Luke 3 23

Luke 3:23 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,

Luke 3:23 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,

Luke 3:23 niv

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,

Luke 3:23 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,

Luke 3:23 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.

Luke 3 verses

Luke 3 23 Meaning

This verse marks a pivotal transition in the Gospel of Luke, announcing the commencement of Jesus' public ministry. It specifies His age as "about thirty years," a customary age for significant public or religious service in the ancient Jewish world. Crucially, it clarifies Jesus' human lineage through Joseph, His legal father, by employing the carefully chosen phrase "as was supposed" (or "as was legally reckoned"), thereby upholding the truth of His virgin birth while acknowledging Joseph's role in the public eye. The verse immediately precedes Luke's detailed genealogy, setting the stage for understanding Jesus' full human identity within historical context.

Luke 3 23 Context

Luke 3:23 is strategically positioned immediately following Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist and the profound declaration from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (Lk 3:21-22). This verse serves as a crucial bridge, transitioning from Jesus' private life and divine inauguration to the beginning of His public ministry and His full human lineage. Luke, known for his meticulous and "orderly account" (Lk 1:3), emphasizes Jesus' humanity and His place in historical progression, establishing His credentials both as God's Son and as a man rooted in Israel's lineage. The cultural context underscores the significance of Jesus being "about thirty," the widely recognized age for assuming serious responsibilities or commencing a public role in Jewish society, such as priestly service or leadership.

Luke 3 23 Word analysis

• Jesus: (Greek: Iēsous, Ἰησοῦς). This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua (Joshua), meaning "Yahweh saves" or "God saves." The name itself is significant as it encapsulates His redemptive mission.
• when he began: (Greek: archomenos, ἀρχόμενος). This is a participle meaning "beginning," "starting," or "entering upon." It marks the precise commencement of His public, divine commission.
• his ministry: Refers to Jesus' public work, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the kingdom of God, as empowered by the Holy Spirit (Lk 4:14).
• was about: (Greek: hōsei, ὡσεὶ). An adverb indicating approximation, meaning "about," "approximately," or "like." Luke uses it to suggest a close estimate rather than an exact figure.
• thirty years of age: (Greek: etōn triakonta, ἐτῶν τριάκοντα). This age held significant cultural and religious weight. In ancient Israel, Levites began their temple service at thirty (Num 4:3, 4:47), and King David began his reign at thirty (2 Sam 5:4). It signified maturity, wisdom, and readiness for public leadership or religious duty. This aligns Jesus' entry into ministry with established norms of service.
• being the son (as was supposed): (Greek: hōs enomizeto, ὡς ἐνομίζετο). This is a critically important parenthetical clause.
  • hōs (ὡς): "as," "like."
  • enomizeto (ἐνομίζετο): An imperfect passive verb from nomizō (νομίζω), meaning "to think," "to consider," "to suppose," "to custom," "to believe according to law or custom." It implies "as was commonly supposed," "as was legally reckoned," or "as was the custom to consider him."
  This precise phrasing guards against contradicting the virgin birth (Lk 1:26-38; Matt 1:18-25). While Jesus was legally recognized as Joseph's son in human society, Luke carefully notes that this was not a biological fatherhood, thus preserving His unique divine sonship through conception by the Holy Spirit.
• of Joseph: Joseph served as Jesus' legal and earthly father, providing legitimacy and connecting Jesus to the Davidic line required for the Messiah.
• the son of Heli: This identifies Joseph's father as Heli. This forms the direct link to the full genealogy that immediately follows in Luke.

• Words-Group analysis:
• "Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age": This phrase highlights the intentionality and proper timing of Jesus' public debut. It signals His maturity and qualification for the task, adhering to the traditional Jewish understanding of readiness for significant service.
• "being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph": This key parenthetical statement balances Jesus' full humanity with His divine origin. It affirms Joseph's legal paternal role while implicitly pointing to the divine paternity of Jesus, a core tenet of Christian belief. Luke masterfully navigates the tension between common perception and theological truth.

Luke 3 23 Bonus section

A critical aspect connected to Luke 3:23 is the divergent genealogies found in Matthew and Luke. While Matthew 1:1-17 traces Jesus' lineage primarily through Joseph's paternal line (seen by many as the royal line to David through Solomon), Luke 3:23b-38 follows Heli as Joseph's father and proceeds to trace Jesus' lineage, traditionally understood to be through Mary's line, back through David via his son Nathan, all the way to Adam and ultimately to God. This distinction is significant:

• Luke's universal appeal: By tracing Jesus' ancestry back to Adam, Luke emphasizes Jesus as the Savior for all humanity, not just for the Jewish people. Matthew, tracing to Abraham, focuses on Jesus as the promised Messiah to Israel.
• Joseph's "supposed" fatherhood: The phrase "as was supposed" in Luke 3:23 becomes even more potent when considering the genealogies. If Luke's genealogy traces Mary's line, then Joseph's father is listed as Heli in the legal sense, perhaps as Heli's son-in-law (son-in-law often being called "son" in ancient records). This would underscore that Jesus was legally tied to Joseph, even though Mary was His biological mother, thereby satisfying Messianic prophecies requiring a Davidic descendant, whether through the male legal line or the female biological line.
• The "about thirty" significance: This age not only corresponds to the Levite's eligibility for temple service but also aligns with David's age when he began to reign as king, prophetically connecting Jesus' human maturity to His role as King and Priest, even before He explicitly manifests these roles in His ministry. It signifies divine timing and providential preparation.

Luke 3 23 Commentary

Luke 3:23 is a compact verse that holds immense theological and historical significance. It introduces the commencement of Jesus' public ministry, placing it precisely within the recognized age of maturity and public service at "about thirty years." This aligns Jesus with Old Testament figures and traditional rabbinic understanding, emphasizing His readiness for His divine mission. The profound genius of Luke's writing is evident in the parenthetical phrase "as was supposed" (hōs enomizeto). This precise Greek expression carefully asserts Joseph's legal or recognized fatherhood over Jesus, connecting Jesus to His Davidic lineage through a human father figure, while simultaneously upholding the truth of Jesus' virgin birth and divine paternity, previously established in Luke 1. Luke is meticulously constructing an "orderly account" that presents Jesus as fully human—a descendant of humanity (through the forthcoming genealogy to Adam)—yet also unequivocally the Son of God, a fact declared at His baptism just prior to this verse. It thus lays the foundation for understanding Jesus' true identity: not merely a man of God, but God Himself, fully present in human history.