Paragraph 2:15–20

2:15a

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven: This part of the verse is more literally “when the angels went from them to heaven.” It indicates that the angels left the shepherds and went (back) to heaven. The Greek text uses only one verb in this clause. There are two ways to translate the clause:

• Use one verb, For example:

When the angels had returned to heaven (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
After the angels had gone back to heaven

• Supply a second verb. For example:

After the angels had left them and returned to heaven (Revised English Bible)
-or-
When the angels left them and went back to heaven (New Century Version)

Translate this clause in a way that is natural in your language.

heaven: Here, the word heaven means “the place where God lives.” See heaven, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

2:15b

the shepherds said to one another: The shepherds discussed what to do and decided together to go to Bethlehem (2:15c). Other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

the shepherds said among themselves
-or-
the shepherds said to each other

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 2:15b–c as indirect speech. See the General Comment on 2:15b–c at the end of the notes on 2:15c for an example.

2:15c

Let us go: The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Let us go indicates that the shepherds were suggesting to each other that they should go. They were not asking each other for permission. Another way to say this is:

We should/must go

Use a natural way in your language to talk about a group of people deciding to go somewhere together.

this thing that has happened: The phrase this thing refers to Jesus’ birth. He was the Christ whom God had promised.

which the Lord has made known to us: The clause which the Lord has made known to us refers to the message that God had given to the shepherds through his angel.

General Comment on 2:15b–c

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 2:15b–c as indirect speech. For example:

The shepherds agreed together to go to Bethlehem and see the thing that had happened, which the Lord had told them about through the angel.

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