Discovery BoxLuke 2:9-11 
Context2:9 An 1 angel of the Lord 2 appeared to 3 them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 4 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, 5 for I proclaim to you good news 6 that brings great joy to all the people: 2:11 Today 7 your Savior is born in the city 8 of David. 9 He is Christ 10 the Lord.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:11.
3 tn Or “stood in front of.”
4 tn Grk “they feared a great fear” (a Semitic idiom which intensifies the main idea, in this case their fear).
sn Terrified. See similar responses in Luke 1:12, 29.
5 tn Grk “behold.”
6 tn Grk “I evangelize to you great joy.”
7 sn The Greek word for today (σήμερον, shmeron) occurs eleven times in the Gospel of Luke (2:11; 4:21; 5:26; 12:28; 13:32-33; 19:5, 9; 22:34, 61; 23:43) and nine times in Acts. Its use, especially in passages such as 2:11, 4:21, 5:26; 19:5, 9, signifies the dawning of the era of messianic salvation and the fulfillment of the plan of God. Not only does it underscore the idea of present fulfillment in Jesus’ ministry, but it also indicates salvific fulfillment present in the church (cf. Acts 1:6; 3:18; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:412; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [NIGTC], 873).
8 tn Or “town.” See the note on “city” in v. 4.
9 tn This is another indication of a royal, messianic connection.
10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn The term χριστός (cristos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.
