Luke 2:2 (YLT)

Passage

this enrolment first came to pass when Cyrenius was governor of Syria--

Nearby Context

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, there went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world be enrolled--

Luke 2:2 this enrolment first came to pass when Cyrenius was governor of Syria--

Luke 2:3 and all were going to be enrolled, each to his proper city,

Luke 2:4 and Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, that is called Bethlehem, because of his being of the house and family of David,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "enrolment", "first", "came", "pass", "cyrenius", "governor", and "syria--". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "enrolment" and "first", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "And it came to pass in those..." into verse 3's "and all were going to be enrolled...", so "enrolment" and "first" 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 "enrolment" and "first" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.