Luke 2:41–51

Jesus in the Temple

2:41 Now125 Jesus’126 parents went to Jerusalem127 every128 year for the feast of the Passover.129 2:42 When130 he was twelve years old,131 they went up132 according to custom. 2:43 But133 when the feast was over,134 as they were returning home,135 the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His136 parents137 did not know it, 2:44 but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers)138 they went a day’s journey. Then139 they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances.140 2:45 When141 they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem142 to look for him. 2:46 After143 three days144 they found him in the temple courts,145 sitting among the teachers,146 listening to them and asking them questions. 2:47 And all who heard Jesus147 were astonished148 at his understanding and his answers. 2:48 When149 his parents150 saw him, they were overwhelmed. His151 mother said to him, “Child,152 why have you treated153 us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”154 2:49 But155 he replied,156 “Why were you looking for me?157 Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”158 2:50 Yet159 his parents160 did not understand161 the remark162 he made163 to them. 2:51 Then164 he went down with them and came to Nazareth,165 and was obedient166 to them. But167 his mother kept all these things168 in her heart.169

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125	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
126	tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
127	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
128	tn On the distributive use of the term κατά (kata), see BDF §305.
129	sn The custom of Jesus and his family going to Jerusalem every year for the feast of the Passover shows their piety in obeying the law (Exod 23:14–17).
130	tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
131	sn According to the Mishnah, the age of twelve years old is one year before a boy becomes responsible for his religious commitments (m. Niddah 5.6).
132	tc Most mss, especially later ones (A Cvid Θ Ψ 0130 f1, 13 33 𝔐 lat) have εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα (eijs hierosoluma, “to Jerusalem”) here, but the ms support for the omission is much stronger (א B D L W 579 1241 pc co); further, the longer reading clarifies what they went up to and thus looks like a motivated reading.
133	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated contrastively in keeping with the context. This outcome is different from what had happened all the times before.
134	tn Grk “when the days ended.”
135	tn The word “home” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for clarity.
136	tn Grk “And his.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
137	tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C Ψ 0130 f13 𝔐 it), read Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ (Iōsēph kai hē mētēr aujtou, “[both] Joseph and his mother”), a reading evidently intended to insulate the doctrine of the virgin conception of our Lord. But א B D L W Θ f1 33 579 1241 pc lat sa read οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ (hoi goneis autou, “his parents”) as in the translation. Such motivated readings as the former lack credibility, especially since the better witnesses affirm the virgin conception of Christ in Luke 1:34–35.
138	sn An ancient journey like this would have involved a caravan of people who traveled together as a group for protection and fellowship.
139	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
140	tn Or “and friends.” See L&N 28.30 and 34.17.
141	tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
142	sn The return to Jerusalem would have taken a second day, since they were already one day’s journey away.
143	tn Grk “And it happened that after.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
144	sn Three days means there was one day out, another day back, and a third day of looking in Jerusalem.
145	tn Grk “the temple.”
146	tn This is the only place in Luke’s Gospel where the term διδάσκαλος (didaskalos, “teacher”) is applied to Jews.
147	tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
148	sn There was wonder (all who heard … were astonished) that Jesus at such a young age could engage in such a discussion. The fact that this story is told of a preteen hints that Jesus was someone special.
149	tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
150	tn Grk “when they”; the referent (his parents) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
151	tn Grk “And his.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
152	tn The Greek word here is τέκνον (teknon) rather than υἱός (huios, “son”).
153	tn Or “Child, why did you do this to us?”
154	tn Or “your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you.”
155	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
156	tn Grk “he said to them.”
157	tn Grk “Why is it that you were looking for me?”
158	tn Or “I must be about my Father’s business” (so KJV, NKJV); Grk “in the [things] of my Father,” with an ellipsis. This verse involves an idiom that probably refers to the necessity of Jesus being involved in the instruction about God, given what he is doing. The most widely held view today takes this as a reference to the temple as the Father’s house. Jesus is saying that his parents should have known where he was.
159	tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.
160	tn Grk “they”; the referent (his parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
161	sn This was the first of many times those around Jesus did not understand what he was saying at the time (9:45; 10:21–24; 18:34).
162	tn Or “the matter.”
163	tn Grk “which he spoke.”
164	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
165	map For location see Map1-D3; Map2-C2; Map3-D5; Map4-C1; Map5-G3.
166	tn Or “was submitting.”
167	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
168	tn Or “all these words.”
169	sn On the phrase his mother kept all these things in her heart compare Luke 2:19.

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