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Luke 2 · a question people ask

Luke says Jesus "increased in wisdom" (2:52). What does Luke say about how he grew?

In the text

Luke says it twice and doesn't explain how. "The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him" (2:40), and "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (2:52) (tap favor). Luke tells that he grew, in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men; he doesn't say how, and these notes don't supply what the chapter doesn't give.

The verses

“The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.”
Luke 2:40 · World English Bible
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Luke 2:52 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Luke 2

Luke 2: Born to you today

The first words Luke gives from Jesus answer his mother's "your father and I" (2:48) with "my Father’s house" (2:49), and Luke says, "They didn’t understand the saying" (2:50). And Luke never says the angels sang: they were "praising God and saying" (2:13).

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Last reviewed October 1, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions