Or Publius Sulpitius QUIRINUS, according to his Latin appellation, governor of Syria, Luke 2:2 . According to history, Quirinus was not properly governor of Syria till some years after this date; and the only census of that time mentioned by secular historians took place when Christ was eight or ten years old. The passage in Luke may be translated, "This enrolment took place first under Cyrenius governor of Syria." Compare Acts 5:37 .