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,
• 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,
• 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

6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Once when 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 go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were 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

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“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.
• Exodus 29:1“This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.
• Exodus 30:30“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
• Numbers 18:7But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to 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 the priests.
• 2 Chronicles 11:14The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came 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; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
• 1 Chronicles 24:19This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.
• 2 Chronicles 8:14In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered.
• 2 Chronicles 31:2Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.
• Ezra 6:18And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at 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