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 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,

Context of Luke 2:4

2(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 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. 5He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.

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 1:26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
• Luke 3:23Jesus 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.
• Luke 4:16When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.
• Matthew 2:23So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
• John 1:46“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
• Genesis 35:19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
• Genesis 48:7“Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”
• Ruth 1:19So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.
• Ruth 2:4While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said. “The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
• Ruth 4:11Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
• 1 Samuel 16:1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
• 1 Samuel 17:12Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.
• 1 Samuel 20:6If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.
• Micah 5:2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.
• Matthew 2:1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
• John 7:42For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”

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
• Judaea, or Judea
• Bethlehem, Ephrathah
• Galilee, Galilean
• Judea, Judah

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