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How many angels appeared to the shepherds?
Q. In regard to the birth of Jesus, according to Luke chapter 2:8-20, how many shepherds were in the field attending sheep? How many angels appeared to the shepherds? Lastly, according to verse 15, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. How far did they have to travel to get to Bethlehem?
A. The scripture in question, Luke 2:8-20, is:
" And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. " (Luke 2:8-20, NIV)
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How many shepherds were in the field, attending sheep? As you can read for yourself, the Bible does not specify a number. There was more than one — that’s all that can be discerned from the Greek text. It is interesting that they were "living out in the fields nearby": much of Western Culture depicts the birth of Jesus as having occurred in December or January which are two of the coldest months of the year in that area near Bethlehem — much too cold for the shepherds to be "living out in the fields". They would begin moving the herds in to enclosures in the late fall and only take them out to pasture during the daylight hours. This also corresponds with secular history that says the census called by Caesar (which was the reason Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem) was called in September or October. How many angels appeared to the shepherds? Both the English translations and the original Greek use a singular designation for "an angel of the Lord". In the first manifestation, there was only one angel. Later it was a "multitude" [KJV] or a "great company" [NIV] of angels who appeared. It is also interesting that much of Western Culture has misquoted what the "host" of angels said. They did not say, "Peace on earth and good will toward men." What they said was: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14, NIV) The King James translation’s punctuation does not make this clear but the original Greek is better translated in the NIV translation quoted above. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14, KJV) How far were they from where they needed to travel? The Bible does not specify a certain distance but only says "nearby". Other Recommended Bible Study Materials:
Answer Given By: Clay Willis |
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