The Meaning of Luke 2:23 Explained

Luke 2:23

KJV: (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

YLT: as it hath been written in the Law of the Lord, -- 'Every male opening a womb shall be called holy to the Lord,'

Darby: (as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),

ASV: (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),

KJV Reverse Interlinear

(As  it is written  in  the law  of the Lord,  Every  male  that openeth  the womb  shall be called  holy  to the Lord;  ) 

What does Luke 2:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 2:15-24 - Welcomed Named Presented
From April till the autumn the flocks pastured at night in the open fields, from which it seems probable that our Lord must have been born earlier or later than December. No doubt these shepherds were, like Simeon, "waiting for the consolation of Israel," and their purity of life and simplicity of soul well qualified them to receive the blessed tidings of the angels. First simplicity and afterward science, Matthew 2:1-23, found their way into the presence of Jesus.
In the act of circumcision, our Lord admitted His obligation to fulfill the whole Law, Galatians 5:3. He was "made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law," Galatians 4:4-5. Mary could afford only the gift of the poor, Leviticus 12:6-8; Leviticus 5:7-11; 2 Corinthians 8:9. The precious name of Jesus-Savior-is the name above every name, Acts 4:10-12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 2

1  Augustus taxes all the Roman empire
6  The nativity of Jesus
8  An angel relates it to the shepherds, and many sing praises to God for it
15  The shepherds glorify God
21  Jesus is circumcised
22  Mary purified
25  Simeon and Anna prophesy of Jesus,
39  who increases in wisdom,
41  questions in the temple with the teachers,
51  and is obedient to his parents

Greek Commentary for Luke 2:23

In the law of the Lord [εν νομωι Κυριου]
No articles, but definite by preposition and genitive. Vincent notes that “law” occurs in this chapter five times. Paul (Galatians 4:4) will urge that Jesus “was made under the law” as Luke here explains. The law did not require that the child be brought to Jerusalem. The purification concerned the mother, the presentation the son. [source]
The law of the Lord []
The word law occurs in this chapter five times; oftener than in all the rest of this Gospel put together. Luke emphasizes the fact that Jesus” was made under the law” (Galatians 4:4), and accordingly elaborates the details of the fulfilment of the law by the parents of both John and Jesus. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 2:23

Luke 4:29 Unto the brow of the hill [ηος οπρυος του ορους]
Eyebrow Past perfect indicative, stood built.That they might throw him down headlong Neat Greek idiom with ωστε — hōste for intended result, “so as to cast him down the precipice.” The infinitive alone can convey the same meaning (Matthew 2:2; Matthew 20:28; Luke 2:23). Κρημνος — Krēmnos is an overhanging bank or precipice from κρεμαννυμι — kremannumi to hang. Κατα — Kata is down. The verb occurs in Xenophon, Demosthenes, lxx, Josephus. Here only in the N.T. At the southwest corner of the town of Nazareth such a cliff today exists overhanging the Maronite convent. Murder was in the hearts of the people. By pushing him over they hoped to escape technical guilt. [source]
Luke 4:29 That they might throw him down headlong [ωστε κατακρημνισαι αυτον]
Neat Greek idiom with ωστε — hōste for intended result, “so as to cast him down the precipice.” The infinitive alone can convey the same meaning (Matthew 2:2; Matthew 20:28; Luke 2:23). Κρημνος — Krēmnos is an overhanging bank or precipice from κρεμαννυμι — kremannumi to hang. Κατα — Kata is down. The verb occurs in Xenophon, Demosthenes, lxx, Josephus. Here only in the N.T. At the southwest corner of the town of Nazareth such a cliff today exists overhanging the Maronite convent. Murder was in the hearts of the people. By pushing him over they hoped to escape technical guilt. [source]
Acts 9:13 To thy saints [τοις αγιοις]
Dative of disadvantage. “Used here for the first time as a name for the Christians” (Knowling), but it came to be the common and normal (Hackett) term for followers of Christ (Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10; 1 Corinthians 1:2, etc.). This common word is from το αγος — to hagos religious awe or reverence and is applied to God‘s name (Luke 1:49), God‘s temple (Matthew 24:15), God‘s people as set apart for God (Luke 1:70; Luke 2:23; Romans 1:7, etc.). Ananias in his ignorance saw in Saul only the man with an evil reputation while Jesus saw in Saul the man transformed by grace to be a messenger of mercy. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 2:23 mean?

as it has been written in [the] law of [the] Lord - Every male opening a womb holy to the Lord shall be called
καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου ὅτι Πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ Κυρίῳ κληθήσεται

γέγραπται  it  has  been  written 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
ἐν  in  [the] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐν 
Sense: in, by, with etc.
νόμῳ  law 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: νόμος  
Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
Κυρίου  of  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Πᾶν  Every 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ἄρσεν  male 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἄρρην 
Sense: a male.
διανοῖγον  opening 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: διανοίγω  
Sense: to open by dividing or drawing asunder, to open thoroughly (what had been closed).
μήτραν  a  womb 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μήτρα  
Sense: the womb.
ἅγιον  holy 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κυρίῳ  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
κληθήσεται  shall  be  called 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.