Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 2:9

"And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid." — Luke 2:9 (ASV)

First a single angel (cf. 1:11, 26) appears. The shepherds’ terror recalls that of

Zechariah (1:12), though theirs is related to the visible manifestation of the glory of God. Again, as in 1:13 and 1:30, the angel speaks reassuringly.