Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
There was (egeneto). Not the usual en for "was," but there arose or came into notice. With this verse the literary Koin‚ of verses 1 to 4 disappears. To the end of chapter 2 we have the most Hebraistic (Aramaic) passage in Luke's writings, due evidently to the use of documents or notes of oral tradition. Plummer notes a series of such documents ending with Luke 1:80, Luke 2:40, Luke 2:52. If the mother of Jesus was still alive, Luke could have seen her. She may have written in Aramaic an account of these great events. Natural reserve would keep her from telling too much and from too early publicity. Luke, as a physician, would take special interest in her birth report. The supernatural aspects disturb only those who do not admit the real Incarnation of Jesus Christ and who are unable to believe that God is superior to nature and that the coming of the Son of God to earth justifies such miraculous manifestations of divine power. Luke tells his story from the standpoint of Mary as Matthew gives his from the standpoint of Joseph. The two supplement each other. We have here the earliest documentary evidence of the origins of Christianity that has come down to us (Plummer).
Herod, King of Judea (hrwdou basilewv thv Ioudaiav). This note of time locates the events before the death of Herod the Great (as he was called later), appointed King of Judea by the Roman Senate BC 40 at the suggestion of Octavius and Antony. He died BC 4.
Of the course of Abijah (ec efhmeriav Abia). Not in old Greek, but in LXX and modern Greek. Papyri have a verb derived from it, efhmerew. Daily service (Nehemiah 13:30; I Chronicles 25:8) and then a course of priests who were on duty for a week (I Chronicles 23:6; I Chronicles 28:13). There were 24 such courses and that of Abijah was the eighth (I Chronicles 24:10; II Chronicles 8:14). Only four of these courses (Jedaiah, Immer, Pashur, Harim) returned from Babylon, but these four were divided into twenty-four with the old names. Each of these courses did duty for eight days, sabbath to sabbath, twice a year. On sabbaths the whole course did duty. At the feast of tabernacles all twenty-four courses were present.
Of the daughters of Aaron (ek twn qugaterwn Aarwn). "To be a priest and married to a priest's daughter was a double distinction" (Plummer). Like a preacher married to a preacher's daughter.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Luke 1:5:
James 2:15
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