Luke 3:23

Luke 3:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
• New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli.

Context of Luke 3:23

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

Luke 3:23 word by word

Καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Ἰησοῦς ἀρχόμενος ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα ὢν υἱός, ὡς ἐνομίζετο, Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ ἨλὶRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• himselfαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• beganἄρχομαιarchomai · to rule/beginG756
• to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• aboutὡσείhōsei · like/as/aboutG5616
• thirtyτριάκονταtriakonta · thirtyG5144
• years of ageἔτοςetos · yearG2094
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• was supposedνομίζωnomizō · to thinkG3543
• the sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of JosephἸωσήφIōsēph · JosephG2501
• which wasἩλίHēli · HeliG2242

Cross-references for Luke 3:23

• Genesis 41:46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
• Numbers 4:3Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.
• Luke 4:22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
• Matthew 13:55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
• Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
• John 6:42They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
• Luke 1:16He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

Commentaries on Luke 3:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Thirty years of age - This was the age required by the law, to which the priests must arrive before they could be installed in their office: see Numbers 4:3. Being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph - This same phrase is used by Herodotus to signify one who was only reputed to be the son of a particular person: he was Supposed to be this man's son. Much learned labor has been used to reconcile this genealogy with that in St. Matthew, Matthew 1:1-17, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Jesus began to be … - This was the age at which the priests entered on their office, Numbers 4:3, Numbers 4:47; but it is not evident that Jesus had any reference to that in delaying his work to his thirtieth year. He was not subjected to the Levitical law in regard to the priesthood, and it does not appear that prophets and teachers did not commence their work before that age. As was supposed - As was commonly thought, or perhaps being legally reckoned…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-38Verses 23-38 Matthew's list of the forefathers of Jesus showed that Christ was the son of Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth are blessed, and heir to the throne of David; but Luke shows that Jesus was the Seed of the woman that should break the serpent's head, and traces the line up to Adam, beginning with Eli, or Heli, the father, not of Joseph, but of Mary. The seeming differences between the two evangelists in these lists of names have been…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23Jesus Himself was about thirty years old: This is the only place in the New Testament that mentions how old Jesus was during his public ministry. The number is not exact. Jesus was born between 6 and 4 BC (see study note on 2:2). He began his ministry between AD 27 and 29 (see study note on 3:1). This means he was probably about 31 to 35 years old when he began his public ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph: People understood Jesus to be…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-3823. he began to be about thirty--that is, "was about entering on His thirtieth year." So our translators have taken the word (and so Calvin, Beza, Bloomfield, Webster and Wilkinson, &c.): but "was about thirty years of age when He began [His ministry]," makes better Greek, and is probably the true sense [Bengel, Olshausen, De Wette, Meyer, Alford, &c.]. At this age the priests entered on their office (Nu 4:3). being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 3:23

• Genealogy
• Heli
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joseph

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Demand
• Heli
• Joseph
• Mary
• Reprove
• Unquenchable
• Violence
• Wages

Commentaries on Luke 3

• 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