John Gill Commentary Luke 2

And it came to pass in those days When John the Baptist was born, and Christ was conceived, and his mother pregnant with him, and the time of his birth drew on. The Ethiopic version reads, "in that day"; as if it was the same day in which John was circumcised, and Zacharias delivered the above song of praise: that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus; second emperor of Rome; the name Caesar was common to all the emperors, as Pharaoh to the Egyptians, and afterwards Ptolemy. His name Augustus, was not his original surname, but Thurinus; and was given him, after he became Caesar, to express his grandeur, majesty, and reverence; and that by the advice of Munatius Plancus, when others would have had him called Romulus, as if he was the founder of the city of Rome {z}: by him a decree was made and published,

that all the world should be taxed ; or "registered", or "enrolled"; for this was not levying a tax, or imposing tribute upon them, but a taking an account of the names of persons, and of their estates; and which might be, in order to lay a tax upon them, as afterwards was: for the payment of a tax, there was no need of the appearance of women and children; and so the Arabic version renders it, "that the names the whole habitable world might be described, or written down": such an enrolment had been determined on by Augustus, when at Tarracon in Spain, twenty seven years before; but he was diverted from it by some disturbances in the empire, so that it was deferred to this time, in which there was a remarkable interposition of divine providence; for had this enrolment been made then, in all likelihood it had not been done now, and Joseph and Mary would not have had occasion to have come to Bethlehem: but so it must be; and thus were things ordered by an infinite, and all wise providence to effect it: nor did this enrolment reach to all the parts of the known world, but only to the Roman empire; which, because it was so very large as it was, and in the boasting language of the Romans was so called, as, Ptolemy Evergetes

FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Suetonius in Vita Octav August. sect. 7.
• F1: calls his kingdom, (kosmov) , "the world". Though some think only the land of Judea is meant, which is called the earth, in (Luke 21:26) and "all the world", in (Acts 11:28) but the other sense seems more agreeable; and so the Syriac version renders it, "that all the people of his empire might be enrolled": and the Persic version, "that they should enrol all the subjects of his kingdom"; and is justified by the use of the phrase for the Roman empire, in several passages of Scripture, (Romans 1:8) (10:18) (Revelation 3:10) (13:3) . Now at the time of this enrolment, and under this august emperor, and when the whole world was in a profound peace, was the Messiah born, the King of kings, and the only potentate; the Shiloh, the peaceable and prosperous, the Prince of Peace, and Lord of life and glory; and that, in order to redeem men from that worse subjection and bondage they were in to sin, Satan, the law, and death, than they were to the Roman emperor. The Jews say ^F2 , the son of David shall not come, until the kingdom (of Edom, or Rome, as some copies read, in others it is erased) shall be extended over all Israel, nine months, according to (Micah 5:3) . The gloss on it is, that is, "all the world", in which the Israelites are scattered.
• F2: T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2.

And this taxing was first made
Or "this was the first enrolment, or taxing" in the Jewish nation; for there was another afterwards, when Judas the Galilean arose, and drew many after him, (Acts 5:38) .

When Cyrenius was governor of Syria ;
or "of Cyrenius" "governor of Syria"; that is, it was the first that he was, concerned in; who not now, but afterwards was governor of Syria; and because he had been so before Luke wrote this history, and this being a title of honour, and what might distinguish him from others of that name, it is given him; for as Tertullian says ^F3 , Sentius Saturninus was now governor of Syria, when Cyrenius was sent into Judea, to make this register, or taxing; and which is manifestly distinguished from that, which was made during his being governor of Syria, when Archelaus was banished from Judea, ten or eleven years after Herod's death; which Josephus ^F4 gives an account of, and Luke refers to, in (Acts 5:37) . Moreover, the words will bear to be rendered thus, "and this tax, or enrolment, was made before Cyrenius was governor of Syria"; (prwth) , being used for (protera) , as in (John 1:15John 1:30) .

This Cyrenius is the same whom the Romans call Quirinius, and Quirinus; a governor of Syria had great power in Judea, to which it was annexed, when Cyrenius was governor there. It is reported of R. Gamaliel, that he went to take a licence, (ayrwob Nwmghm) , "from a governor of Syria" ^F5 ; i.e. to intercalate the year: and Syria was in many things like to the land of Judea, particularly as to tithes, and the keeping of the seventh year ^F6 .

FOOTNOTES:

• F3: Contr. Marcion, l. 4. c. 19.
• F4: Antiqu. l. 18. c. 1.
• F5: Misn. Ediot. c. 7. sect. 7.
• F6: T. Bab. Gittin. fol. 8. 1.

And all went to be taxed
Throughout Judea, Galilee, and Syria; men, women, and children;

every one into his own city ;
where he was born, and had any estate, and to which he belonged.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee
Where he now lived, and worked at the trade of a carpenter; having for some reasons, and by one providence or another, removed hither from his native place:

out of the city of Nazareth;
which was in Galilee, where he and Mary lived; and where he had espoused her, and she had conceived of the Holy Ghost:

into Judea;
which lay higher than Galilee, and therefore he is said to go up to it:

unto the city of David;
not what was built by him, but where he was born and lived; see (1 Samuel 17:12) .

which is called Bethlehem:
the place where, according to (Micah 5:2) the Messiah was to be born, and was born; and which signifies "the house of bread": a very fit place for Christ, the bread which came down from heaven, and gives life to the world, to appear first in. This place was, as a Jewish chronologer says ^F7 , a "parsa" and half, or six miles from Jerusalem; though another of their writers, an historian and traveller ^F8 , says, it was two "parsas", or eight miles; but Justin Martyr ^F9 says, it was but thirty five furlongs distant from it, which is not five miles; hither Joseph came from Galilee,

because he was of the house and lineage of David ;
he was of his family, and lineally descended from him, though he was so poor and mean; and this is the reason of his coming to Bethlehem, David's city.

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 14. 2.
• F8: R. Benjamin Itin. p. 47.
• F9: Apolog. 2. p. 75.

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife
Whom also he had married, though he had not known her in a carnal way; she came along with him to be taxed and enrolled also, because she was of the same family of David, and belonged to the same city:

being great with child;
very near her time, and yet, though in such circumstances, was obliged by this edict, to come to Bethlehem; and the providence in it was, that she might give birth there, and so the prophecy in (Micah 5:2) have its accomplishment: this was an instance, and an example, of obedience to civil magistrates.