Section 2:8–20
Angels announced to shepherds that the Savior was born
In this section some shepherds were taking care of their sheep in fields near Bethlehem. An angel came to them and told them that Christ the Savior had been born that night in Bethlehem. He told them that they would find the baby lying in a feeding box for animals. Then other angels came and praised God. After the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby, just as the angel had said they would.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:
Angels tell shepherds about Jesus’ birth and the shepherds visit him
-or-
The Shepherds and the Angels (Good News Translation)
Paragraph 2:8–12
2:8a
And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby: This part of the verse is background information. It tells about something that was happening at a different place at the time when Jesus was born. Some other ways to translate this background information are:
That night…near Bethlehem some shepherds were (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Now in this same district there were shepherds (Revised English Bible)
-or-
When Mary bore Jesus, some shepherds were…near Bethlehem
-or-
That night, some shepherds were…nearby (New Century Version)
Express this background information in a way that is natural in your language.
shepherds: The term shepherds describes people who takes care of animals called “sheep.” If there is no word for shepherds in your language, you may use a descriptive phrase. For example:
people who tend sheep
Sheep are domestic animals that are raised for meat and for wool. If there is no word for “sheep” in your language, you may need to borrow the word. Then you can indicate the meaning with a general word in your translation of shepherds. For example:
people who care for ⌊animals called⌋ sheep
If people are not familiar with sheep in your area, you may want to include a picture in your translation.
residing in the fields: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as residing in the fields is literally “living outdoors” or “living in open country.” While the shepherds were watching their sheep near the town of Bethlehem, they were living in the fields there.
fields: These fields were open, grassy areas where the sheep could eat. They were not cultivated fields.
nearby: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as nearby is literally “in the same region.” This means in the area around the town of Bethlehem.
2:8b
keeping watch over their flocks by night: The phrase keeping watch over indicates that the shepherds were protecting their sheep. The sheep were not kept in pens at night, so the shepherds took turns guarding them. They guarded their sheep so that no wild animals would hurt them and no thieves would steal them. They also watched them so that no sheep would wander away and become lost. Another way to translate this is:
They were taking turns watching their flock during the night. (God’s Word)
their flocks: The term flock describes a group of sheep. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flocks is singular here, not plural. You may translate this as “flock of sheep” or simply “sheep,” whatever is most natural in your language.
by night: The phrase by night indicates that the shepherds watched the sheep “during the night.”
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