Mattityahu 2
2
1Now after Yehoshua was born in Beit-Lechem Yehudah, in the days of Herod#2:1 the Great, the Roman client king — hinei! — chachamim from eretz Mizrach (the land of the East) arrived in Yerushalayim,
2saying, Where is he that is born Melech HaYehudim? For we have seen his KOCHAV#2:2 Num 24:17 (star) in the Mizrach and come to fall down before him.
3Because Herod the king heard this, he was terribly shaken, and all Yerushalayim with him.
4And assembling all the Rashei Hakohanim and Sofrim of the people, he inquired of them the place where Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was to be born.
5They told him, In Beit-Lechem Yehudah; because so it stands written by the Navi:
6And YOU, BEIT-LECHEM, (Bethlehem, Mic 5:1[2]) in eretz Yehudah are by no means least among the shtetlach (towns) or ruling#2:6b alafim of Yehudah; because out of you will come a Moshel (Ruler) who will be the Ro'eh Ami Yisroel.
7Then Herod secretly summoned the chachamim and ascertained from them the exact date of the manifestation of the KOCHAV.
8Then he sent them to Beit-Lechem, saying, Go and make a thorough search for the yeled (child); as soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I, as you, may come and fall down before him.
9After they heard the king, they departed, and hinei! The KOCHAV they had seen in the Mizrach (East) was going ahead of them until it came and stood above the place where the yeled was.
10When they saw the KOCHAV, they rejoiced with exceedingly great nachas (joy).
11And, entering the bais (house), they beheld the yeled with Miryam, his Em, and prostrated themselves before him. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12And having been warned in a chalom (dream) not to return to Herod, they took refuge in their own country by another way.
13And when they'd gone — hinei! — a malach Hashem appeared to Yosef#2:13 Ben Dovid in a chalom (dream), saying, Arise, and take the yeled and his Em, and flee to Eretz Mitzrayim (Egypt), and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is about to seek the yeled to destroy him.
14So, having got up, Yosef#2:14 ben Dovid took the yeled, and his Em by night and departed for Eretz Mitzrayim.
15And Yosef#2:15 ben Dovid was there until the mot Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by Hashem through the Navi, UMIMITZRAYIM KARATI LIVNI#2:15 Hos 11:1 (Out of Egypt have I called my Son).
16When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the chachamim, he was greatly enraged, and he ordered the slaughter of all the yeladim in Beit-Lechem and its vicinity who were two years old or under, in accordance with the time that he had learned from the chachamim.
17Then came the fulfillment of what was spoken through Yirmeyah HaNavi:
18KOL BRAMAH NISHMAH#2:18 Jer 31:14 (A voice was heard in Ramah),#2:18 15 a voice of bitter weeping and mourning. Rachel is crying for her yeladim; she refuses to be comforted, because they are no more.
19When Herod died, hinei, in Eretz Mitzrayim a malach Hashem appeared to Yosef#2:19 ben Dovid in a chalom (dream),
20saying, Arise, and take the yeled and his Em and go to Eretz Yisroel, for those seeking the life of the yeled are dead.
21And Yosef#2:21 ben Dovid arose and took the yeled and his Em, and entered Eretz Yisroel.
22And when Yosef#2:22 ben Dovid heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Yehudah, Yosef#2:22 ben Dovid was afraid to go there. And, having been warned in a chalom, he departed into the districts of the Galil.
23And Yosef#2:23 ben Dovid made his home in the shtetl (Jewish village) called Natzeret, so that which was spoken by the Neviim might be fulfilled: He will be called a Natzri.#2:23 i.e., Moshiach the Netzer, Tzemach, Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8; Isa 53:2; Zech 6:11-12
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Mattityahu 2: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Matthew 2
2
Scholars from the East
1-2After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
3-4When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5-6They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:
It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land,
no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”
7-8Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”
9-10Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!
11They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
12In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.
* * *
13After the scholars were gone, God’s angel showed up again in Joseph’s dream and commanded, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him.”
14-15Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight. They lived in Egypt until Herod’s death. This Egyptian exile fulfilled what Hosea had preached: “I called my son out of Egypt.”
16-18Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he’d gotten from the scholars.) That’s when Jeremiah’s revelation was fulfilled:
A sound was heard in Ramah,
weeping and much lament.
Rachel weeping for her children,
Rachel refusing all solace,
Her children gone,
dead and buried.
19-20Later, when Herod died, God’s angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: “Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead.”
21-23Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel. When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee. On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.