Luke 2:4

4 And Joseph went up from Galilee, from the city Nazareth [of the city of Nazareth], into Judaea, into a city of David, that is called Bethlehem, for that he was of the house and of the family of David,

Luke 2:4 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 2:4

And Joseph also went up from Galilee
Where he now lived, and worked at the trade of a carpenter; having for some reasons, and by one providence or another, removed hither from his native place:

out of the city of Nazareth;
which was in Galilee, where he and Mary lived; and where he had espoused her, and she had conceived of the Holy Ghost:

into Judea;
which lay higher than Galilee, and therefore he is said to go up to it:

unto the city of David;
not what was built by him, but where he was born and lived; see ( 1 Samuel 17:12 ) .

which is called Bethlehem:
the place where, according to ( Micah 5:2 ) the Messiah was to be born, and was born; and which signifies "the house of bread": a very fit place for Christ, the bread which came down from heaven, and gives life to the world, to appear first in. This place was, as a Jewish chronologer says ^F7, a "parsa" and half, or six miles from Jerusalem; though another of their writers, an historian and traveller ^F8, says, it was two "parsas", or eight miles; but Justin Martyr ^F9 says, it was but thirty five furlongs distant from it, which is not five miles; hither Joseph came from Galilee,

because he was of the house and lineage of David;
he was of his family, and lineally descended from him, though he was so poor and mean; and this is the reason of his coming to Bethlehem, David's city.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 14. 2.
F8 R. Benjamin Itin. p. 47.
F9 Apolog. 2. p. 75.

Luke 2:4 In-Context

2 This first describing was made of Cyrenius, justice of Syria [justice, or keeper, of Syria].

3 And all men went to make profession, [or acknowledging,] each into his own city. [+And all went, that they should make profession, or acknowledging, each by himself into his city.]

4 And Joseph went up from Galilee, from the city Nazareth [of the city of Nazareth], into Judaea, into a city of David, that is called Bethlehem, for that he was of the house and of the family of David,

5 that he should acknowledge with Mary, his wife, that was wedded to him, and was great with child. [that he should acknowledge with Mary, spoused to him wife, with child.]

6 And it was done, while they were there, the days were fulfilled, that she should bear child.