Paragraph 2:4–7
2:4a–b
So Joseph also: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So introduces a specific event that happened as a result of the background information in 2:1–3. This event begins a series of events in the story of Jesus’ birth. Some English versions do not have a conjunction here. Introduce this event in a way that is natural in your language.
Joseph: Joseph was mentioned in 1:27.
went up from Nazareth: The phrase went up from Nazareth means that Joseph left the town of Nazareth and went to a part of the country that was higher in elevation. Luke 2:5a says that Mary went with Joseph. They went to the town of Bethlehem. Bethlehem is about one hundred kilometers (70 miles) from Nazareth and about three hundred meters (1000 feet) higher. On the trip Joseph and Mary sometimes went downhill as well as uphill.
In some languages, it may not be natural to say that they went up in this context. If this is the case in your language, you should simply say they “went.”
Nazareth: Nazareth is the town where Joseph was living when Caesar ordered the census.
Galilee to Judea: Galilee and Judea were two minor provinces that Rome controlled.
the city of David called Bethlehem: The Jews referred to Bethlehem as the city of David because King David had been born there. It was his hometown and the town of his ancestors. Bethlehem was not the place where David lived while he was king. Other ways to translate this are:
the town of Bethlehem…, the birthplace of King David (Good News Translation)
-or-
Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Bethlehem, because David had been born there (God’s Word)
2:4c
from the house and line of David: The words house and line have the same meaning. They mean here that Joseph was a “descendant” of David. The Greek uses two words that have the same meaning in order to emphasize that Joseph (and therefore Jesus) was a descendant of David.
When you translate this phrase, you can translate both words together in one expression. For example:
he was a descendant of David (Good News Translation)
the house…of David: In this context the phrase house…of David is used in a figurative way. It means that Joseph was a descendant of David. It does not refer to a literal building where people lived. Other ways to say this are:
David’s clan
-or-
David’s family
line of David: The expression line of David is another way to say that Joseph was a “descendant of David.” See the notes above.
General Comment on 2:4a–c
In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:4c before 2:4a. For example:
4cJoseph belonged to the house and line of David. 4a⌊That is why⌋ he also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee 4bto Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David.
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