Matthew 2

CHAPTER 2

1Therefore when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of king Herod, lo! astronomers, [or kings, or wise men], came from the east to Jerusalem,

2and said, Where is he, that is born [the] king of Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to worship him.

3But king Herod heard, and was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4And he gathered together all the princes of priests, and scribes of the people, and inquired of them, where Christ should be born.

5And they said to him, In Bethle-hem of Judea; for so it is written by a prophet,

6And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for of thee a duke shall go out, that shall govern my people Israel.

7Then Herod called privily the astronomers, [or the kings], and learned busily of them the time of the star that appeared to them.

8And he sent them into Bethlehem, and said, Go ye, and ask ye busily of the child, and when ye have found, tell ye it to me, that I also come, and worship him.

9And when they had heard the king, they went forth. And lo! the star, that they saw in the east, went before them, till it came, and stood above, where the child was.

10And they saw the star, and joyed with a full great joy.

11And they entered into the house, and found the child with Mary, his mother; and they felled down, and worshipped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they offered to him gifts, gold, incense, and myrrh.

12And when they had taken an answer in sleep, that they should not turn again to Herod, they turned again by another way into their [own] country.

13And when they were gone, lo! the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in sleep, and said, Rise up, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there, till that I say to thee; for it is to come, that Herod seek the child, to destroy him.

14And Joseph rose [up], and took the child and his mother by night, and went into Egypt,

15and he was there till the death of Herod; that it should be fulfilled, that was said of the Lord by the prophet, saying, From Egypt I have called my son.

16Then Herod seeing that he was scorned, either deceived, of the astronomers, [or the kings], was full wroth; and he sent, and slew all the children, that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years age and within, after the time that he had inquired of the astronomers [or that he had sought out of the kings].

17Then it was fulfilled, that was said by Jeremy, the prophet, saying,

18A voice was heard on high, weeping and much wailing, Rachel beweeping her sons, and she would not be comforted, for they be nought [or they be not].

19But when Herod was dead, lo! the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in sleep in Egypt,

20and said, Rise up, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they that sought the life of the child be dead.

21Joseph rose [up], and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22And he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea for Herod, his father, and dreaded to go thither. And he was warned in sleep, and went into the parts of Galilee;

23and [he] came, and dwelt in a city, that is called Nazareth, that it should be fulfilled, that was said by prophets, For he shall be called a Nazarene.

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Matthew 2: WBMS

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Matthew 2

The Visit of the Magi

1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of #2:1 Herod the Great was born into a prominent, wealthy family in Idumea (the area formerly known as Edom, the land of Esau’s descendants) and some archeological evidence indicates he considered himself Jewish.Herod the king (Herod the Great), #2:1 Gr magoi; these were educated men who specialized in astronomy, astrology, and the natural sciences. The magi were witnesses to the miraculous events surrounding the birth of Jesus.magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, 2“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star #2:2 Or at its rising.in the east and have come to worship Him.” [Num 24:17; Jer 23:5; Zech 9:9] 3When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4So he called together all the chief priests and #2:4 Teachers and professional scholars specializing in the Law (Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament) and writings of the prophets.scribes of the people and [anxiously] asked them where the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) was to be born. 5They replied to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet [Micah]:

6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are not in any way least among the leaders of Judah;

For from you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” [Mic 5:2]

7Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them #2:7 Lit the time of the appearing star.the [exact] time the star [had first] appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9After hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them [continually leading the way] until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And after entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, after opening their treasure chests, they presented to Him gifts [fit for a king, gifts] of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned [by God] in a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

13Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.”

14So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Hosea]: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” [Hos 11:1]

Herod Slaughters the Babies

16Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by the magi, was extremely angry, and he sent [soldiers] and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi. 17Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18“A voice was heard in #2:18 Ramah was located five miles north of Jerusalem, this city was a staging point for the deportation of Jews to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 b.c.Ramah,

Weeping and great mourning,

# 2:18 A reference to Jacob’s (Israel’s) wife Rachel as the mother of the children of Israel. Here, her grief over the slaughter of babies by Herod parallels the grief of Israel when they were conquered and deported by the Babylonians. The image is that of Rachel weeping for the children of Israel from her grave. Matthew takes Jeremiah’s words, which originally referred to grief over Babylonian captivity, and applies them to Herod’s slaughter of the babies. Rachel weeping for her children;

She refused to be comforted,

Because they were no more.” [Jer 31:15]

19But when #2:19 Herod the Great died sometime between March 29 and April 11, 4 b.c.Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20“Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21Then Joseph got up, and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea #2:22 Following Herod’s death Israel was partitioned between three of his sons: Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip II.in place of his father Herod [the Great], he was afraid to go there. Then being warned by God in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee, 23and went and settled in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a #2:23 The Nazarenes may have been looked on with disfavor by other Jews because Roman soldiers, whose presence was greatly resented, were housed near Nazareth, perhaps causing the Nazarenes to be identified with them.Nazarene.”

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