a decree went out
The term "decree" (Greek: δόγμα, dogma) refers to an official order or edict. In the Roman context, such decrees were authoritative and binding, reflecting the centralized power of the emperor. This decree is significant as it sets the stage for the fulfillment of prophecy regarding the birthplace of the Messiah. The decree's issuance demonstrates God's sovereignty, using even secular authorities to accomplish divine purposes.

from Caesar Augustus
Caesar Augustus, originally named Gaius Octavius, was the first Roman emperor and ruled from 27 BC to AD 14. His reign marked the beginning of the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and stability across the empire. Augustus was known for his administrative reforms and efforts to consolidate power. His mention here highlights the historical accuracy of the Gospel account and underscores the global reach of the Roman Empire, which God used to facilitate the spread of the Gospel.

that a census should be taken
The census (Greek: ἀπογραφή, apographē) was a common practice in the Roman Empire for taxation and military purposes. This particular census is pivotal in the biblical narrative as it leads to Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 5:2 regarding the Messiah's birthplace. The census serves as a reminder of God's providence, orchestrating events to align with His divine plan.

of the whole empire
The phrase "whole empire" (Greek: οἰκουμένη, oikoumenē) refers to the inhabited world under Roman control. This global perspective emphasizes the vastness of the Roman Empire and the far-reaching impact of its decrees. It also foreshadows the universal nature of the Gospel, which would eventually spread throughout the known world. The inclusion of this detail highlights the comprehensive scope of God's redemptive plan, extending beyond Israel to all nations.

(1) There went out a decree.--The passage that follows has given rise to almost endless discussion. The main facts may be summed up as follows:--(1) The word "taxed" is used in its older English sense of simple "registration," and in that sense is a true equivalent for the Greek word. The corresponding verb appears in Hebrews 12:23. It does not involve, as to modern ears it seems to do, the payment of taxes. The "world" (literally, the inhabited world, ?????????, ?cumene,--the word from which we form the word "?cumenical" as applied to councils) is taken, as throughout the New Testament, for the Roman empire. What Augustus is said to have decreed, was a general census. (2) It may be admitted that no Roman or Jewish historian speaks distinctly of such a general census as made at this time. On the other hand, the collection of statistical returns of this nature was an ever-recurring feature of the policy of Augustus. We read of such returns at intervals of about ten years during the whole period of his government. In B.C. 27, when he offered to resign, he laid before the Senate a rationarium, or survey of the whole empire. After his death, a like document, more epitomised--a breviarium--was produced as having been compiled by him. There are traces of one about this time made by the Emperor, not in his character as Censor, but by an imperial edict such as St. Luke here describes. (3) Just before the death of Herod, Josephus (Wars, i. 27, ? 2; 29:2) reports that there was an agitation among the Jews, which led him to require them to take an oath of fidelity, not to himself only, but to the Emperor, and that 6,000 Pharisees refused to take it. He does not say what caused it, but the census which St. Luke records, holding out, as it did, the prospect of future taxation in the modern sense, sufficiently explains it. (4) It need hardly be said that the whole policy of Herod was one of subservience to the Emperor, and that though he retained a nominal independence, he was not likely to resist the wish of the Emperor for statistics of the population, or even of the property, of the province over which he ruled. (5) It may be noted that none of the early opponents of Christianity--such as Celsus and Porphyry--call the accuracy of the statement in question. St. Luke, we may add, lastly, as an inquirer, writing for men of education, would not have been likely to expose himself to the risk of detection by asserting that there had been such a census in the face of facts to the contrary.

(1) no historian of the time mentions such a decree of Augustus.

(2) Supposing Augustus had issued such an edict, Herod, in his kingdom of Judaea, would not have been included in it, for Judaea was not formally annexed to the Roman province of Syria before the death of Archelaus, Herod's son; for some years after this time Herod occupied the position of a rex socius. In answer to (1), we possess scarcely any minute records of this particular time; and there are besides distinct traces in contemporary histories of such a general registration. In answer to (2), in the event of such an imperial registration being made, it was most unlikely that Herod would have claimed exemption for his only nominally independent states. It must be remembered that Herod was an attached dependent of the emperor, and in such a matter would never have opposed the imperial will of his great patron.

Parallel Commentaries ...