Cx. IL] LUKE. 269
naked men are cleansing their hands ere sitting down to eat. Here a barber is at work upon a shaven crown; there a fellah lies asleep in the shade. . . . Each man has to carry his dinner and his bed; to litter his horse or camel; to dress his food ; to draw his water; to light his fire, and to boil his mess of herbs ” (Hepworth Dixon, “The Holy Land”).
8. Shepherds. Luke’s Gospel is the gospel of the poor and lowly. This revelation to the shepherds acquires additional meaning as we remember that shepherds, as a class, were under the Rabbinic ban, because of their necessary isolation from re- ligious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance wellnigh impossible.
Keeping watch (pvddccovtes pudaxds). Pvdaxy is some- times used of a watch as a measure of time, as in Matt. xiv. 25; Mark vi. 48; Luke xii. 38. So possibly here. See Rev. in margin, night-watches. There is a play upon the words: watching watches. There was near Bethlehem, on the road to Jerusalem, a tower known as Migdal Eder, or the watch-tower of the flock. Here was the station where shepherds watched the flocks destined for sacrifice in the temple. Animals stray- ing from Jerusalem on any side, as far as from Jerusalem to Migdal Eder, were offered in sacrifice. It was a settled con- viction among the Jews that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, and equally that he was to be revealed from Mig- dal Eder. The beautiful significance of the revelation of the infant Christ to shepherds watching the flocks destined for sacrifice needs no comment.
Their flock (tiv roipynv). May not the singular number fall in with what has just been said?—the flock, the temple- flock, specially devoted to sacrifice. The pronoun their would furnish no objection, since it is common to speak of the flock as belonging to the shepherd. Compare John x. 3, 4.
9. Behold. Omitted by the best texts.
270 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. II.
The angel. More correctly an angel, as Rev. The Greek has no article.
Came upon (ééorn). The word is used in this sense in classical Greek, as well as in that:of to stand by, which Rev. prefers here, as in Acts xii. 7. In ver. 38 of this chapter, Rev. renders coming up. The rendering to come upon has a hostile flavor, as properly in Acts xvii. 5, where the verb is rendered assaulted ; so that the Rev. rendering here is preferable.
They were sore afraid. Lit., feared with great fear.
10. | bring you good tidings of great joy (evayyeriopar ipiv yapav peyadnv). Wye. is strictly literal: J evangelize to you a great joy.
Which (71s). Of a class or character which, etc. .
People (76 Aaw). Rev., rightly, “the people;” the article pointing specially to the people of Israel.
11. Is born (é7éy3n). It adds to the vividness of the narra- tive to keep to the strict rendering of the aorist, was born.
A Saviour. See on Matt. i. 21. Christ. See on Matt. i. 1.
Lord. See on Matt. xxi. 3.
12. Sign (cnpeiov). See on Matt. xi. 20.
The babe (8pégos). See on 1 Pet. ii. 2. Rev., properly, “@ babe.” No article.
13. A multitude of the heavenly host. ost (etpatias) is literally army. ‘“ Here the army announces peace” (Bengel).
Wyc., heavenly knighthood. Tynd., heavenly soldiers.
Cu. I1.] LUKE. O71
14. Peace, good-will toward men (eipjyn év dvIparois evdoxia). Both Tischendorf and Westcott and Hort read edSo- xias, which the Rev. follows. According to this the rendering is, unto men of good pleasure, or as Rev., among men in whom he is well pleased. Wye., to men of good-will. For a similar construction, see Acts ix. 15; Col. i. 18.
15. The shepherds. Some texts add oi av9pwrrot, the men ; but the later texts omit.