Luke 2:20
New International Version
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

New Living Translation
The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

English Standard Version
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Berean Standard Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.

Berean Literal Bible
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things which they had heard and seen, as it was said to them.

King James Bible
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

New King James Version
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

New American Standard Bible
And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

NASB 1995
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

NASB 1977
And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as was told them.

Amplified Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Christian Standard Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

American Standard Version
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

Contemporary English Version
As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.

English Revised Version
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
As the shepherds returned to their flock, they glorified and praised God for everything they had seen and heard. Everything happened the way the angel had told them.

Good News Translation
The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

International Standard Version
Then the shepherds returned to their flock, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Majority Standard Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.

NET Bible
So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.

New Heart English Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.

Weymouth New Testament
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen in accordance with the announcement made to them.

World English Bible
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the shepherds turned back, glorifying and praising God for all those things they heard and saw, as it was spoken to them.

Berean Literal Bible
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things which they had heard and seen, as it was said to them.

Young's Literal Translation
and the shepherds turned back, glorifying and praising God, for all those things they heard and saw, as it was spoken unto them.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the shepherds returned, honouring and praising God for all which they heard and saw, as was spoken to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told to them.

New American Bible
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

New Revised Standard Version
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had seen and heard, as it was spoken to them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the shepherds returned as they glorified and praised God concerning everything, because they had seen and heard just as it had been spoken with them.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things which they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.

Godbey New Testament
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all things which they heard and saw, as it was spoken to them.

Haweis New Testament
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen, exactly as had been told them.

Mace New Testament
glorifying and praising God, for having heard and seen every thing exactly as the angel inform'd them.

Weymouth New Testament
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen in accordance with the announcement made to them.

Worrell New Testament
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they heard and saw, as it was spoken to them.

Worsley New Testament
And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen, according as it had been told unto them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Shepherds and the Angels
19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them. 21When the eight days until His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived.…

Cross References
Matthew 2:10
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight.

Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 9:8
When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew 21:15-16
But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” / “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”

Mark 1:27
All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”

Mark 2:12
And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 11:9-10
The ones who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” / “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

Luke 1:46-47
Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, / and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

Luke 5:25-26
And immediately the man stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. / Everyone was taken with amazement and glorified God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Luke 7:16
A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”

Luke 18:43
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

John 4:23
But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.

John 9:38
“Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.

Acts 2:47
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 3:8-9
He sprang to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and leaping and praising God. / When all the people saw him walking and praising God,


Treasury of Scripture

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.

Luke 18:43
And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Luke 19:37,38
And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; …

1 Chronicles 29:10-12
Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever…

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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.














The shepherds returned
The shepherds, who were considered lowly and humble in society, returned to their fields after witnessing the birth of Jesus. This reflects the theme of God revealing Himself to the humble and lowly, as seen throughout Scripture (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Their return signifies a return to their daily lives, transformed by their encounter with the divine.

glorifying and praising God
Their response of glorifying and praising God is a natural reaction to witnessing the fulfillment of God's promises. This mirrors the response of other biblical figures who encountered God's work, such as Mary in the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and Zechariah in his prophecy (Luke 1:68-79). It highlights the importance of worship and gratitude in response to God's revelation.

for all they had heard and seen
The shepherds' experience was both auditory and visual, emphasizing the tangible reality of God's intervention in the world. This dual witness of hearing and seeing is significant in biblical narratives, as it confirms the truth of the message (e.g., 1 John 1:1-3). It underscores the reliability of their testimony about Jesus' birth.

which was just as the angel had told them
The fulfillment of the angel's message to the shepherds confirms the reliability and truth of God's word. This echoes the theme of prophecy fulfillment found throughout the Bible, such as the prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament (e.g., Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2). It assures believers of the trustworthiness of God's promises and His sovereign plan.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Shepherds
Humble, everyday workers who were chosen by God to be the first to hear the news of Jesus' birth. Their role highlights God's favor towards the lowly and humble.

2. Angels
Heavenly messengers who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, signifying the divine nature of the message and the importance of the event.

3. Bethlehem
The town where Jesus was born, fulfilling the prophecy of the Messiah's birthplace as foretold in the Old Testament.

4. Jesus' Birth
The central event of this passage, marking the incarnation of God in human form, which is the foundation of the Christian faith.

5. Glorifying and Praising God
The response of the shepherds after witnessing the fulfillment of the angel's message, demonstrating a model of worship and gratitude.
Teaching Points
Humility and Divine Favor
God often chooses the humble and lowly to reveal His glory, reminding us that social status does not determine our worth in God's eyes.

Faithful Witnessing
Like the shepherds, we are called to share the good news of Jesus with others, glorifying and praising God for what He has done in our lives.

Worship as a Response
True encounters with God should lead us to worship and praise, acknowledging His greatness and the fulfillment of His promises.

Trust in God's Promises
The shepherds' experience confirms that God's word is trustworthy and will come to pass, encouraging us to hold fast to His promises in our own lives.

Joy in Salvation
The joy and praise of the shepherds reflect the joy of salvation that should characterize our lives as believers, inspiring us to live with gratitude and hope.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

shepherds
ποιμένες (poimenes)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4166: A shepherd; hence met: of the feeder, protector, and ruler of a flock of men. Of uncertain affinity; a shepherd.

returned,
ὑπέστρεψαν (hypestrepsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5290: To turn back, return. From hupo and strepho; to turn under, i.e. To return.

glorifying
δοξάζοντες (doxazontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1392: To glorify, honor, bestow glory on. From doxa; to render glorious.

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

praising
αἰνοῦντες (ainountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 134: To praise. From ainos; to praise.

God
Θεὸν (Theon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

for
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

all
πᾶσιν (pasin)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

they had heard
ἤκουσαν (ēkousan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

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

seen,
εἶδον (eidon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

which was just as
καθὼς (kathōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2531: According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.

[the angel] had told
ἐλαλήθη (elalēthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

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.


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NT Gospels: Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God (Luke Lu Lk)
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