What Does Luke 2:52 Mean in the King James?
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
“Increased” pictures forward movement that cuts a way open, joining wisdom, embodied maturity, and relationship in one unfolding life.
THE MEANING
Jesus’ life is shown in motion: wisdom, embodied maturity, and favor with God and people grow together. For you, the verse presents development as a real, unfolding life rather than a finished state.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that maturity must arrive all at once: the verse presents wisdom, stature, and favor as growing together.
THE ROOT
προέκοπτεν
proekopten
GROWS FROM
κόπτω
κόπτω (koptō) means “to cut” or “strike”; with προ- (pro-, “forward”), the compound carries the sense of advancing or making a way forward.
“increased” in this verse is proekopten. The verse’s προέκοπτεν (proekopten, “was advancing”) belongs to προκόπτω (prokoptō, “advance”), built from προ- (pro-, “forward”) and κόπτω (koptō, “cut” or “strike”). Its word picture makes growth a way opening forward, with wisdom, embodied maturity, and favor as parts of that movement.
ALSO GROWS
prokopē: Advancement; furtherance.
προκοπή
This noun from the same word family shows that the movement in “increased” can describe progress that carries something forward.
enkopē: Hindrance; impediment.
ἐγκοπή
This related form shares κόπτω (koptō, “cut” or “strike”) and names what cuts into or obstructs forward movement, sharpening the sense of progress as a way opened.
χάριτι
chariti
GROWS FROM
ΧΑΡ
ΧΑΡ (char) is the shared stem in Greek words for favor and joy.
“favour” in this verse is chariti. The verse names χάρις (charis, “favor”) with God and with people, placing it in both divine and human relationship. Its word family also holds joy and freely given favor, so acceptance carries a shade of delight and generous regard.
ALSO GROWS
chara: Joy; gladness.
χαρά
Its shared ΧΑΡ (char) stem connects favor with the delight that accompanies welcome.
charizomai: To show favor; grant freely; forgive.
χαρίζομαι
This verb gives favor an active shape: it can be extended or freely granted, not merely measured.
THE PATTERN
Life unfolds through continuing growth in wisdom, embodied maturity, and relationship.
And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;THE THREAD
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;“Furtherance” translates προκοπή (prokopē, “advancement”), from the same προκόπτω (prokoptō, “advance”) family as Luke’s προέκοπτεν (proekopten, “was advancing”). The shared root shows progress as forward movement that opens a way; Luke locates that movement in wisdom, stature, and favor.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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