Census (Luke 2)

Biblical Text

The census appears in the account of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1–5. The King James Version renders the passage: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)" (Luke 2:1–2). In obedience to this decree, everyone went to his own city. Because Joseph of Nazareth was of the house and lineage of David, he went up with Mary, to whom he was betrothed, from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, the city of David.

In Acts 5:37, Gamaliel also states in his speech that Judas of Galilee rose up "in the days of the taxing" and drew away people after him.

Background

The original Greek term, apographē, denotes registration by entering a name on a list. The Roman Empire surveyed and registered the inhabitants and property of its provinces for the purpose of taxation. The term used in Korean Bibles, hojeok, borrows a Korean administrative term for a register that recorded people by household. In modern terms, it is closest to a census.

The Jewish historian Josephus records that Quirinius conducted a census around A.D. 6, when Judea became a directly governed Roman province. He also reports that Judas the Galilean led an uprising against it at that time. The census mentioned in Acts 5:37 is generally taken to be this one.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The Old Testament also records the numbering of the people. In Numbers 1 the congregation of Israel is numbered, and in 2 Samuel 24 David takes a census of the people.

Luke narrates that it was through an administrative procedure of worldly power, the emperor's decree, that Jesus came to be born in the city of David. Many interpreters read this as an act of God's providence. They also connect it with the prophecy in Micah 5:2 that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. This prophecy is quoted directly in Matthew 2:5–6, though Luke does not quote it. Some interpreters also contrast the emperor who registers the whole world with the infant King laid in a manger.

A verb from the same root is used in Hebrews 12:23, "the firstborn, which are written in heaven." For this reason, some meditate on the census in connection with the heavenly register, that is, the Book of Life.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

The Problem of Chronology

Matthew records that Jesus was born in the days of King Herod. Herod's death is generally dated to around 4 B.C. The census of Quirinius reported by Josephus, however, took place around A.D. 6, so the chronologies of the two records do not agree.

The following views have been proposed on this question:

• The view that "first" in verse 2 may be translated as "before Quirinius was governor"
• The view that Quirinius may have held another office in the region at an earlier time
• The critical view that Luke confused the chronology

Those who emphasize biblical inerrancy attempt to harmonize the accounts along the lines of the first two views. In critical scholarship, the third view is also widely advanced.

The Practice of Returning to One's Hometown

The text says that everyone went to his own city, but it is unclear whether Roman censuses generally required such travel. An early second-century document from Egypt, which ordered inhabitants to return to their places of residence to register, is cited as an example of a similar practice. The text does not say whether Mary was also obligated to register.

Elements Not Found in the Text

Scenes such as the couple traveling on a donkey, an innkeeper turning them away, or Mary giving birth immediately upon arrival do not appear in the text. The text says only, "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered" (Luke 2:6). This wording suggests that they stayed in Bethlehem for some time.

In the Korean Church

The census narrative is a staple text for Christmas sermons. It is also frequently reenacted in Christmas pageants, in a scene where Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem to be registered and search for a place to stay.