Luke 2:1 (DBY)

Passage

But it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census should be made of all the habitable world.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:1 But it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census should be made of all the habitable world.

Luke 2:2 The census itself first took place when Cyrenius had the government of Syria.

Luke 2:3 And all went to be inscribed in the census roll, each to his own city:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "came", "pass", "days", "decree", "went", "caesar", and "augustus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "The census itself first took place when...", so "world" and "came" should be read forward into that movement. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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