Luke 1:8

Luke 1:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
• New International Version (NIV)Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

Context of Luke 1:8

6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years. One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside.

Luke 1:8 word by word

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἱερατεύειν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς ἐφημερίας αὐτοῦ ἔναντι τοῦ θεοῦ,Read the interlinear

• One dayδέde · thenG1161
• One dayγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• whileὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ·αὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• divisionἐφημερίαephēmeria · divisionG2183
• was on dutyἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• was on dutyτάξιςtaxis · orderG5010
• was serving as priestἱερατεύωhierateuō · to serve as priestG2407
• beforeἔναντιenanti · beforeG1725
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Luke 1:8

• Exodus 28:1“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
• Exodus 29:1“Now this is what you are to do to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without blemish,
• Exodus 30:30Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.
• Numbers 18:7But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
• 1 Chronicles 24:2But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
• 2 Chronicles 11:14For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD.
• Luke 1:5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.
• 1 Chronicles 24:19This was their appointed order for service when they entered the house of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.
• 2 Chronicles 8:14In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God.
• 2 Chronicles 31:2Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.
• Ezra 6:18They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

Commentaries on Luke 1:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Before God - In the temple, where God used to manifest his presence, though long before this time he had forsaken it; yet, on this important occasion, the angel of his presence had visited it.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Before God - In the temple, where God dwelt by the symbols of His presence. The temple was regarded by the Jews as the “house” or dwelling of God; and in the “first” temple there was, in the most holy place, a “cloud” called the Shechinah, or a visible sign of the presence of God. It was thus “before God” that Zechariah offered incense.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-25Verses 5-25 The father and mother of John the Baptist were sinners as all are, and were justified and saved in the same way as others; but they were eminent for piety and integrity. They had no children, and it could not be expected that Elisabeth should have any in her old age. While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were praying without. All the prayers we offer up to God, are acceptable and successful only…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9Zechariah's division was on duty … he was chosen by lot: It was common in Old Testament times to cast lots (similar to throwing dice) to determine God’s will (1 Chronicles 26:13–16; Nehemiah 11:1; Proverbs 16:33; Jonah 1:7). There were 24 orders of priests that took turns serving in the temple (1 Chronicles 24:1–19). They cast lots to choose which priest would serve in the sanctuary of the temple. There were many priests, so this honor might come only…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-255. Herod--(See on Mt 2:1). course of Abia--or Abijah; the eighth of the twenty-four orders of courses into which David divided the priests (see 1Ch 24:1, 4, 10). Of these courses only four returned after the captivity (Ezr 2:34-39), which were again subdivided into twenty-four--retaining the ancient name and order of each. They took the whole temple service for a week each. his wife was of the daughters of Aaron--The priests might marry into any tribe…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 1:8

• Barrenness
• Elisabeth (Elizabeth)
• Joy
• Priest
• Temple
• Zacharias (Zechariah)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Begin
• Certainty
• Conceive
• Estate
• Hail!
• Ministration
• Noise
• Righteousness

Commentaries on Luke 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings