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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Matthew 2: MSG
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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.
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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