Luke 3:23

23 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 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
23 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,
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 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.
The Message Bible (MSG)
23 When Jesus entered public life he was about thirty years old, the son (in public perception) of Joseph, who was - son of Heli,
American Standard Version (ASV)
23 And Jesus himself, when he began [to teach], was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the [son] of Heli,
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
23 Jesus was about 30 years old when he began [his ministry]. Jesus, so people thought, was the son of Joseph, son of Eli,
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
23 As He began [His ministry], Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be the son of Joseph, [son] of Heli,
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
23 Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his special work for God and others. It was thought that he was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli.

Luke 3:23 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 3:23

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,
&c.] Or Jesus, when he was baptized and began his public ministry, was about thirty years of age: an age at which the priests, under the law, who were typical of Christ, entered on their work, ( Numbers 4:23 ) ( 1 Chronicles 23:3 ) The word, "began", is left out in the Syriac and Persic versions: and is often indeed redundant, as in ( Luke 3:8 ) and frequently in Mark's Gospel. The Arabic version renders it, "Jesus began to enter into the thirtieth year", which carries the sense the same with our translation:

being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph;
who had espoused Mary before she was with child of the Holy Ghost, and afterwards took her to wife, and brought up her son; so that it was not known but that he was the son of Joseph. Whether or no the Jewish notion of the Messiah, the son of Joseph F25 may not take its rise from hence, may be considered: however, Joseph might very rightly be called, as he was supposed to be, the father of Jesus, by a rule which obtains with the Jews F26 that he

``that brings up, and not he that begets, is called the father,''

or parent; of which they give various instances F1 in Joseph, in Michal, and in Pharaoh's daughter.

Which was the son of Eli;
meaning, not that Joseph was the son of Eli; for he was the son of Jacob, according to ( Matthew 1:16 ) , but Jesus was the son of Eli; and which must be understood, and carried through the whole genealogy, as thus; Jesus the son of Matthat, Jesus the son of Levi, Jesus the son of Melchi till you come to Jesus the son of Adam, and Jesus the Son of God; though it is true indeed that Joseph was the son of Eli, having married his daughter; Mary was the daughter of Eli: and so the Jews speak of one Mary, the daughter of Eli, by whom they seem to design the mother of our Lord: for they tell F2 us of one,

``that saw, (yle tb Myrm) , "Mary the daughter of Eli" in the shades, hanging by the fibres of her breasts; and there are that say, the gate, or, as elsewhere F3, the bar of the gate of hell is fixed to her ear.''

By the horrible malice, in the words, you may know who is meant: however, this we gain by it, that by their own confession, Mary is the daughter of Eli; which accords with this genealogy of the evangelist, who traces it from Mary, under her husband Joseph; though she is not mentioned, because of a rule with the Jews F4, that

``the family of the mother is not called a family.''


FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Succa, fol. 52. 1. Jarchi & Aben Ezra in Zech. xii 10. & xiii. 7.
F26 Shemot Rabba, sect. 46. fol. 143. 1.
F1 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 2. Vid. T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 13. 1.
F2 T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 25. 3.
F3 Ib. Chagiga, fol. 77. 4.
F4 Juchasin, fol. 55. 2.

Luke 3:23 In-Context

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
23 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,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

Cross References 2

  • 1. Matthew 4:17; Acts 1:1
  • 2. Luke 1:27
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