Cyre’nius, (Graecized Κυρήνιος, Luke 2:2; see Deyling, Obss. 2:431 sq.), for the Latin Quirinus (prob. not Quirinius; see Meyer, Comment. in loc.). His full name was PUBLIUS SULPICIUS QUIRINUS (see Sueton. Tiber. 49; Tacit. Ann. 2:30). He is the second of that name mentioned in Roman history (see Smith, Dict. of Class. Biog. s.v.), and was consul with M. Valerius Messala, B.C. 12. From the language of Tacitus (Ann. 3, 48), it would appear that he was of obscure origin, a supposition apparently favored by his surname, Quirinus, if rendered (as it might perhaps be) the Cyrenian, but opposed by it if referred to the old Sabine epithet of Romulus. He is more likely to have been the son of the consul of the same name, B.C. 42. Tacitus, however, states (ut sup.) that he was a native of Lanuvium, near Rome, and was not a member of the ancient Sulpician family; and that it was owing to his military abilities and active services that he gained the consulship under Augustus. He was subsequently sent into Cilicia, where he was so successful in his campaign as to receive the honor of a triumph. In B.C. 1, or a year or two afterwards, Augustus appointed him to direct the counsels of his grandson C. Caesar, then in Armenia; and on his way thither he paid a visit to Tiberius, who was at that time living at Rhodes. Some years afterwards, but not before A.D. 5, he was appointed governor of Syria, and while in this office he took a census of the Jewish people. He was a favorite with Tiberius, and on his death, A.D. 21, he was buried with public honors by the senate at the request of the emperor. (Dion Cass. 54:28; Tacitus, Ann. 3, 22; Strab. xii, p. 569; Josephus, Ant. 14:1, 1.) — Smith, Dict. of Class. Biog. s.v.
The mention of the name of Quirinus in connection with the census which was in progress at the time of our Lord’s birth presents very serious difficulties, of which, from the want of adequate data, historical and critical: inquiry has not yet attained an entirely satisfactory solution. The passage is as follows: αὕτη ἡ ἀπογραφὴ πρώτη ἐγένετο ἡγεμονεύοντος τאς Συρίας Κυρηνίου, translated in the Authorized Version thus: “Now this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.” Instead of “taxing” it is now agreed that the rendering should be “enrolment” or “registration” (of which use of the word ἀπογράφεσθαι many examples are adduced by Wetstein), as it is clear from Josephus that no taxing did take place till many years after this period. The whole passage, as it now stands, may be properly read, “This first enrolment took place while Cyrenius was governor of Syria.” This appears very plain, and would suggest no difficulty were it not for the knowledge which we obtain from other quarters, which is to the effect, 1. That there is no historical notice of any enrolment at or near the time of our Lord’s birth; and, 2d, That the enrolment which actually did take place under Cyrenius was not until ten years after that event. The difficulty begins somewhat before the text now cited; for it is said that “in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be taxed” (enrolled). But since no historian mentions any such general enrolment of the whole empire, and since, if it had taken place, it is not likely to have been mentioned in connection with the governor of Syria, it is now usually admitted that Judaea only is meant by the phrase rendered “the whole earth” (but more properly “the whole land”), as in Luke 21:26; Acts 11:28; and perhaps in 21:20. The real difficulties are thus reduced to the two now stated. With regard to the enrolment, it may be said that it was probably not deemed of sufficient importance by the Roman historians to deserve mention, being confined to a remote and comparatively unimportant province. Nor was it perhaps of such a nature as would lead even Josephus to take notice of it, if it should appear, as usually supposed, that no trace of it can be found in his writings.
Quirinus held a census in Judaea after the banishment of Archelaus (Joseph. Ant. 18:1, 1), which took place B.C. 6. This is what is meant by the taxing (ἀπογραφή) in Acts 5:37. Hence it is evident that he cannot have held a census in Judaea in the year of Christ’s birth, as is said in Luke 2:2, in the capacity of head of the province of Syria (the census, however, being a general one throughout the empire, according to the emperor’s command, v. 1). At that time Q. Sentius Saturninus (Tert. adv. Marc. 4:19), or, if Jesus was born after B.C. 6, P. Quintilius Varus, must have been governor of Syria (Ideler, Chronol. 2:394 sq.). The interpreters have attempted various methods of reconciling the words of Luke, “This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria,” Luke 2:2, with the chronology of Josephus. (See Wolf, Cur. 1:576 sq.; Zorn, Histor. Fixi Jud. p. 91 sq.; Thiess, Krit. Comment. 2:385 sq.; Kuinol, Comment. 2:101 sq., whose references, however, are not precise; K. Nahmmacher, De Augusto ter censum agente, Helmst. 1758, 2:4; Huschke, Ueb. d. zur Zeit der Gebusrt J. Chr. gehalt. Cens. Bresl. 1840; Wieseler, Chron. Synopse, p. 111 sq.). Apart from these, who cut the knot by pronouncing the passage an interpolation (as Beza in his first three eds., Pfaff, Venema, Kuinol, Olshausen, and others), we notice the following:
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Cyrenius
Bible reference(s): Acts 11:28, Acts 2:2, Acts 5:37, Jeremiah 29:2, John 1:15, Luke 2:2, Luke 21:26, Matthew 17:24, Romans 2:29
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.