or bright luminous appearance perhaps not unlike what Paul saw on the way to Damascus.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10. to all people—"to the whole people," that is, of Israel; to be by them afterwards opened up to the whole world. (See on [1540]Lu 2:14).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 10-12. Though God, in his appearances to his people, was wont so to appear, as to show them cause to revere his majesty, yet he always supported them, that their spirits might not fail under those apprehensions and consternations. The angel bids them not to fear, for they had no reason to be afraid, he came not to bring them any frightening tidings, but

tidings of joy, and that not to them alone, but to all people, both Jews and Gentiles, for to that latitude the text may be expounded. What was that?

Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. You have heard of the promises of the Messias, of a Christ that should come, and of the house of David. The promises of that nature are this day fulfilled, he is

born this very day; unto you, but not to you alone; he had before told them that his tidings of joy should extend to all nations.

And this shall be a sign unto you, by this you shall know the truth of what I say, and you shall know also where to find him; in

the city of David (that is, Bethlehem, as was said before)

ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Where you find such a babe, that is he, therefore be not offended at his low and mean condition, let that be no stumbling block to you, I give it you as a sign by which you shall know him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the angel said unto them; fear not,.... For he was not a messenger of bad, but of good tidings:

for behold, I bring you good tidings; tidings, that were both wonderful and amazing, and therefore a "behold" is prefixed to them, as well as to excite to attention; and which were good news, and glad tidings, for such the birth of Christ of a virgin is: in which the good will and amazing love of Cod to man are displayed, and the promises, and prophecies relating to him fulfilled; and the work of man's salvation, his peace, pardon, righteousness, &c. about to be accomplished, and so matter great joy: not carnal, but spiritual; not feigned, but real; not temporary, but lasting; even such as cannot be taken away, nor intermeddled with; and not small, but great, even joy unspeakable, and full of glory:

which shall be to all people; not to every individual of mankind; not to Herod and his courtiers, who were troubled at it; nor to the greater part of the Jewish nation, who when he came to them, received him not, but rejected him as the Messiah; particularly not to the chief priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, who when they saw him, said, this is the heir, let's kill him, and seize on the inheritance; but to all that were waiting for him, and were looking for redemption in Israel; to all sensible sinners who rejoice at his birth, and in his salvation; see Isaiah 9:3 to all the chosen people of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, whom God has taken to be his covenant people, and has given to his Son, as such, to redeem and save; to these the incarnation of Christ, with all the benefits resulting from it, is the cause of great joy, when they are made a willing people in the day of Christ's power.

Geneva Study Bible

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 2:10 ff. Παντὶ τῷ λαῷ] to the whole (Israelitish) people.

ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν] that (that, namely) there was born to you this day, etc. The ὑμῖν, in reference to the shepherds, is individualizing.

σωτὴρ κ.τ.λ.] a deliverer—and now comes His special more precise definition: who is Messiah, Lord! Χριστὸς κύριος is not to be taken together, as it never occurs thus in the N. T.

ἐν πόλ. Δαυ.] belonging to ἐτέχθη. “Haec periphrasis remittit pastores ad prophetiam, quae turn implebatur,” Bengel. Micah 5:2.

τὸ σημεῖον] the appointed sign of recognition.[49]

βρέφος] not: the child (Luther), but: a child. The word denotes either the still unborn child (as Luke 1:41; Hom. Il. xxii. 266), or, as in this case (comp. Luke 18:15; Acts 7:19; 1 Peter 2:2; also as a strong expression of the thought, 2 Timothy 3:15) and very often in the classical writers, the newborn child.

ἐσπαργ.] adjectival: a swaddled child, Luke 2:7.

[49] According to the notice σήμερον, and in view of the smallness of Bethlehem, the sign specified by κείμενον ἐν φάτνῃ was sufficiently certain at once to guide inquiry to the child in the village. Olshausen, but not the text, adds to this the secret impulse of the Spirit, which led the shepherds to the right place.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 2:10. εὐαγγελίζομαι, etc., I bring good news in the form of a great joy (cf. Luke 1:19).—παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, not merely to you, but to the whole people (of Israel, vide Luke 1:68).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. good tidings] the rendering of the verb euangelizomai (see on Luke 1:19).

of great joy] See Isaiah 52:7; Isaiah 61:1; Romans 5:11; 1 Peter 1:8. The contrast of the condition of despair and sorrow into which the heathen world had sunk and the joy of Christians even in the deepest adversity—as when we find “joy” to be the key-note of the letter written to Philippi by the suffering prisoner St Paul—is a striking comment on this promise. Even the pictures and epitaphs of the gloomy catacombs are rail of joy and brightness.

to all people] Rather, to all the people, i. e. of Israel.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 2:10. Χαρὰν, joy) Express mention of joy is here made, inasmuch as the causes for that joy were not as yet so clearly manifested: on the other hand, the angel who announced the resurrection does not expressly exhort to joy, inasmuch as the cause for joy was manifest, ch. Luke 24:5.—ἔσται, shall be) even by means of the report of mere shepherds.—παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, to all the people) The angel speaks to the shepherds, who were Israelites, in a way such as was appropriate to that early time. Comp. ch. Luke 1:33, note.[25] [Afterwards it was about to be realized that the same blessing should be vouchsafed to the Gentiles also, Luke 2:32. But this fact was at that time hidden from the angels themselves, as Ephesians 3:10 implies.—V. g.]

[25] Τῷ λαῳ is not, as Engl. Vers. implies, all people of the world; but ὁ λαὸς is peculiarly applied to the people of Israel; conformably to the fact that the angel was addressing Israelites, who would understand ὁ λαὸς in this sense alone.—ED. and TRANSL.

Luke 2:10

Vincent's Word Studies

I bring you good tidings of great joy (εὐαγγελίζομαι ὑμῖν χαρὰν μεγάλην)

Wyc. is strictly literal: I evangelize to you a great joy.

Which (ἥτις)

Of a class or character which, etc.

People (τῷ λαῷ)

Rev., rightly, "the people;" the article pointing specially to the people of Israel.