Luke 2:14

Context

Luke 2 tells of the birth of Jesus through the story of the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. The angel of the Lord announces "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10) and gives as a sign the infant lying in a manger. Then a multitude of the heavenly host suddenly appears, praising God. Verse 14 is their song. It takes the form of a short poem that pairs the highest heaven with the earth, and glory with peace.

Interpretation

• The scope of peace: Many commentators hold that "peace" here means more than the absence of war. Like the Hebrew shalom, it refers to reconciliation with God and to wholeness. Some interpreters also see this peace as standing in contrast to the Pax Romana ("Roman peace") proclaimed by the Roman emperor of the time.
• "People with whom he is pleased": This phrase in the Korean Revised Version is often read as referring to people whom God has graciously chosen and in whom he delights. Reformed interpreters emphasize that this peace flows from God's gracious will, while others hold that this grace is open to all people (cf. Luke 2:10, "all people").

Debates and Issues

Depending on the manuscript, the final word is either eudokia ("good pleasure") or the genitive eudokias. The first reading yields a three-part structure, with "peace on earth" followed by "good pleasure toward men." The King James Version follows this reading: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The second reading yields a two-part structure: "peace among people with whom he is pleased." Most modern critical texts, as well as the New Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Standard Version, follow the second reading. Because of this difference, sermons sometimes differ in emphasis on whether peace is given to all people or to those who have received God's favor.

In the Korean Church

The verse is a fixture of Scripture readings in Christmas services and of Christmas cantatas. Its Latin opening, Gloria in excelsis Deo, is used in the Greater Doxology (the Gloria) of liturgical churches and as the refrain of many Christmas carols, and the Korean hymnal includes hymns that sing this refrain. It is also a common phrase on Christmas cards and church banners.

Related Passages

• Luke 2:10-11
• Isaiah 9:6
• Ephesians 2:14-17
• John 14:27