Luke 2:4

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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,
• 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 census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 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, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

Luke 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 1:26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
• Luke 3:23Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
• Luke 4:16So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
• Matthew 2:23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
• John 1:46And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
• Genesis 35:19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
• Genesis 48:7But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
• Ruth 1:19Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
• Ruth 2:4Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”
• Ruth 4:11And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
• 1 Samuel 16:1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
• 1 Samuel 17:12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.
• 1 Samuel 20:6If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
• Micah 5:2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
• 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 seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, 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

• Bethlehem
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joseph
• Nazareth
• Tribute (Taxes)

In the dictionaries

• Bethlehem
• David
• Galilee
• Judea
• Nazareth
• City of David
• City
• Consolation
• David, City of
• Decree

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