Luke 2:47

2:47 amazed at his understanding and his answers: Jesus fulfilled Isa 11:2.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk_2:47 ff. Ἐπὶ τῇ συνέσει καὶ κ.τ.λ.] over His understanding in general, and especially over His answers.

ἰδόντες] Joseph and Mary. They were astonished; for they had not expected to find Him either in this place, or so occupied.

ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ] not merely because maternal feeling is in general more keen, quick, and ready to show itself, nor yet because Joseph had not been equal to this scene (Lange), but rightly in accordance with Lukes view of the maternal relation of Mary. Bengel: non loquebatur Josephus; major erat necessitudo matris.

τί ὅτι] wherefore? See on Mar_2:16.

ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πατρός μου] i.e. in the house of my Father. See examples of this well-known mode of expression in Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 100. So, following Syr. and the Fathers, most modern commentators. Others, such as Castalio, Erasmus, Calvin, Maldonatus, Jansen, Wolf, Loesner, Valckenaer, Rosenmüller, Bornemann, de Wette, Ewald, al.: in the affairs of my Father. This also is linguistically correct. See 1Ti_4:15; Bornemann, Schol. p. 29; Bernhardy, p. 210; Schaefer, Melet. p. 31 f. But as Jesus in His reply refers expressly to the search of the parents, which He represents as having been made needlessly, it is most natural to find in this answer the designation of the locality, in which they ought to have known that He was to be found, without seeking Him in rebus Patris. He might also be elsewhere. To combine both modes of taking it (Olshausen, Bleek) is a priori inappropriate.

δεῖ] as Son. This follows from τοῦ πατρός μου. This breaking forth of the consciousness of Divine Sonship[61] in the first saying which is preserved to us from Jesus, is to be explained by the power of the impressions which He experienced on His first participation in the holy observances of the festival and the temple. According to Luk_2:50, it must not have previously asserted itself thus amidst the quiet course of His domestic development (non multum antea, nec tamen nihil, de Patre locutus erat, Bengel on Luk_2:50), but now there had emerged with Him an epoch in the course of development of that consciousness of Sonship,the first bursting open of the swelling bud. Altogether foreign to the ingenuous, child-like utterance, unnatural and indelicate, is the intention of drawing a contrast which has been imputed to Him: τῆς γὰρ παρθένου τὸν Ἰωσὴφ πατέρα εἰπούσης αὐτοῦ, ἐκεῖνος φησίν· οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐστὶν ὁ ἀληθής μου πατὴρ, ἢ γὰρ ἂν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ἤμην, ἀλλʼ ὁ Θεὸς ἐστί μου πατὴρ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ εἰμί, Theophylact. Erroneous in an opposite manner is the opinion of Schenkel, that the boy Jesus named God His Father, just as every pious Jewish child might do. Such a conclusion could only be arrived at, if He had said τ. πατρὸς ἡμῶν; but with Jesus in the connection of His entire history Τ. ΠΑΤΡΌς ΜΟΥ points to a higher individual relation. And this too it was, which made the answer unintelligible to the parents. What every pious Jewish child might have answered, they would have understood. See, besides, Keim, geschichtl. Chr. p. 48 f.

[61] At all events already in Messianic presentiment, yet not with the conception fully unfolded, but in the dawning apprehension of the child, which could only very gradually give place to clearness, ver. 52.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 2:47 . ἐξίσταντο , were amazed, not at His position among the doctors , or at His asking questions, but at the intelligence ( συνέσει ) shown in His answers to the questions of the teachers; something of the rare insight and felicity which astonished all in after years appearing in these boyish replies.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 47. Answers:] The word αποκρισις here seems not to mean answers only, but what Jesus said by way of question to the doctors, Lu 2:46. So in Re 7:13, one of the elders is said to have answered, saying - when he only asked a question. Bp. PEARCE.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(47) At his understanding and answers.—The first word seems to point to the discernment which showed itself in the questions as well as the answers. The egotism of Josephus leads him to speak of himself as having, at the age of fourteen—when he too had become “a child of the Law”—caused a like astonishment by his intelligence; so that the chief priests and principal men of the city used to come and consult him upon difficult questions in the interpretation of the Law (Life, c. 1). The fact is so far interesting as showing that the class of teachers retained the same kind of interest in quick and promising scholars.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

47. were astonished] Similar incidents are narrated of Rabbi Eliezer Ben Azariah; of Rabbi Ashi, the compiler of the Babylonian Talmud; and (by himself) of Josephus (Vit. 2). See Excursus VII.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when they saw him they were amazed,.... That is, when Joseph and Mary saw him amidst the doctors, they were astonished that he was admitted among them, and had in such esteem by them:

and his mother said unto him; she being his own, and only parent, and not Joseph; and therefore he said nothing, but left it to her; who upon sight of him, at least as soon as she had a proper opportunity after he had left the doctors, began to chide, or rather to expostulate with him after this manner:

son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? which was said with great tenderness of affection, and in much mildness; and may be a pattern to parents, who should not provoke their children to anger, but deal gently and tenderly with them:

behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing; with great grief, anxiety, and solicitude, fearing lest some evil had befallen him. Mary calls Joseph his father, though she knew he was not, in a proper sense; but because he was supposed to be so, and was his father by the law of marriage; and especially, she might call him so because of his paternal care of him in his education, and bringing him up: for it is a maxim with the Jews (e), that "not he that begets, but he that brings up, is the father.

(e) Shemot Rabba, sect. 46. fol. 143. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Ver. 47. At his understanding] Which was so large, even as man, that some have affirmed it to be infinite, and uncreated; but of this, his manhood being a creature, was incapable. Howbeit here our Saviour put forth a beam of his Deity, which yet he soon drew in again, and lay long after obscured.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

What was the subject matter of the doctors’ and Christ’s discourses is vainly questioned, only in the general we may be assured it was something about the Divine law; what the particular themes or subjects were is not material for us to inquire. Our Saviour so answered their questions, as they were all astonished.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

47. Astonished at his understanding and answers—Ebrard repudiates the idea that it was upon some dry and futile rabbinical subtlety that Jesus was thus wise. “What if, on the contrary, Jesus had just heard some passages from the prophets read; had asked for explanation; put some questions; and then, from the fulness of his own innate knowledge had given answers himself which were so striking as to leave every thing the doctors had said far behind, and therefore to excite the greatest astonishment?” No subject could be more intensely absorbing to the future Messiah than the matters of type, sacrifice, and prophecy. As in a mirror, he would more and more clearly read his own features and future destiny. In a little more than twelve years he was to return to this temple, claim his rights as Messiah, and in due time make the sacrifice of which all other sacrifices were but the types.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

47. ἐξίσταντο. Similar instances are narrated of Rabbi Eliezer Ben Azariah; of Rabbi Ashi, the compiler of the Babylonian Talmud; and (by himself) of Josephus (Vit. 2). See Excursus VII.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

47. ἐξίσταντο. A strong word expressing great amazement 8:56; Act 2:7, Act 2:12, Act 2:8:13, Act 2:9:21. For ἐπί comp. Wisd. 5:2 and the ἐπί which Lk. commonly uses after θαυμάζειν (see on ver. 33); and for πάντες οἱ ἀκούοντες see on 1:66.—συνέσει. “Intelligence”; an application of the σοφία with which He was ever being filled (ver. 40): see Lft. on Col 1:9.—ἀποκρίσεσιν. His replies would show His wonderful intellectual and spiritual development. The vanity of Josephus (Vita, 2) and of Bellarmine (Vita, pp. 28-30, ed. Döllinger und Reusch, Bonn, 1887) leads them to record similar amazement respecting themselves.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Understanding [συνεσει] . From sunihmi, to bring together. Hence that quality of mind which combines : understanding not only of facts, but of facts in their mutual relations. See on Mr 12:33; where there is meant "the love of a well pondered and duly considered resolution which determines the whole person; the love which clearly understands itself" [χρεμερ] .

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.