Commentaries:
People's Commentary (NT)
Luke 2:2
This taxing was first made, etc. This statement has caused some
difficulty. Luke seems to affirm that the enrollment took place the
year Jesus was born, but while Cyrenius was governor of Syria. Now
Cyrenius was governor of Syria from A.D. 6 to A.D. 11. There are two
ways of settling the apparent difficulty: (1) Augustus Caesar, incensed
at Herod, ordered an enrollment for taxation of the Jews the year of
the birth of Jesus. It was carried out in all probability by Cyrenius.
The intercession of Herod's minister, Nicolas, averted the displeasure
of Augustus and the taxation did not take place until Cyrenius was
governor of Syria, after Archelaus, son of Herod, was deposed. These
facts we learn from Josephus, and they remove the apparent discrepancy.
But (2) A. W. Zumpt, of Berlin, followed by Alford and Schaff, make it
highly probable that Cyrenius was governor of Syria twice, the first
time from B.C. 4 to B.C. 1. I have not space for the argument which
seems conclusive. But in B.C. 4 Jesus was born. Ancient writers,
Christians as well as pagan opposers, state that Jesus was born while
Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 2:2
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