He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.
Parallel translations
- WEB to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
- KJV To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
- NKJV to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
- NASB in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant.
- NLT He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
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
Joseph registered together with Mary, who was pledged to him and pregnant. It matters because it sets the scene for the virgin birth of the Savior.
Overview
Luke notes that Mary, betrothed to Joseph and visibly with child, accompanied him. The text quietly preserves the earlier revelation that her pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit, not Joseph. The long-awaited birth of the Messiah is about to unfold in humble, ordinary circumstances.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Matt 1:18–19This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
- Deut 22:22–27If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
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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 2:5 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.