Luke 2:20 (DRB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Luke 2:18 And all that heard wondered: and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.

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

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

Luke 2:21 And after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:22 And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shepherds", "returned", "glorifying", "praising", "things", "heard", "seen", and "told". 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 words pondering..." into verse 21's "And after eight days were accomplished that...", 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.