Luke 2:5 (KJV)

Passage

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luke 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Luke 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "taxed", "mary", "espoused", "wife", "great", and "child". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "taxed" and "mary", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And Joseph also went up from Galilee..." into verse 6's "And so it was that while they...", so "taxed" and "mary" 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 "taxed" and "mary" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.