Luke 2:5 (WEB)

Passage

to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.

Luke 2:4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

Luke 2:5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

Luke 2:6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.

Luke 2:7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "enroll", "himself", "mary", "pledged", "married", "wife", and "pregnant". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "enroll" and "himself", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Joseph also went up from Galilee out..." into verse 6's "While they were there the day had...", so "enroll" and "himself" 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 "enroll" and "himself" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.