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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
Luke 2:14 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
  • KJV Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
  • NKJV “Gloryto God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
  • NASB “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”
  • NLT “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The angels glorify God and proclaim peace on earth to those on whom His favor rests. It matters because Christ brings peace between God and people.

Overview

The angelic praise links God's glory in the highest with peace on earth. This peace comes to those who are objects of God's gracious favor, secured through the Savior just born. Christ is the Prince of Peace who reconciles sinners to God, the deepest peace the world can know.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 34

  • Rom 5:1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • Luke 19:38“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
  • Luke 1:79to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
  • Col 1:20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
  • Isa 9:6–7For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
  • Heb 13:20–21Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
  • Ps 85:9–12Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.
  • Rev 5:13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!”
  • Titus 3:4–7But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
  • Eph 3:20–21Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
  • Ps 96:11–13Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea resound, and all that fills it.
  • Isa 57:19bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”
  • Jer 23:5–6Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
  • John 17:4I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.
  • Matt 21:9The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
  • Acts 10:36He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
  • Phil 2:11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
  • 2 Cor 5:18–20All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
  • 2 Th 2:16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,
  • Luke 3:22and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
  • Isa 49:13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; break forth in song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
  • Eph 1:9And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
  • Eph 1:6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
  • Ps 69:34–35Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.
  • John 14:27Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
  • John 3:16For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
  • 1 Jn 4:9–10This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
  • Eph 2:4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
  • Zech 6:12–13And you are to tell him that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Here is a man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build the temple of the LORD.
  • Eph 2:14–18For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility
  • Isa 44:23Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and revealed His glory in Israel.
  • Eph 2:7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
  • Mic 5:5And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.
  • Phil 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 2:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 2:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.