“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14 KJV).
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14 ESV)
The angelic annunciation to the shepherds that is recorded in the Gospel of Luke is among the best known of all the stories of the New Testament, yet the wording of this annunciation as it is found in various versions of the English Bible is profoundly different.
While virtually all translations are in agreement regarding “Glory to God in the highest,” there is much disagreement as to what was promised on earth. Older Bible translations such as the King James Version and a very few modern ones, such as the World English Bible, state that the coming of the Messiah brought the promise of peace and good will to “all men.”
But most modern Bible versions state that the promise of peace was not made to all, but to “those on whom God’s favor rests” (NIV), “those with whom he is pleased” (ESV), or some variant of one of these (as AB, ASV, BLB, BSB, CSB, ISV, NAB, NASB, NLT, and many others).
There is obviously a great deal of difference between these translations – on the one hand peace is offered to all people, and on the other hand only to those with whom God is pleased. Why the divergence, and which of these readings should we choose? The first question is the easiest to answer. The KJV was based on the Byzantine Text family which uses the Greek word eudokia in Luke 2:14, while most other English versions follow the Alexandrian Text which has the nearly identical eudokias – but although the difference consists of only one letter, the meaning is quite different, as we saw in the respective translations.
As far as which reading is preferable, there is division among New Testament textual scholars, but in general it is true that the oldest manuscripts we have favor the reading found in the older manuscripts of the Alexandrian Text and hence almost all modern translations opt for that reading. As is often the case in such questions, there are arguments on both sides of the issue; but ultimately, even if the textual matter is unresolved, we can answer the question theologically – by looking not only at what the immediate context of Luke is, but also what the whole Bible tells us.
Biblically, it is unlikely that God’s promise of peace refers to everyone regardless of their attitudes and actions. Nevertheless, in verse ten of the same chapter Luke says the angel announced “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” So there is certainly a sense in which the good news – the message of the Messiah’s birth – was made available to all. This is the wider sense in which John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” But that same verse tells us that despite the universal availability of the gift, it is still only “whoever believes in him” that “shall not perish but have eternal life.”
In the same way, Luke 2:10 gives us the universal availability of God’s promise of peace, but verse 14 tells us that it is “those whom God approves” or “those with whom he is pleased” who receive the promise. It is those who have God’s goodwill, or favor – because of their faith in him and in the one whom he sent – who find peace.
We catch a glimpse of this selective reception of peace in the teaching of Jesus himself. In Luke 10:5 Jesus tells his disciples, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’” This is the offer of peace that is freely made to all. But Jesus continued by explaining “If someone who promotes peace is there [literally “a son of peace,”] your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you” (verse 6). It is only those who are the “sons” or “daughters” of peace who receive the peace God offers.
As for whether we personally are a son or daughter of peace, the answer is simply whether or not we accept the news of the Messiah’s coming, and what that means in our lives. If we do, then – as the angel announced – we will experience the peace the Messiah’s coming brought.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14 ESV)
The angelic annunciation to the shepherds that is recorded in the Gospel of Luke is among the best known of all the stories of the New Testament, yet the wording of this annunciation as it is found in various versions of the English Bible is profoundly different.
While virtually all translations are in agreement regarding “Glory to God in the highest,” there is much disagreement as to what was promised on earth. Older Bible translations such as the King James Version and a very few modern ones, such as the World English Bible, state that the coming of the Messiah brought the promise of peace and good will to “all men.”
But most modern Bible versions state that the promise of peace was not made to all, but to “those on whom God’s favor rests” (NIV), “those with whom he is pleased” (ESV), or some variant of one of these (as AB, ASV, BLB, BSB, CSB, ISV, NAB, NASB, NLT, and many others).
There is obviously a great deal of difference between these translations – on the one hand peace is offered to all people, and on the other hand only to those with whom God is pleased. Why the divergence, and which of these readings should we choose? The first question is the easiest to answer. The KJV was based on the Byzantine Text family which uses the Greek word eudokia in Luke 2:14, while most other English versions follow the Alexandrian Text which has the nearly identical eudokias – but although the difference consists of only one letter, the meaning is quite different, as we saw in the respective translations.
As far as which reading is preferable, there is division among New Testament textual scholars, but in general it is true that the oldest manuscripts we have favor the reading found in the older manuscripts of the Alexandrian Text and hence almost all modern translations opt for that reading. As is often the case in such questions, there are arguments on both sides of the issue; but ultimately, even if the textual matter is unresolved, we can answer the question theologically – by looking not only at what the immediate context of Luke is, but also what the whole Bible tells us.
Biblically, it is unlikely that God’s promise of peace refers to everyone regardless of their attitudes and actions. Nevertheless, in verse ten of the same chapter Luke says the angel announced “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” So there is certainly a sense in which the good news – the message of the Messiah’s birth – was made available to all. This is the wider sense in which John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” But that same verse tells us that despite the universal availability of the gift, it is still only “whoever believes in him” that “shall not perish but have eternal life.”
In the same way, Luke 2:10 gives us the universal availability of God’s promise of peace, but verse 14 tells us that it is “those whom God approves” or “those with whom he is pleased” who receive the promise. It is those who have God’s goodwill, or favor – because of their faith in him and in the one whom he sent – who find peace.
We catch a glimpse of this selective reception of peace in the teaching of Jesus himself. In Luke 10:5 Jesus tells his disciples, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’” This is the offer of peace that is freely made to all. But Jesus continued by explaining “If someone who promotes peace is there [literally “a son of peace,”] your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you” (verse 6). It is only those who are the “sons” or “daughters” of peace who receive the peace God offers.
As for whether we personally are a son or daughter of peace, the answer is simply whether or not we accept the news of the Messiah’s coming, and what that means in our lives. If we do, then – as the angel announced – we will experience the peace the Messiah’s coming brought.
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