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,
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
• New Living Translation (NLT)One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.

Context of Luke 1:8

6And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

Luke 1:8 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• it came to passγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• that whileἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• executed the priest’s officeἱερατεύωhierateuō · to serve as priestG2407
• beforeἔναντιenanti · beforeG1725
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• the orderτάξιςtaxis · orderG5010
• courseἐφημερίαephēmeria · divisionG2183

Cross-references for Luke 1:8

• Exodus 28:1"Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
• Exodus 29:1"Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish,
• Exodus 30:30You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
• Numbers 18:7And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
• 1 Chronicles 24:2But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests.
• 2 Chronicles 11:14For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord,
• Luke 1:5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
• 1 Chronicles 24:19These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.
• 2 Chronicles 8:14According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded.
• 2 Chronicles 31:2And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise.
• Ezra 6:18And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it 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