Luke 1:9 (KJV)

Passage

According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Nearby Context

Luke 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

Luke 1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

Luke 1:9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Luke 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "custom", "priest", "office", "burn", "incense", "went", "temple", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "custom" and "priest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And it came to pass that while..." into verse 10's "And the whole multitude of the people...", so "custom" and "priest" 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 "custom" and "priest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.