And 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.
Parallel translations
- WEB After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.
- BSB Finally, after three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
- NKJV Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
- NASB Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
- NLT Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
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
After three days they find Jesus in the temple among the teachers, listening and asking questions. It matters because it reveals His remarkable spiritual insight even as a boy.
Overview
Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the temple, seated among the teachers, both learning and engaging them. His place among the rabbis hints at His extraordinary understanding. The boy Jesus is drawn to His Father's house and the things of God above all else.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Isa 49:1–2Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
- Luke 5:17And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
- Acts 5:34Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
- Isa 50:4The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
- Matt 12:40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- Matt 27:63–64Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
- 1 Kgs 12:5And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
- Matt 16:21From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
- 1 Kgs 12:12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
- Luke 2:44–45But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:46 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.