Luke 1:10 (LSB)

Passage

And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

Nearby Context

Luke 1:8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the order of his division,

Luke 1:9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

Luke 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

Luke 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

Luke 1:12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whole", "multitude", "people", "praying", "outside", "hour", "incense", and "offering". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whole" and "multitude", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "according to the custom of the priestly..." into verse 11's "And an angel of the Lord appeared...", so "whole" and "multitude" 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 "whole" and "multitude" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.