Luke 2:24

Verse

and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

American Standard Version (1901)

and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Bible in Basic English

And to make an offering, as it is ordered in the law of the Lord, of two doves or other young birds.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons:

Free Bible Version

There they made a sacrifice, as God's law also states, of “a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.”

Geneva Bible 1599

And to giue an oblation, as it is commanded in the Lawe of the Lord, a paire of turtle doues, or two yong pigeons.

King James (Authorized) Version

And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

One Unity Resource Bible

and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the Torah ·Teaching· of MarYah [Master Yahweh], “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Translation for Translators

God had commanded in his laws that if the first child of a couple was a boy, his parents should offer as a sacrifice to God two turtledoves or two young pigeons. So Joseph and Mary gave the priest two birds so he could offer them.

Unlocked Literal Bible

So they offered a sacrifice according to what was said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Noah Webster Bible

And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.

World English Bible

and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Young's Literal Translation

and to give a sacrifice, according to that said in the Law of the Lord, 'A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.'

Context

Jesus Presented at the Temple

²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord” ), ²⁴and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Sermons

The Sign in the Depth and in the Height

H.J. Vine

Summary

In Luke 2:24, we see Mary and Joseph fulfilling the Jewish law by presenting Jesus at the temple and offering a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord. This act highlights the obedience of Mary and Joseph to God's commands and their commitment to following the customs and traditions of their faith. It also underscores the significance of Jesus' birth within the context of Jewish religious practices, emphasizing his identity as the long-awaited Messiah. This verse sets the stage for the unfolding of Jesus' ministry and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the Savior of the world.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

And to offer a sacrifice - Neither mother nor child was considered as in the Lord's covenant, or under the Divine protection, till these ceremonies, prescribed by the law, had been performed. A pair of turtle doves, etc. - One was for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering: see Lev 12:8. The rich were required to bring a lamb, but the poor and middling classes were required to bring either two turtle doves, or two pigeons. This is a proof that the holy family were not in affluence. Jesus sanctified the state of poverty, which is the general state of man, by passing through it. Therefore the poor have the Gospel preached unto them; and the poor are they who principally receive it. Though neither Mary nor her son needed any of these purifications, for she was immaculate, and He was the Holy One, yet, had she not gone through the days of purification according to the law, she could not have appeared in the public worship of the Most High, and would have been considered as an apostate from the faith of the Israel of God; and had not He been circumcised and publicly presented in the temple, he could not have been permitted to enter either synagogue or temple, and no Jew would have heard him preach, or had any intercourse or connection with him. These reasons are sufficient to account for the purification of the holy virgin, and for the circumcision of the most holy Jesus.