Luke 2:34 (DRB)

Passage

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:32 A light to the revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

Luke 2:33 And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him.

Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted.

Luke 2:35 And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.

Luke 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was far advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "simeon", "blessed", "said", "mary", "mother", "behold", "child", and "fall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "simeon" and "blessed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "And his father and mother were wondering..." into verse 35's "And thy own soul a sword shall...", so "simeon" and "blessed" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "simeon" and "blessed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.