Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Parallel translations
- KJV 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,
- BSB Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
- NKJV Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
- NASB When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years old, being, as was commonly held, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,
- NLT 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.
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
Jesus begins His ministry at about thirty, supposed to be Joseph's son. Luke's genealogy traces His true, divinely ordered lineage.
Overview
Luke notes Jesus' age and the phrase 'as was supposed,' guarding the truth of the virgin birth—Joseph was His legal but not biological father. The figure of about thirty was a fitting age for taking up a public office. The genealogy that follows roots Jesus in real human history. Faithful interpreters note that Luke's list differs from Matthew's, commonly explained as Luke tracing Mary's line or Jesus' legal Davidic descent.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Luke 4:22All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
- Matt 13:55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
- Num 4:3from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
- John 6:42They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’”
- Matt 4:17From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
- Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were offended at him.
- Matt 1:16Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
- Gen 41:46Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
- Acts 1:1The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
- Num 4:47from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting,
- Luke 3:23–27Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
- Matt 1:6Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.
- Matt 1:1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
- Num 4:35from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting.
- Num 4:39from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting,
- Luke 3:31the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
- Num 4:43from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service, for work in the Tent of Meeting,
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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 3:23 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
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