Luke 2:42 kjv
And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
Luke 2:42 nkjv
And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
Luke 2:42 niv
When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.
Luke 2:42 esv
And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
Luke 2:42 nlt
When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual.
Luke 2 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 2:40 | And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. | Jesus's overall childhood development and divine favor. |
| Lk 2:52 | And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. | Continued human growth and holistic development of Jesus. |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. | Jesus's genuine humanity, growing through stages, enabling His sympathy. |
| Ex 23:17 | Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD. | The divine command for annual pilgrimage feasts. |
| Dt 16:16 | Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place that he will choose... | Reiteration of the command for pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem. |
| Lk 2:41 | Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. | Immediate context; the family's consistent piety and custom. |
| Ex 12:1-14 | Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth day of this month... | Institution of the Passover feast, central to Jewish life. |
| Dt 6:6-7 | You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house... | Parental responsibility to impart God's commands to children. |
| Prov 22:6 | Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. | Principle of instructing children in righteousness. |
| Neh 8:2 | And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. | Understanding and reception of God's law based on maturity/comprehension. |
| Ps 122:1 | I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” | Expresses the joy and expectation of going on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. |
| Is 2:3 | Many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob..." | Prophetic vision of Jerusalem as the center of divine instruction and worship. |
| Lk 18:31-33 | And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem..." | Jesus later purposefully ascends to Jerusalem to fulfill His destiny. |
| Acts 2:5-11 | Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. | Jerusalem's role as a gathering point for faithful Jews during feasts. |
| Lk 2:49 | And he said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" | Direct continuation, showing Jesus's unique awareness of His divine Sonship. |
| Jn 5:17 | But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." | Jesus's intimate and unique relationship with God as His Father. |
| Gal 4:4-5 | But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law... | Jesus's submission to the Mosaic Law as a human, setting the stage for redemption. |
| 1 Pet 2:21 | For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example... | Christ's life, including adherence to divine custom, as an example for believers. |
| Ps 84:7 | They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. | Depiction of the steadfast progression of pilgrims to God's presence in Jerusalem. |
| Dt 12:5-6 | But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose... to put his name and make his habitation there. | Command for centralized worship, pointing to Jerusalem. |
| Mt 3:17 | and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." | God affirming Jesus as His Son, establishing His unique relationship. |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. | Christ's fulfillment of the Passover as the ultimate sacrifice. |
Luke 2 verses
Luke 2 42 Meaning
Luke 2:42 describes a pivotal moment in Jesus's young life, noting his age of twelve years when his parents faithfully took him to Jerusalem for the annual Feast of the Passover. This verse underscores Jesus's true human development within a devout Jewish family, highlighting their diligent adherence to God's commandments and traditional observances. It implicitly prepares the reader for the significant spiritual insight and mature understanding Jesus displays immediately thereafter (Lk 2:46-49).
Luke 2 42 Context
Luke 2:42 fits into the broader narrative of Jesus's childhood, a period of obscurity for thirty years following his infancy. Luke uniquely provides these details about Jesus's earliest life, emphasizing his ordinary yet extraordinary human development within a faithful Jewish family. The preceding verse (Lk 2:41) establishes the annual tradition of Jesus's parents attending the Passover in Jerusalem, demonstrating their piety. This particular pilgrimage marks a significant turning point, as it is the setting for Jesus's first recorded words and his emerging awareness of his unique divine sonship and mission, specifically his understanding of being "in his Father's house" (Lk 2:49). Historically, for ancient Jewish people, Jerusalem was the spiritual heart, and the annual Passover pilgrimage was a deeply embedded religious obligation and cultural custom, central to their identity and covenant with God. Boys reaching the age of twelve or thirteen were increasingly considered responsible for observing the Mosaic Law, marking a crucial step into religious adulthood within the community.
Luke 2 42 Word analysis
- And (καὶ - kai): A simple conjunction, connecting this event seamlessly with the family's annual custom of pilgrimage mentioned in the previous verse, emphasizing continuity.
- when he was (ἐγένετο - egeneto / of "became" or "happened"): This phrasing indicates a specific point in time, signaling Jesus's maturation to a significant age where the following event becomes notable.
- twelve years old (ἐτῶν δώδεκα - etōn dōdeka): The age of twelve held considerable significance in ancient Jewish culture, particularly for boys. While the formal "Bar Mitzvah" ceremony developed later, this age marked a transition from childhood to greater religious responsibility and accountability for observing the Torah's commandments. Boys were often considered ready to begin serious study of the Law and participate more fully in community religious life, including pilgrimages. Luke's unique inclusion of this age highlights Jesus's normal human development within a Jewish context, yet simultaneously prepares for his exceptional demonstration of wisdom soon after.
- they went up (ἀναβαινόντων - anabainontōn, part. pl.): Refers to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The term "went up" signifies not only the literal ascent to Jerusalem's higher elevation but also the sacred nature of the pilgrimage, an ascent towards God's dwelling place in the Temple.
- to Jerusalem (εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα - eis Hierosolyma): The capital city, the political and religious center of Judaism, and the location of the Temple. It was the mandated destination for the three annual pilgrim festivals.
- according to the custom (κατὰ τὸ ἔθος - kata to ethos): This phrase underscores the regular, habitual practice of Joseph and Mary in observing the Law and Jewish traditions. It reflects their devotion and faithfulness. "Ethos" here points to an established usage or religious custom, deeply ingrained.
- of the feast (τῆς ἑορτῆς - tēs heortēs): Refers specifically to the Passover (Pasch) festival, which Luke clarifies in the preceding verse (Lk 2:41). Passover commemorated Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt and was one of the most important annual celebrations requiring pilgrimage.
- "When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem": This phrase grouping sets the stage, identifying the significant age of Jesus and the communal act of pilgrimage that follows. It highlights the customary piety of the Holy Family in observing the Law, emphasizing Jesus's integration into his Jewish heritage and its traditions.
Luke 2 42 Bonus section
This solitary episode from Jesus's adolescence is remarkably significant in the Gospels because it is the only recorded narrative about Him between His infancy and the beginning of His public ministry. Its inclusion by Luke suggests its theological importance for understanding Jesus's identity. This journey to Jerusalem serves as a prefiguration of Jesus's later, final ascent to the city for His crucifixion and resurrection, all linked to the Passover period. The setting of Jerusalem and the Temple is crucial, foreshadowing Jesus's eventual authoritative teaching and climactic acts within that holy city. Furthermore, the fact that His parents "went up to Jerusalem" points to their commendable faithfulness in practicing their religion diligently, providing Jesus with a model of obedience to the Law, under which He was born and lived.
Luke 2 42 Commentary
Luke 2:42 provides a rare glimpse into Jesus's life between infancy and the commencement of His public ministry. The verse establishes the pious practices of Mary and Joseph, who consistently adhered to the Mosaic Law by making the annual Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At age twelve, Jesus's accompanying them is noteworthy. This age in Jewish culture signaled a young boy's transition towards religious accountability and serious engagement with the Torah, often participating more fully in communal worship and study. Luke uses this detail to highlight Jesus's genuine humanity—He grew and developed like any other Jewish child. However, it also subtly prepares the reader for the subsequent Temple encounter (Lk 2:46-49), where Jesus's divine wisdom and profound sense of His unique relationship with the Father are revealed, marking this trip as a turning point in His conscious awareness of His mission. It is a powerful affirmation of Jesus's roots within faithful Judaism while foreshadowing His surpassing identity and ultimate purpose as the Son of God.