Luke 2:9

9 when an angel of ADONAI appeared to them, and the Sh'khinah of ADONAI shone around them. They were terrified;

Luke 2:9 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 2:9

And lo, the angel of the Lord
It may be Gabriel, who had brought the tidings of the conception of the Messiah to the virgin, and now the birth of him to the shepherds:

came upon them;
on a sudden, unexpectedly, at once, and stood by them, as some versions read; or rather, stood over them, over their heads, just above them; so that he was easily and perfectly seen by them;

and the glory of the Lord shone round about them;
or a very glorious and extraordinary light shone with surprising lustre and brightness all around them; by which light, they could discern the illustrious form of the angel that was over them:

and they were sore afraid;
at the sight of such a personage, and at such unusual light and glory about them: they were not used to such appearances, and were awed with the majesty of God, of which these were symbols, and were conscious to themselves of their own sinfulness and frailty.

Luke 2:9 In-Context

7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters.

8 In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks,

9 when an angel of ADONAI appeared to them, and the Sh'khinah of ADONAI shone around them. They were terrified;

10 but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people.

11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord.