Luke 2:20 (WEB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Luke 2:18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

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

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

Luke 2:21 When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:22 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 "just". 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 "When eight days were fulfilled for the...", 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.