(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),
Parallel translations
- WEB (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),
- KJV (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
- NKJV (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),
- NASB (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),
- NLT The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their action fulfills the law that every firstborn male be consecrated as holy to the Lord. It matters because Jesus is set apart to God from the start.
Overview
Luke cites the law (Exodus 13) requiring the firstborn to be dedicated to the Lord. Jesus, as Mary's firstborn, is presented in keeping with this command. The verse underscores that the Savior was raised in obedience to Scripture and consecrated wholly to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Exod 13:2“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”
- Num 3:13for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”
- Exod 22:29You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
- Exod 34:19The first offspring of every womb belongs to Me, including all the firstborn males among your livestock, whether cattle or sheep.
- Num 18:15The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.
- Num 8:16–17For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.
- Exod 13:12–15you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 2:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.