English Standard Version
Luke 2:4
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
Luke 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
- New International Version (NIV)So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
- New Living Translation (NLT)And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
Context of Luke 2:4
2This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
Read all of Luke 2Luke 2:4 word by word
ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν εἰς πόλιν Δαυὶδ ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλέεμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς Δαυίδ,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- JosephἸωσήφIōsēph · JosephG2501
- alsoδέde · thenG1161
- went upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- GalileeΓαλιλαίαGalilaia · GalileeG1056
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- of NazarethΝαζαρέθ, ΝαζαράNazareth Nazaret · NazarethG3478
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- JudeaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
- of DavidΔαυείδ, Δαυίδ, ΔαβίδDabid · DavidG1138
- whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- is calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- BethlehemΒηθλεέμBēthleem · BethlehemG965
- becauseδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the houseοἶκοςoikos · house: householdG3624
- lineageπατριάpatria · family lineG3965
Cross-references for Luke 2:4
- Luke 1:26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
- Luke 3:23Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
- Luke 4:16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
- Matthew 2:23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
- John 1:46Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
- Genesis 35:19So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem),
- Genesis 48:7As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
- Ruth 1:19So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
- Ruth 2:4And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered, "The Lord bless you."
- Ruth 4:11Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem,
- 1 Samuel 16:1The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."
- 1 Samuel 17:12Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.
- 1 Samuel 20:6If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.'
- Micah 5:2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
- Matthew 2:1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
- John 7:42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
Commentaries on Luke 2:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The city of David - Bethlehem, called the city of David because it was the place of his birth. See the notes at Matthew 2:1. Because he was of the house - Of the family. And lineage - The “lineage” denotes that he was descended from David as his father or ancestor. In taking a Jewish census, families were kept distinct; hence, all went to the “place” where their family had resided. Joseph was of the “family” of David, and hence he went up to the city of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he returned to David’s hometown of Bethlehem (1 Samuel 17:12, 58; 20:6). Bethlehem is a small village in Judea, eight kilometers (five miles) south of Jerusalem. The prophet Micah foretold that the Christ (the Messiah, God’s chosen king) would be born there (Micah 5:2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. Not only does Joseph, who was of the royal line, go to Bethlehem (1Sa 16:1), but Mary too--not from choice surely in her condition, but, probably, for personal enrollment, as herself an heiress.Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 2:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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