The Meaning of Luke 2:34 Explained

Luke 2:34

KJV: And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

YLT: and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, 'Lo, this one is set for the falling and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against --

Darby: And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, Lo, this child is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against;

ASV: and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  unto  Mary  his  mother,  Behold,  this  [child] is set  for  the fall  and  rising again  of many  in  Israel;  and  for  a sign  which shall be spoken against; 

What does Luke 2:34 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 2:34

Is set for the falling and the rising up of many in Israel [Κειται εις πτωσιν και αναστασιν πολλων εν τωι Ισραηλ]
Present indicative of the old defective verb appearing only in present and imperfect in the N.T. Sometimes it is used as the passive of τιτημι — tithēmi as here. The falling of some and the rising up of others is what is meant. He will be a stumbling-block to some (Isaiah 8:14; Matthew 21:42, Matthew 21:44; Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:16.) who love darkness rather than light (John 3:19), he will be the cause of rising for others (Romans 6:4, Romans 6:9; Ephesians 2:6). “Judas despairs, Peter repents: one robber blasphemes, the other confesses” (Plummer). Jesus is the magnet of the ages. He draws some, he repels others. This is true of all epoch-making men to some extent. [source]
Spoken against [αντιλεγομενον]
Present passive participle, continuous action. It is going on today. Nietzsche regarded Jesus Christ as the curse of the race because he spared the weak. [source]
Them []
The parents; the child being separately and specially designated. [source]
Is set [κεῖται]
The verb means primarily to be laid, and so to lie: hence to be set forth orpromulgated, as the law is said to be laid down, and so, appointed or destined, as here. [source]
The fall and rising again [πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν]
For the fall, because he will be a stumbling-block to many (Isaiah 8:14; Matthew 21:42, Matthew 21:44; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; 1 Corinthians 1:23). For the rising, because many will be raised up through him to life and glory (Romans 6:4, Romans 6:9; Ephesians 2:6). The A. V. predicates the falling and the rising of the same persons: the fall and rising again of many. The Rev., the falling and rising up of many, is ambiguous. The American Revisers give it correctly: the falling and the rising. [source]
Which shall be spoken against [ἀντιλεγόμενον]
The participle is the present; and the expression does not voice a prophecy, but describes an inherent characteristic of the sign: a sign of which it is the character to experience contradiction from the world. In the beginning, as a babe, Jesus experienced this at the hands of Herod; so all through his earthly ministry and on the cross; and so it will be to the end, until he shall have put all enemies under his feet. Compare Hebrews 12:3. Wyc., a token to whom it shall be gainsaid. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 2:34

Luke 1:13 John [Ιωανην]
The word means that God is gracious. The mention of the name should have helped Zacharias to believe. The message of the angel (Luke 1:13-17) takes on a metrical form when turned into Hebrew (Ragg) and it is a prose poem in Greek and English like Luke 1:30-33, Luke 1:35-37, Luke 1:42-45, Luke 1:46-55, Luke 1:68-70; Luke 2:10-12, Luke 2:14, Luke 2:29-32, Luke 2:34-35. Certainly Luke has preserved the earliest Christian hymns in their oldest sources. He is the first critic of the sources of the Gospels and a scholarly one. [source]
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted from the earth [καγω αν υπσωτω εκ της γης]
Note proleptic position of εγω — egō (I). Condition of third class (undetermined with prospect) with αν — an (= εαν — ean here) with first aorist passive subjunctive of υπσοω — hupsoō the verb used in John 3:14 of the brazen serpent and of the Cross of Christ as here and also in John 8:28. Westcott again presses εκ — ek instead of απο — apo to make it refer to the ascension rather than to the Cross, a wrong interpretation surely. Will draw all men unto myself Future active of ελκυω — helkuō late form of ελκω — helkō to draw, to attract. Jesus had already used this verb of the Father‘s drawing power (John 6:44). The magnetism of the Cross is now known of all men, however little they understand the mystery of the Cross. By “all men” (παντας — pantas) Jesus does not mean every individual man, for some, as Simeon said (Luke 2:34) are repelled by Christ, but this is the way that Greeks (John 12:22) can and will come to Christ, by the way of the Cross, the only way to the Father (John 14:6). [source]
John 3:36 Hath eternal life [εχει ζωην αιωνιον]
Has it here and now and for eternity. That obeyeth not “He that is disobedient to the Son.” Jesus is the test of human life as Simeon said he would be (Luke 2:34.). This verb does not occur again in John‘s Gospel. [source]
Acts 15:14 Symeon [Συμεων]
The Aramaic form of Simon as in 2 Peter 2:1. This little touch would show his affinities with the Jewish Christians (not the Judaizers). This Aramaic form is used also in Luke 2:25, Luke 2:34 of the old prophet in the temple. Possibly both forms (Symeon, Aramaic, and Simon, Greek) were current in Jerusalem. How (κατως — kathōs). Strictly, “according as,” here like ος — hos in indirect discourse somewhat like the epexegetic or explanatory use in 3 Jo Luke 1:3. First Told by Peter in Acts 15:7. James notes, as Peter did, that this experience of Barnabas and Paul is not the beginning of work among the Gentiles. Did visit (επεσκεπσατο — epeskepsato). First aorist middle indicative of επισκεπτομαι — episkeptomai old verb to look upon, to look after, provide for. This same verb occurs in James 1:27 and is one of various points of similarity between this speech of James in Acts and the Epistle of James as shown by Mayor in his Commentary on James. Somehow Luke may have obtained notes of these various addresses. To take from the Gentiles a people for his name Bengel calls this egregium paradoxon, a chosen people This is what is really involved in what took place at Caesarea at the hands of Peter and the campaign of Barnabas and Paul from Antioch. But such a claim of God‘s purpose called for proof from Scripture to convince Jews and this is precisely what James undertakes to give. This new Israel from among the Gentiles is one of Paul‘s great doctrines as set forth in Galatians 3; Romans 9-11. Note the use of God‘s “name” here for “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). [source]
Philippians 1:17 I am set [κεῖμαι]
Or appointed. See on Luke 2:34. Compare 1 Thessalonians 3:3. Some, instead of rendering the one (or some) preach Christ of contention - but the other of love, join οἱ μὲν some οἱ δὲ othersin each instance with the succeeding word, making one phrase, thus: “they who are of love do so knowing that I am set, etc.: they who are of faction proclaim Christ not sincerely, etc. The phrase those who are of faction occurs Romans 2:8; and a similar phrase, him who is of faith, Romans 3:26. There seems no sufficient reason for altering A.V. and Rev. [source]
1 Thessalonians 3:3 We are appointed [κείμεθα]
As Luke 2:34(see note); Philemon 1:17. Comp. Acts 14:22, in which occur four of the words used here. For the thought, see Matthew 5:10; Matthew 10:17; Matthew 16:24; 1 Peter 2:21ff.; 1 Peter 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:12. [source]
Hebrews 1:5 A father - a son [εἰς πατέρα - εἰς υἱόν]
Lit. for or as a father - son. This usage of εἰς mostly in O.T. citations or established formulas. See Matthew 19:5; Luke 2:34; Acts 19:27; 1 Corinthians 4:3. [source]
Hebrews 1:5 Unto which [Τινι]
“To which individual angel.” As a class angels are called sons of God (Elohim) (Psalm 29:1), but no single angel is called God‘s Son like the Messiah in Psalm 2:7. Dods takes “have I begotten thee” This quotation is from 2 Samuel 7:14. Note the use of εις — eis in the predicate with the sense of “as” like the Hebrew (lxx idiom), not preserved in the English. See Matthew 19:5; Luke 2:34. Like Old English “to” or “for.” See 2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 21:7 for the same passage applied to relation between God and Christians while here it is treated as Messianic. [source]
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter []
Note the addition of Simon, and see on 1 Peter 1:1. The best-attested orthography is Symeon, which is the form of his name in Acts 15:14, where the account probably came from him. This also is the Hebraic form of the name found in the Septuagint, Revelation href="/desk/?q=re+7:7&sr=1">Revelation 7:7; Luke 2:25, Luke 2:34; Luke 3:30; Acts 13:1. The combined name, Simon Peter, is found Luke 5:8; John 13:6; John 20:2; John 21:15, and elsewhere, though in these instances it is given as Simon; Symeon occurring only in Acts 15:14. While his name is given with greater familiarity than in the first epistle, his official title, servant and apostle, is fuller. This combination, servant and apostle, occurs in no other apostolic salutation. The nearest approach to it is Titus 1:1. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 2:34 mean?

And blessed them Simeon said to Mary the mother of Him Behold this [Child] is appointed for [the] falling rising up of many in - Israel a sign spoken against
καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς Συμεὼν εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον

εὐλόγησεν  blessed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εὐλογέω 
Sense: to praise, celebrate with praises.
Συμεὼν  Simeon 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Συμεών  
Sense: the second son of Jacob by Leah.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Μαριὰμ  Mary 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Μαρία 
Sense: Mary the mother of Jesus.
μητέρα  mother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μήτηρ  
Sense: a mother.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἰδοὺ  Behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
οὗτος  this  [Child] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
κεῖται  is  appointed 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κεῖμαι  
Sense: to lie.
πτῶσιν  [the]  falling 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πτῶσις  
Sense: a falling, downfall.
ἀνάστασιν  rising  up 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀνάστασις  
Sense: a raising up, rising (e.
πολλῶν  of  many 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰσραὴλ  Israel 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰσραήλ  
Sense: the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name).
σημεῖον  a  sign 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: σημεῖον  
Sense: a sign, mark, token.
ἀντιλεγόμενον  spoken  against 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἀντιλέγω  
Sense: to speak against, gainsay, contradict.