The Meaning of Luke 2:31 Explained

Luke 2:31

KJV: Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

YLT: which Thou didst prepare before the face of all the peoples,

Darby: which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;

ASV: Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Which  thou hast prepared  before  the face  of all  people; 

What does Luke 2:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 2:25-39 - The Aged Simeon's Prophetic Blessing
Two aged watchers welcomed the King; but no one else, of all the crowds who went and came, guessed that the Messenger of the Covenant had suddenly come to His Temple, Malachi 3:1-3.
In the Arctic Circle in summer the visitor will behold the magnificent spectacle, on the same sky, of the hues of sunset and of dawn. Dipping only for a brief period beneath the horizon, the setting sun leaves the glorious trail of sunset, and rising, bathes the eastern clouds with the radiance of dawn. So, when Simeon embraced Christ, sunset and sunrise met. There was the glory of the age that was passing, and the glory of the new Christian age that shall ever stand at perfect noon.
Note the concentric circles of Simeon's character: a man; a man in Jerusalem-i.e., a Jew; righteous toward his fellows; devout toward God; looking; Spirit-anointed; to whom it was revealed; Christ in his arms. What more could be said? [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 2:31

Of all the peoples [παντων των λαων]
Not merely Jews. Another illustration of the universality of Luke‘s Gospel seen already in Luke 1:70 in the hymn of Zacharias. The second strophe of the song according to Plummer showing what the Messiah will be to the world after having shown what the Messiah is to Simeon. [source]
Of all people [πάντων τῶν λαῶν]
The noun is plural, the peoples, and refers equally to the Gentiles. See Introduction, on the universality of Luke's Gospel. Wyc., all peoples; and so Rev. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 2:31

1 Corinthians 2:9 Whatsoever [οσα]
A climax to the preceding relative clause (Findlay). Prepared (ητοιμασεν — hētoimasen). First aorist active indicative of ετοιμαζω — hetoimazō The only instance where Paul uses this verb of God, though it occurs of final glory (Luke 2:31; Matthew 20:23; Matthew 25:34; Mark 10:40; Hebrews 11:16) and of final misery (Matthew 25:41). But here undoubtedly the dominant idea is the present blessing to these who love God (1 Corinthians 1:5-7). Heart (καρδιαν — kardian) here as in Romans 1:21 is more than emotion. The Gnostics used this passage to support their teaching of esoteric doctrine as Hegesippus shows. Lightfoot thinks that probably the apocryphal Ascension of Isaiah and Apocalypse of Elias were Gnostic and so quoted this passage of Paul to support their position. But the next verse shows that Paul uses it of what is now revealed and made plain, not of mysteries still unknown. [source]
1 Corinthians 2:9 Prepared [ητοιμασεν]
First aorist active indicative of ετοιμαζω — hetoimazō The only instance where Paul uses this verb of God, though it occurs of final glory (Luke 2:31; Matthew 20:23; Matthew 25:34; Mark 10:40; Hebrews 11:16) and of final misery (Matthew 25:41). But here undoubtedly the dominant idea is the present blessing to these who love God (1 Corinthians 1:5-7). [source]
Galatians 2:11 To the face [κατὰ πρόσωπον]
As Acts 3:13. The meaning is expressed in the familiar phrase faced him down. It is, however, rarely as strong as this in N.T. Rather before the face, or in the face of, meaning simply in the sight or presence of (Luke 2:31), or according to appearance (2 Corinthians 1:7). The explanation that Paul withstood Peter only in appearance or semblance (so Jerome, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and other Fathers) is one of the curiosities of exegesis, and was probably adopted out of misplaced consideration for the prestige of Peter. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 2:31 mean?

which You have prepared before [the] face of all the peoples
ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν

ἡτοίμασας  You  have  prepared 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἑτοιμάζω  
Sense: to make ready, prepare.
κατὰ  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
πρόσωπον  [the]  face 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πρόσωπον  
Sense: the face.
πάντων  of  all 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
λαῶν  peoples 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: λαός  
Sense: a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.