Luke 2 · Verse 44

Luke 2:44

But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

Luke 2:44, King James Version

Luke 2:44 in other translations

BSB	Assuming He was in their company, they traveled on for a day before they began to look for Him among their relatives and friends.
WEB	but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances.
ASV	but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance:
YLT	and, having supposed him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and were seeking him among the kindred and among the acquaintances,
DARBY	but, supposing him to be in the company that journeyed together, they went a day's journey, and sought him among their relations and acquaintances:
BBE	And in the belief that he was with some of their number, they went a day's journey; and after looking for him among their relations and friends,
Webster	But they, supposing him to be in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their relations and acquaintance.

What does Luke 2:44 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

44. sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances--On these sacred journeys, whole villages and districts travelled in groups together, partly for protection, partly for company; and as the well-disposed would beguile the tediousness of the way by good discourse, to which the child Jesus would be no silent listener, they expect to find Him in such a group.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 44. Supposing him to have been in the company. It may seem very remarkable that parents should not have been more attentive to their only son, and that they should not have been assured of his presence with them when they left Jerusalem; but the difficulty may be explained by the following considerations:

1. In going to these great feasts, families and neighbours would join together, and form a large collection.

2. It is not improbable that Jesus was with them when they were about to start from Jerusalem and were making preparations. Seeing him then, they might have been certain as to his presence.

3. A part of the company might have left before the others, and Joseph and Mary may have supposed that he was with them, until they overtook them at night and ascertained their mistake.

Kinsfolk. Relatives.

Acquaintances. Neighbours who had gone up with them in the same company to Jerusalem.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 44 Supposing him to have been in the company - Some have supposed that the men and women marched in separate companies on these occasions, which is very likely; and that sometimes the children kept company with the men, sometimes with the women. This might have led to what otherwise seems to have been inexcusable carelessness in Joseph and Mary. Joseph, not seeing Jesus in the men's company, might suppose he was with his mother in the women's company; and Mary, not seeing him with her, might imagine he was with Joseph. Went a day's journey - Knowing what a treasure they possessed, how could they be so long without looking on it? Where were the bowels and tender solicitude of the mother? Let them answer this question who can. And they sought him - Ανεζητουν, They earnestly sought him. They are now both duly affected with a sense of their great loss and great negligence. Kinsfolk and acquaintance - Those of the same family and neighborhood went up to Jerusalem together on such occasions. I have frequently been reminded, says Mr. Ward, when reading this history, of the crowds going to some place in Bengal, to an idol feast. Men, women, and children, in large companies, may be seen travelling together, with their bedding, etc., on their heads. They cook and prepare their victuals in some shady place near a town, where they can purchase the necessaries they want, and, after remaining two or three days at the festival, return in companies as they went.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 2:41-52

It is for the honour of Christ that children should attend on public worship. His parents did not return till they had stayed all the seven days of the feast. It is well to stay to the end of an ordinance, as becomes those who say, It is good to be here. Those that have lost their comforts in Christ, and the evidences of their having a part in him, must bethink themselves where, and when, and how they lost them, and…

Read the full comment on Luke 2:41-52 →

Luke 2:44 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

νομίσαντεςnomisantesHaving supposedG3543

δὲdenowG1161

αὐτὸνautonHimG846

εἶναιeinaito beG1511

ἐνeninG1722

τῇtēatheirG3588

συνοδίᾳsunodiacompanyG4923

ἦλθονēlthonthey wentG2064

ἡμέραςhēmerasa day’sG2250

ὁδὸνhodonjourneyG3598

καὶkaiandG2532

ἀνεζήτουνanezētounwere seekingG327

αὐτὸνautonHimG846

ἐνenamongG1722

τοῖςtoistheG3588

συγγενεῦσινsungeneusinrelativesG4773

καὶkaiandG2532

τοῖςtoistheG3588

γνωστοῖς.gnōstoisacquaintances.G1110

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 2:44

Isaiah 2:3
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Psalms 122:1-4
A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
Psalms 42:4
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

in.
Ps 42:4; 122:1-4; Isa 2:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Luke 2:43
And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
Luke 2:44
But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
Luke 2:45
And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

Read all of Luke 2

Luke 2:44 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y pensando que estaba en la compañía, anduvieron camino de un día; y le buscaban entre los parientes y entre los conocidos:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais croyant qu’il était dans la troupe des voyageurs, ils marchèrent le chemin d’un jour et le cherchèrent parmi leurs parents et leurs connaissances;
German Elberfelder 1871	Da sie aber meinten, er sei unter der Reisegesellschaft, kamen sie eine Tagereise weit und suchten ihn unter den Verwandten und Bekannten;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Existimantes autem illum esse in comitatu, venerunt iter diei, et requirebant eum inter cognatos et notos.