Limitless Word
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Luke 2:18 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.
  • BSB And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
  • NKJV And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
  • NASB And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds.
  • NLT All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,

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

All who heard the shepherds' report were amazed. It matters because the news of the Savior's birth stirs wonder.

Overview

Luke notes the astonishment of those who heard the shepherds' account. The marvel of the incarnation provokes wonder in its hearers. Yet wonder alone is not faith; Luke distinguishes mere amazement from the deeper treasuring seen in Mary in the next verse.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • Luke 1:65–66And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
  • Luke 5:9–10For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
  • Luke 4:36And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
  • Luke 2:47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
  • Luke 2:33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
  • Isa 8:18Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 2:18YouTube · 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 2:18 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.