Luke 2:17

Luke 2:17, in plain English

After seeing the baby, the shepherds couldn't keep quiet. They told everyone they could find about the angels and the amazing child they had seen.

Why it's here

These simple shepherds became the very first people to spread the good news about Jesus. They went from watching sheep to proclaiming the Savior.

Who's speaking

Luke describes how the shepherds became the first to share the Christmas story.

Where it sits in the story

You can imagine them running through the streets, grabbing anyone who would listen. 'We saw angels! We found the Messiah! He is in a manger!' The first Christmas testimony came from the least expected people.

The scholarly reading

Having seen (idontes) the child, the shepherds become evangelists (egnōrisan), spreading (diegnōrisan) the angelic message about Him. They transition from recipients to proclaimers of the good news.

Language and setting

The verb diegnōrisan ('made known widely') suggests active, enthusiastic testimony. The shepherds become the first human evangelists, prefiguring the apostolic mission.

Voice

Luke describes the shepherds' response after seeing the Christ child.

Significance

The shepherds cannot keep this news to themselves. After seeing the baby, they become the first evangelists, telling everyone they meet about the angel's message and the child in the manger.

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger.

17After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him.

18And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Read all of Luke 2 — The most powerful person in history arrives as the most vulnerable — a baby in a feeding trough. The announcement goes to shepherds.