Luke 2:46
What does Luke 2:46 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 2:46 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 2:46 means
After three days of anxious searching, Joseph and Mary finally found Jesus in the Temple. He was not lost or worried, but purposefully engaged, sitting among the religious teachers. He was actively listening to their instruction and boldly asking them questions. This scene reveals Jesus' profound intellectual curiosity and spiritual discernment even at a young age, demonstrating His unique relationship with God's Word and His divine wisdom.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions:
KJV
King James Version · 1611And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And after three days they came across him in the Temple, seated among the wise men, giving ear to their words and putting questions to them.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And it came to pass, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and asking them questions.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers and hearing them and asking them questions.
Context
This verse describes the climactic discovery of Jesus in the Temple, after three days of searching. It reveals His profound engagement with the teachers, highlighting His advanced understanding. This discovery resolves the parents' immediate anxiety but introduces a new revelation about Jesus' unique nature, preparing for His profound response to His mother.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Matthew 16:21
From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
- Isaiah 49:1
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name:
- Luke 5:17
And it came to pass on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judæa and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
- Acts 5:34
But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in honor of all the people, and commanded to put the men forth a little while.
- Isaiah 50:4
The Lord Jehovah hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.
- Matthew 12:40
for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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