Luke 2:20 (ASV)

Passage

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:18 And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds.

Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

Luke 2:21 And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called JESUS, which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shepherds", "returned", "glorifying", "praising", "things", "heard", "seen", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shepherds" and "returned", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "But Mary kept all these sayings pondering..." into verse 21's "And when eight days were fulfilled for...", so "shepherds" and "returned" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shepherds" and "returned" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.