Luke 2:40

New Century Version

The little child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's goodness was upon him.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The little boy Jesus was developing into a mature young man, full of wisdom. God was blessing him.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the chylde grewe and wexed stronde in sprete and was filled with wysdome and the grace of God was with hym.

Hebrew Names Version
The child grew, and grew strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, the child continued to grow and to become strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was with him.Luke 1:80; 2:52;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Now the Child continued to grow and to become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.

Update Bible Version
And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was on him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Amplified Bible
And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor, spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.

English Standard Version
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

World English Bible
The child grew, and grew strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.

Weymouth's New Testament
And the child grew and became strong and full of wisdom, and the favour of God rested upon Him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the child wexe, and was coumfortid, ful of wisdom; and the grace of God was in hym.

English Revised Version
And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Berean Standard Bible
And the Child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

Contemporary English Version
The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

American Standard Version
And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Bible in Basic English
And the child became tall and strong and full of wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Complete Jewish Bible
The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom — God's favor was upon him.

Darby Translation
And the child grew and waxed strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom, and God's grace was upon him.

Etheridge Translation
But the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and was filled with wisdom; and the grace of Aloha was upon him.

Murdock Translation
And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and was filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.

King James Version (1611)
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisedome, and the grace of God was vpon him.

New Living Translation
There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him.

New Life Bible
The Child grew and became strong in spirit. He was filled with wisdom and the loving-favor of God was on Him.

New Revised Standard
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the childe grewe, and waxed strong in Spirit, and was filled with wisedome, and the grace of God was with him.

George Lamsa Translation
The boy grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the child, went on growing, and waxing strong, becoming filled with wisdom; and, the favour of God, was upon it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom: and the grace of God was in him.

Revised Standard Version
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the chylde grewe, and waxed strong in spirite, and was fylled with wisdome: & the grace of God was vpon hym.

Good News Translation
The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

Christian Standard Bible®
The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.

King James Version
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Lexham English Bible
And the child was growing and becoming strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

Literal Translation
And the Child grew, and became strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was upon Him.

Young's Literal Translation
and the child grew and was strengthened in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the childe grewe, and wexed stronge in sprete, full of wyssdome, & the grace of God was with him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and the child grew in stature and in all the improvements of the mind; he was stor'd with wisdom, and was the object of divine favour.

New English Translation
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

New King James Version
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, [fn] filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Simplified Cowboy Version
And Jesus grew up to be a man; he was full wisdom and it was plain to see God's blessing was on him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the Child continued to grow and become strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Contextual Overview

²⁵ In Jerusalem lived a man named Simeon who was a good man and godly. He was waiting for the time when God would take away Israel's sorrow, and the Holy Spirit was in him. ²⁶ Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. ²⁷ The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do, ²⁸ Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: ²⁹ "Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said. ³⁰ With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, ³¹ which you prepared before all people. ³² It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see and an honor for your people, the Israelites." ³³ Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what Simeon had said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, "God has chosen this child to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God that many people will not accept

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the child: Luke 2:52, Judges 13:24, 1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 2:26, 1 Samuel 3:19, Psalms 22:9, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 53:2

strong: Luke 1:80, Ephesians 6:10, 2 Timothy 2:1

filled: Luke 2:47, Luke 2:52, Isaiah 11:1-5, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 2:3

the grace: Psalms 45:2, John 1:14, Acts 4:33

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:20 - God 1 Samuel 2:21 - grew Psalms 22:10 - cast Psalms 71:5 - my trust Ecclesiastes 12:1 - Remember Isaiah 7:15 - know Ezekiel 28:12 - full Luke 1:66 - And the 2 Timothy 3:15 - from

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the child grew,.... In body, in strength, and in stature; which shows that it was a true body Christ assumed, and like ours, which did not come to its maturity at once, but by degrees:

and waxed strong in spirit, or in his soul; for as he had a true body, he had also a reasonable soul; the faculties of which were far from being weak, they were exceeding strong, and appeared stronger and stronger every day; his understanding was clear, his judgment solid, and his memory strong and retentive, his will, and the desires of it, were to that which is good, and his affections cleaved unto it. The Persic and Ethiopic versions read, "was strengthened in", or "by the Holy Spirit"; with the grace and gifts of it; but the former sense is best.

Filled with wisdom; and knowledge as man; for this is to be understood, not of his essential wisdom as God, nor of those treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which were hid in him as mediator, to be dispensed to his church; but of his created and natural wisdom, as man; in which he increased gradually, as his body grew, and the faculties of his soul opened under the influences of his deity, and the power of his Spirit;

and the grace of God was upon him; which designs not the fulness of grace that was in him, as mediator, for the supply of his people: but either that internal grace which was bestowed on his human nature, even the various graces of the Spirit of God, and which flowed from the grace of union of the two natures in him; or rather the love and favour of God, which in various instances was in a very singular manner manifested to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Strong in spirit - In mind, intellect, understanding. Jesus had a human soul, and that soul was subject to all the proper laws of a human spirit. It therefore increased in knowledge, strength, and character. Nor is it any more inconsistent with his being God to say that his soul expanded, than to say that his body grew.

Filled with wisdom - Eminent for wisdom when a child - that is, exhibiting an extraordinary understanding, and “wise” to flee from everything sinful and evil.

And the grace of God ... - The word “grace” in the New Testament commonly means unmerited favor shown “to sinners.” Here it means no more than favor. God showed him favor, or was pleased with him and blessed him.

It is remarkable that this is all that is recorded of the infancy of Jesus; and this, with the short account that follows of his going to Jerusalem, is all that we know of him for thirty years of his life. The design of the evangelists was to give an account of his “public ministry,” and not his private life. Hence, they say little of him in regard to his first years. What they do say, however, corresponds entirely with what we might expect. He was wise, pure, pleasing God, and deeply skilled in the knowledge of the divine law. He set a lovely example for all children; was subject to his parents, and increased in favor with God and man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 40. The child grew — As to his body - being in perfect health.

Waxed strong in spirit — His rational soul became strong and vigorous.

Filled with wisdom — The divinity continuing to communicate itself more and more, in proportion to the increase of the rational principle. The reader should never forget that Jesus was perfect man, as well as God.

And the grace of God was upon him. — The word χαρις, not only means grace in the common acceptation of the word, (some blessing granted by God's mercy to those who are sinners, or have no merit,) but it means also favour or approbation: and this sense I think most proper for it here, when applied to the human nature of our blessed Lord; and thus our translators render the same word, Luke 2:52. Even Christ himself, who knew no sin, grew in the favour of God; and, as to his human nature, increased in the graces of the Holy Spirit. From this we learn that, if a man were as pure and as perfect as the man Jesus Christ himself was, yet he might nevertheless increase in the image, and consequently in the favour, of God. God loves every thing and person, in proportion to the nearness of the approaches made to his own perfections.