Luke 2:4

2:4 So ¹  Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth ²  in Galilee to Judea, to the city ³  of David called Bethlehem, ⁴  because he was of the house ⁵  and family line ⁶  of David.

Luke 2:39

2:39 So ⁷  when Joseph and Mary ⁸  had performed ⁹  everything according to the law of the Lord, ¹⁰  they returned to Galilee, to their own town ¹¹  of Nazareth. ¹² 

[2:4]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

[2:4]  ² sn On Nazareth see Luke 1:26.

[2:4]  ³ tn Or “town.” The translation “city” is used here because of its collocation with “of David,” suggesting its importance, though not its size.

[2:4]  ⁴ sn The journey from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem was a journey of about 90 mi (150 km). Bethlehem was a small village located about 7 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem.

[2:4]  ⁵ sn Luke’s use of the term “house” probably alludes to the original promise made to David outlined in the Nathan oracle of 2 Sam 7:12-16, especially in light of earlier connections between Jesus and David made in Luke 1:32. Further, the mention of Bethlehem reminds one of the promise of Mic 5:2, namely, that a great king would emerge from Bethlehem to rule over God’s people.

[2:4]  ⁶ tn Or “family,” “lineage.”

[2:39]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

[2:39]  ⁸ tn Grk “when they”; the referents (Joseph and Mary) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:39]  ⁹ tn Or “completed.”

[2:39]  ¹⁰ sn On the phrase the law of the Lord see Luke 2:22-23.

[2:39]  ¹¹ tn Or “city.”

[2:39]  ¹² map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.