Luke 2:9
New International Version
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

New Living Translation
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,

English Standard Version
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

Berean Standard Bible
Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Berean Literal Bible
And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared with great fear.

King James Bible
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

New King James Version
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

New American Standard Bible
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

NASB 1995
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

NASB 1977
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

Legacy Standard Bible
And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

Amplified Bible
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened.

Christian Standard Bible
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

American Standard Version
And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Contemporary English Version
All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened.

English Revised Version
And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. The glory of the Lord filled the area with light, and they were terrified.

Good News Translation
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid,

International Standard Version
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Majority Standard Bible
Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

NET Bible
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified.

New Heart English Bible
And look, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Webster's Bible Translation
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were in great fear.

Weymouth New Testament
when suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them; and they were filled with terror.

World English Bible
Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and behold, a messenger of the LORD stood over them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they feared [with] a great fear.

Berean Literal Bible
And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared with great fear.

Young's Literal Translation
and lo, a messenger of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared a great fear.

Smith's Literal Translation
And, behold, a messenger of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them: and they fear a great fear.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood near them, and the brightness of God shone around them, and they were struck with a great fear.

New American Bible
The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

New Revised Standard Version
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And behold, the angel of God came to them, and the glory of the Lord shone on them; and they were seized with a great fear.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And behold, the Angel of God came to them and the glory of THE LORD JEHOVAH shone upon them and they were greatly afraid;
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were greatly afraid.

Godbey New Testament
And behold an angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they feared with great fear.

Haweis New Testament
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were exceedingly affrighted.

Mace New Testament
when all of a sudden an angel of the Lord appear'd to them, and a heavenly light shone about them, at which they were greatly affrighted.

Weymouth New Testament
when suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them; and they were filled with terror.

Worrell New Testament
And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were greatly frightened.

Worsley New Testament
an angel of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them, and they were greatly terrified:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Shepherds and the Angels
8And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:…

Cross References
Matthew 28:2-4
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. / His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. / The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.

Acts 12:7
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.

Revelation 1:17
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

Matthew 1:20
But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 27:23-24
For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me / and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

Daniel 10:5-6
I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. / His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Exodus 3:2
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.

Judges 6:12
And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

Isaiah 6:1-4
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. / Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” ...

Ezekiel 1:28
The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.

Matthew 17:5-6
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” / When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror.

Acts 10:3-4
One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” / Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.

Revelation 18:1
After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.

Genesis 16:7-11
Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur. / “Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied. / So the angel of the LORD told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.” ...

Daniel 8:16-17
And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.” / As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”


Treasury of Scripture

And, see, the angel of the Lord came on them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

lo.

Luke 1:11,28
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense…

Judges 6:11,12
And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites…

Matthew 1:20
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

and the.

Exodus 16:7,10
And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? …

Exodus 40:34,35
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle…

1 Kings 8:11
So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

and they.

Luke 1:12
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

Isaiah 6:4,5
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke…

Acts 22:6-9
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me…

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Luke 2
1. Augustus taxes all the Roman empire.
6. The nativity of Jesus.
8. An angel relates it to the shepherds, and many sing praises to God for it.
15. The shepherds glorify God.
21. Jesus is circumcised.
22. Mary purified.
25. Simeon and Anna prophesy of Jesus,
39. who increases in wisdom,
41. questions in the temple with the teachers,
51. and is obedient to his parents.














Suddenly
The word "suddenly" conveys the unexpected and immediate nature of the angelic appearance. In the Greek, the term used is "exaiphnes," which emphasizes the abruptness of the event. This suddenness highlights the divine intervention in the ordinary lives of the shepherds, symbolizing how God often works in unexpected ways. It serves as a reminder that God's presence and action can break into our lives at any moment, transforming the mundane into the miraculous.

an angel of the Lord
The phrase "an angel of the Lord" refers to a messenger sent directly from God. In the Greek, "angelos" means "messenger," and it is often used in the New Testament to describe beings who deliver divine messages. The presence of an angel signifies the importance of the message being delivered. In the context of Luke 2, this angelic visitation underscores the significance of the birth of Jesus, heralding the arrival of the Savior to the world.

appeared to them
The phrase "appeared to them" indicates a visible manifestation of the angel to the shepherds. The Greek word "ephistemi" is used, which means to stand by or appear suddenly. This appearance is not just a vision but a tangible presence, emphasizing the reality of the divine encounter. It reflects the biblical theme of God revealing Himself to humanity, often choosing humble and lowly individuals, like the shepherds, to receive His revelation.

and the glory of the Lord
The "glory of the Lord" refers to the divine radiance and majesty associated with God's presence. In Hebrew, the word "kavod" is often used to describe God's glory, signifying weightiness and honor. In the Greek, "doxa" is used, which conveys splendor and brightness. This glory is a visible manifestation of God's holiness and power, often associated with His presence in the Old Testament, such as in the tabernacle or the temple. Here, it signifies the divine nature of the message and the significance of Christ's birth.

shone around them
The phrase "shone around them" describes the enveloping light that accompanied the angel's appearance. The Greek word "perilampo" means to shine around or illuminate. This light symbolizes God's presence and truth, dispelling darkness and fear. It serves as a metaphor for the coming of Christ, the Light of the World, who brings hope and salvation to humanity. The illumination around the shepherds signifies the breaking of spiritual darkness with the advent of Jesus.

and they were terrified
The reaction "and they were terrified" reflects the natural human response to encountering the divine. The Greek word "phobeo" is used, which means to fear or be in awe. This fear is not just terror but a reverential awe in the presence of God's holiness. Throughout Scripture, encounters with the divine often evoke fear, as seen with Moses at the burning bush or Isaiah's vision in the temple. This fear underscores the shepherds' recognition of the sacredness of the moment and the overwhelming nature of God's glory. It also sets the stage for the angel's message of reassurance and good news.

(9) Came upon them.--The Greek verb, like the English, implies a sudden appearance. The form of the angel was probably, as in Mark 16:5, that of a young man in white apparel. (See Note on Luke 1:12). The wings of angels are, without exception, an after-thought of Christian imagination, those of Isaiah 6:2, Ezekiel 1:6, Revelation 4:8, being connected with the mysterious figures of the cherubim, the "living creatures" seen in apocalyptic vision.

The glory of the Lord . . .--The word suggests the thought of the Shechinah, or cloud of intolerable brightness, which was the token of the divine presence in the Tabernacle and the Temple (1Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 6:1-3). (See Note on John 1:14.) Never before had there been such a manifestation to such men as these. What had been the privilege of patriarchs and priests was now granted to shepherds, and the first proclamation of the glad tidings was to those who were poor in their outward life as well as in spirit. . . .

Verse 9. - The angel of the Lord came upon them; better, an angel. The Greek word rendered "came upon them" - a very favorite word with St. Luke - suggests a sudden appearance. The glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. The white shining cloud of intolerable brightness, known among the Jews as the Shechinah, the visible token of the presence of the Eternal, in the bush, in the pillar of fire and cloud which guided the desert-wanderings, in the tabernacle and the temple. It shone round the Redeemer on the Mount of Transfiguration. It robed him when, risen, he appeared to the Pharisee Saul outside Damascus. The occasional presence of this visible glory was exceedingly precious to the chosen people. The terror felt by the shepherds was the natural awe ever felt by man when brought into visible communion with the dwellers in the so-called spirit-world.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Just then,
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

an angel
ἄγγελος (angelos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 32: From aggello; a messenger; especially an 'angel'; by implication, a pastor.

of [the] Lord
Κυρίου (Kyriou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

stood before
ἐπέστη (epestē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2186: To stand by, be urgent, befall one (as of evil), be at hand, impend. From epi and histemi; to stand upon, i.e. Be present.

them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[the] glory
δόξα (doxa)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1391: From the base of dokeo; glory, in a wide application.

of [the] Lord
Κυρίου (Kyriou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

shone around
περιέλαμψεν (perielampsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4034: To shine around. From peri and lampo; to illuminate all around, i.e. Invest with a halo.

them,
αὐτούς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

they were terrified.
ἐφοβήθησαν (ephobēthēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5399: From phobos; to frighten, i.e. to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. Revere.


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NT Gospels: Luke 2:9 Behold an angel of the Lord stood (Luke Lu Lk)
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