Luke 2:50 (DRB)

Passage

And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:48 And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

Luke 2:49 And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business?

Luke 2:50 And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.

Luke 2:51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart.

Luke 2:52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace with God and men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "understood", "word", and "spoke". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "understood" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 49's "And he said to them How is..." into verse 51's "And he went down with them and...", so "understood" and "word" 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 "understood" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.