Luke 2:42-47

2:42 When ¹  he was twelve years old, ²  they went up ³  according to custom. 2:43 But ⁴  when the feast was over, ⁵  as they were returning home, ⁶  the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His ⁷  parents ⁸  did not know it, 2:44 but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers) ⁹  they went a day’s journey. Then ¹⁰  they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. ¹¹  2:45 When ¹²  they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem ¹³  to look for him. 2:46 After ¹⁴  three days ¹⁵  they found him in the temple courts, ¹⁶  sitting among the teachers, ¹⁷  listening to them and asking them questions. 2:47 And all who heard Jesus ¹⁸  were astonished ¹⁹  at his understanding and his answers.

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¹ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² 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).

³ tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C^vid Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) have εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα (eij" &ierosoluma, “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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Grk “when the days ended.”

⁶ tn The word “home” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for clarity.

⁷ tn Grk “And his.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁸ tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C Ψ 0130 ˹³ Ï it), read ᾿Ιωσὴφ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ (Iwshf kai Jh mhthr 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 Ë¹ 33 579 1241 pc lat sa read οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ (Joi gonei" 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.

⁹ sn An ancient journey like this would have involved a caravan of people who traveled together as a group for protection and fellowship.

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹¹ tn Or “and friends.” See L&N 28.30 and 34.17.

¹² tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹³ sn The return to Jerusalem would have taken a second day, since they were already one day’s journey away.

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ sn Three days means there was one day out, another day back, and a third day of looking in Jerusalem.

¹⁶ tn Grk “the temple.”

¹⁷ tn This is the only place in Luke’s Gospel where the term διδάσκαλος (didaskalo", “teacher”) is applied to Jews.

¹⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹ 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.