sense. Augustus reigned from 30 B.c. to 14 A.D. Ver. 2. This verse looks like a paren-
471
i) ἀπογραφὴ πρώτη ἐγένετο 7 ἡγεμονεύοντος τῆς Συρίας Κυρηνίου. 3: καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι, ἕκαστος eis τὴν ἰδίαν 3
πόλιν.
4- ᾿Ανέβη δὲ καὶ Ιωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ἐκ πόλεως
Ναζαρέτ, eis τὴν ᾿Ιουδαίαν, eis πόλιν Δαβίδ, ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλεέμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς Δαβίδ, 5. ἀπογράψασθαι σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ μµεμνηστευµένῃ αὐτῷ yuvarxi,® οὔσῃ ἐγκύω.
1η omitted in BD 131 ; found in CLA (om. Tisch., W.H.).
2 eyev. before πρωτη in SYD Orig. lat. (Tisch.).
difficulty, thinks J. Weiss. 3 εαντον in ΝΕΒΡΙ.Ξ (Tisch., W.H.).
An exegetical device to meet a
As in Τ.Ε. ABCLA (W.H.).
* epynor. in NBCDLE.
5 Omit γνναικι NBCDLE 1, 131 (Tisch., W.H.),
thetical explanation, and is actually bracketed in W.H. One could almost wish it had been omitted, or that there were reason to believe, as has been suggested by several writers, that it is a gloss that has found its way into the text, and that Lk. is not responsible for it—so much trouble has it given to com- mentators. Text and sense have alike been disputed.—avrn has been taken as αὐτή = self, not αὕτη = tla, the same, to make room for a distinction between the decree and its execution or com- pletion ten years after by Quirinius, so meeting difficulty No. 3. This device is now generally discarded. πρώτη has been taken as = προτέρα, meaning ; this census took place before Quirinius was governor, a possible but very improbable rendering, not to say that one fails to see the object of such a statement. The true text is αὕτη ἀπογ. πρώτη ἐγέν., and the meaning: that census took place, as a first, when, etc. But why as a first 2 Because, reply many, there was a second, under the same Quirinius, ten years later, known to Lk. (Acts v. 37), disastrous in its consequence, and which he was anxious his readers should not confound with this one (so Hahn and others).—nyepovevovros: this raises a question of fact. Was Quirinius governor. then? He was, admittedly, governor of Syria ten years later, when he made the census referred to in Acts v. 37- Either there is a mistake here, or Quirinius was governor twice (so A. W. Zumpt, strenuously supported by Farrar, C.G. T., ad loc.), or at least present in Syria, at the time of Christ’s birth, in some capacity, say as a commissioner in connection with the census.
Ver. 3. πάντες: not all throughout the world, but all in Palestine—the execu- tion of the decree there being what the
evangelist is interested in.—eis τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν (or ἑαυτοῦ π., W.H.). Does this mean to the city of his people, or to the city of his abode? If the former, what a stir in Palestine, or in the world if πάντες be taken widely! A regular “ Volkerwanderung” (Holtzmann in H.C.). Sensible of this, some (Hahn, e.g.) take the reference to be to the place of residence (Wohnort not Stamm- ort), implying that Bethlehem was for Lk. as for Mt. Joseph’s home, and that they merely happened to have been living in Nazareth just before. But ver. 7 implies that Joseph and Mary had no house in Bethlehem. Feine quotes, with a certain amount of approval, the view of Schneller (Kennst du das Land) that Joseph was not a carpenter but a mason, and that Bethlehem was there- fore his natural home, being the head- quarters of that craft then as now. On this view, Joseph had simply been in Nazareth building a house, not at home, but away from home for a time as an artisan.
Vv. 4, 5. Joseph and Mary and Nazareth are here referred to, as if they had not been mentioned before (i. 26, 27), implying that Lk. is here using an inde- pendent document (Holtz., H. Ο.).---ἀπὸ τ.Γαλ., ἐκπόλ.: used with classical accur- acy: @wdo=direction from, ἐκ from within (C. G. T.).—é§ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς, ‘‘ of the house and family,” R. V.—otxos, πατριαί, φυλαί represent a series of widening εἴτε]ες.---ἀπογράψασθαι, to be enrolled. If Bethlehem was Joseph’s home, he would have gone to Bethlehem sooner or later in any case. Because of the census he went just then (Hahn).— σὺν Μαριὰμ, coming after ἀπογράψ., naturally suggests that she had to be enrolled too. Was this necessary ? Even if not, reasons might be suggested for