Luke 1 · Verse 6

Luke 1:6

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Luke 1:6, King James Version

Luke 1:6 in other translations

BSBBoth of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
WEBThey were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
ASVAnd they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
YLTand they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless,
DARBYAnd they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
BBEThey were upright in the eyes of God, keeping all the rules and orders of God, and doing no wrong.
WebsterAnd they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

What does Luke 1:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. commandments and ordinances--The one expressing their moral--the other their ceremonial--obedience [Calvin and Bengel], (Compare Eze 11:20; He 9:1). It has been denied that any such distinction was known to the Jews and New Testament writers. But Mr 12:33, and other passages, put this beyond all reasonable doubt.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 They were both righteous - Upright and holy in all their outward conduct in civil life. Before God - Possessing the spirit of the religion they professed; exercising themselves constantly in the presence of their Maker, whose eye, they knew, was upon all their conduct, and who examined all their motives. Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless - None being able to lay any evil to their charge. They were as exemplary and conscientious in the discharge of their religious duties as they were in the discharge of the offices of civil life. What a sacred pair! they made their duty to God, to their neighbor, and to themselves, walk constantly hand in hand. See the note on Mat 3:15. Perhaps εντολαι, commandments, may here mean the decalogue; and δικαιωματα, ordinances, the ceremonial and judicial laws which were delivered after the decalogue: as all the precepts delivered from Exo 21:1 to Exo 24:1 are termed δικαιωματα, judgments or ordinances.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 1:5-25

The father and mother of John the Baptist were sinners as all are, and were justified and saved in the same way as others; but they were eminent for piety and integrity. They had no children, and it could not be expected that Elisabeth should have any in her old age. While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were praying without. All the prayers we offer up to God, are…

Read the full comment on Luke 1:5-25 →

Luke 1:6 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἦσανēsanThey wereG1510
δὲdenowG1161
δίκαιοιdikaioirighteousG1342
ἀμφότεροιamphoteroibothG297
ἐναντίονenantionin front ofG1726
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouGodG2316
πορευόμενοιporeuomenoiwalkingG4198
ἐνeninG1722
πάσαιςpasaisallG3956
ταῖςtaistheG3588
ἐντολαῖςentolaiscommandmentsG1785
καὶkaiandG2532
δικαιώμασινdikaiōmasinordinancesG1345
τοῦtouof theG3588
κυρίουkuriouLordG2962
ἄμεμπτοι.amemptoiblameless.G273

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 1:6

  • Genesis 7:1

    And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

  • Genesis 17:1

    And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

  • Philippians 2:15

    That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

  • 1 Kings 9:4

    And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:

  • Job 1:1

    There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

  • Acts 24:16

    And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

  • Colossians 1:22

    In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

  • Titus 3:3-7

    For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; …

  • 2 Peter 3:14

    Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

  • Job 1:8

    And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:13

    To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

  • 1 John 3:7

    Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
righteous.
16:15; Ge 6:9; 7:1; 17:1; Job 1:1,8; 9:2; Ro 3:9-25; Php 3:6-9
Tit 3:3-7
walking.
1Ki 9:4; 2Ki 20:3; Ps 119:6; Ac 23:1; 24:16; 1Co 11:2; 2Co 1:12
Php 3:6; Tit 2:11-14; 1Jo 2:3,29; 3:7
blameless.
Php 2:15; Col 1:22; 1Th 3:13; 2Pe 3:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 1:5

    There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

  • Luke 1:6

    And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

  • Luke 1:7

    And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

Read all of Luke 1

Luke 1:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y eran ambos justos delante de Dios, andando sin reprensión en todos los mandamientos y estatutos del Señor.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ils étaient tous deux justes devant Dieu, marchant dans tous les commandements et dans toutes les ordonnances du ✶Seigneur, sans reproche.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Beide aber waren gerecht vor Gott, indem sie untadelig wandelten in allen Geboten und Satzungen des Herrn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Erant autem justi ambo ante Deum, incedentes in omnibus mandatis et justificationibus Domini sine querela.