Matthew 2
2
Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus
1Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard about this, it upset him as well as everyone else in Jerusalem. 4Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, just as the prophet wrote:
6‘Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are important among the rulers of Judah.
Yes, a ruler will come from you,
and that ruler will lead Israel, my people.’” Micah 5:2
7Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”
9After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10They were very happy and excited to see the star.
11The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.
Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt
13After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.”
14So Joseph got ready and left for Egypt with the child and the mother. They left during the night. 15Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This gave full meaning to what the Lord said through the prophet: “I called my son to come out of Egypt.”#Quote from Hos. 11:1.
Herod Kills the Baby Boys in Bethlehem
16Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger. 17This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah:
18“A sound was heard in Ramah—
bitter crying and great sadness.
Rachel cries for her children,
and she cannot be comforted,
because her children are gone.” Jeremiah 31:15
Joseph and Mary Return From Egypt
19While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream 20and said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and go to Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are now dead.”
21So Joseph took the child and the mother and went to Israel. 22But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he went away to the area of Galilee. 23He went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophets. God said the Messiah#2:23 the Messiah Literally, “he.” See “Messiah” in the Word List. would be called a Nazarene.#2:23 Nazarene A person from the city of Nazareth. This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “branch.” So Matthew may be referring to the promise of a “branch” of David’s family. See Isa. 11:1.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 2
2
Wise Men Visit Jesus
1 Now after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was born”) Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising#Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions and have come to worship him.” 3And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal King Herod heard it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, 4and after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“calling together”) which is understood as temporal calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. 5So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,
6‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you will go out a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”#A quotation from Mic 5:2
7Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb determined precisely from them the time when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“appeared”) the star appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“may come”) has been translated as a finite verb worship him.” 9After#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“listened to”) which is understood as temporal they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising#Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions led them until it came and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb stood above the place where the child was. 10Now when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11And when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“fell down”) has been translated as a finite verb worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Escape to Egypt
13Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.” 14So he got up and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb took the child and his mother during the night and went away to Egypt. 15And he was there until the death of Herod, in order that what was said by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
“Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod Has Innocent Children Murdered
16Then Herod, when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men. 17Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying,
18“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because they exist no longer#Literally “they are not”.”#A quotation from Jer 31:15
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Return to Nazareth
19Now after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had died”) Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead.” 21So he got up and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb took the child and his mother and entered#Literally “entered into” the land of Israel. 22But when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee. 23And he came and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled:#Literally “that”; the conjunction could be understood (1) to introduce a direct quotation, serving a function similar to modern English quotation marks, and thus not translated; or (2) to introduce an indirect quotation, in which case it could be translated “that he would be called a Nazarene” “He will be called a Nazarene.”
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