Bible Strands
Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrative describes Jesus’ development in Nazareth following the Passover incident, summarizing His maturation under His parents’ care. It records His progressive growth without addressing a specific audience.
The words — The text uses προέκοπτεν (proekopten), meaning “was continuing to advance,” alongside ἡλικίᾳ (hēlikia), translated as “stature.” These terms describe Jesus’ ongoing physical and intellectual development.
The thread — This progression mirrors the pattern in 1 Samuel 2:26, where Samuel grows in stature and favor with God and man. Luke 2:40 similarly notes the Child becoming strong and filled with wisdom under God’s grace.
Why it lands — The verse requires acknowledging Jesus’ genuine human development as a deliberate, ongoing process rather than a static state. It demands recognition that divine favor and human obedience operate within ordinary growth.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Cross-references
- Luke 2:40 And the Child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.
- Proverbs 3:3 Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
- 1 Samuel 2:26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.
- Romans 14:18 For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
- Luke 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.
- Acts 7:9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him