Luke 2:8

Shepherds near Bethlehem on the night Jesus is born.

Greek

Καὶkaiποιμένεςpoy-MEH-nesἦσανAY-sanἐνenτῇtayχώρᾳKOH-rahτῇtayαὐτῇow-TAYἀγραυλοῦντεςah-grow-LOON-tesκαὶkaiφυλάσσοντεςfoo-LAH-son-tesφυλακὰςfoo-lah-KASτῆςtaysνυκτὸςnuk-TOSἐπὶeh-PEEτὴνtaynποίμνηνPOYM-naynαὐτῶν.ow-TOHN

Latin

Etetpastōrēspas-TOH-rayserantEH-rantininregiōnereh-gee-OH-neheādemeh-AH-demvigilantēs,wih-gih-LAN-taysetetcustōdientēskus-toh-dee-EN-taysvigiliāswih-GIH-lee-ahsnoctisNOK-tissuperSOO-pergregemGREH-gemsuum.SOO-um

English

And shepherds were in the same region, staying out in the fields and keeping the watches of the night over their flock.

Word by word

Greek	Latin	Note
Καὶfrom καί, “and, also”	Etfrom et	καί, et.
ποιμένεςfrom ποιμήν, “shepherd”	pastōrēsfrom pastor	ποιμένες: shepherds, from ποιμήν. Latin: pastōrēs, from pastor.
ἦσανfrom εἰμί, “to be”	erantfrom sum	ἦσαν, erant: they were.
ἐν τῇ χώρᾳfrom χώρα, “country, region”	in regiōnefrom regiō	ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ: in the region, from χώρα. Latin: in regiōne, from regiō.
τῇ αὐτῇfrom αὐτός, “he; self; same”	eādemfrom īdem	τῇ αὐτῇ: the same, since αὐτός with the article means same. Latin: eādem, from īdem.
ἀγραυλοῦντεςfrom ἀγραυλέω, “to live outdoors”	vigilantēsfrom vigilō	ἀγραυλοῦντες: staying out in the fields, from ἀγραυλέω. Latin says it differently: vigilantēs, keeping awake, from vigilō.
καὶfrom καί, “and, also”	etall forms	καί, et.
φυλάσσοντεςfrom φυλάσσω, “to guard, keep”	custōdientēsfrom custōdiō	φυλάσσοντες: keeping, from φυλάσσω, to guard. Latin: custōdientēs, from custōdiō, to guard.
φυλακὰςfrom φυλακή, “guard, watch; prison”	vigiliāsfrom vigilia	φυλακάς: watches, from φυλακή. Greek repeats the root: guarding guards. Latin: vigiliās.
τῆς νυκτὸςfrom νύξ, “night”	noctisfrom nox	τῆς νυκτός: of the night, from νύξ. Latin: noctis, from nox.
ἐπὶfrom ἐπί, “on, over, upon”	superall forms	ἐπί: over. Latin: super.
τὴν ποίμνηνfrom ποίμνη, “flock”	gregemfrom grex	τὴν ποίμνην: the flock, from ποίμνη. Latin: gregem, from grex.
αὐτῶνfrom αὐτός, “he, she, it; self”	suumfrom suus	αὐτῶν: their. Latin: suum, their own.

New core words

Greek

φυλακή guard, watch; prison νύξ night

Latin

īdem the same custōdiō guard, keep, watch over; observe nox night

Greek core words met146 / 345 Latin core words met162 / 345

Watch it read aloud

In the video, Jerome reads this passage in Greek, then Latin, then English, and takes it apart word by word. It starts at or open it on YouTube.

**▶ Greek and Latin with Jerome: Reading the New Testament** Read the Greek New Testament and the Latin Vulgate side by side, word by word, with Saint Jerome: 124 passages in Bible order, each read in Greek, then Latin, then English, then taken apart word by word. Along the way you meet the 345 most common words of each New Testament, which make up more than three of every four words in it. More about this video → · All videos

Passage 37 of 124 in the Greek and Latin with Jerome study companion · PDF page 62 · open the PDF here