Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Jesus was born - "It is clear that Christ was born before Herod the Great's death and after the census. In looking at the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke one would need to conclude that Christ was born of Mary within a year or two of Herod's death. In looking to some of the other chronological notations in the Gospels, the evidence led to the conclusion that Christ was born in the winter of 5/4 B.C. Although the exact date of Christ's birth cannot be known, either December, 5 B.C. or January, 4 B.C., is most reasonable." (Pentecost)
Bethlehem - "The town is five mi (eight km) S of Jerusalem." (Ryrie)
Herod the king - "This was Herod the Great, whose family, though nominally Jewish, was in reality Edomite. He was king, with Roman help, from 37 to 4 B.C. He built the Temple in Jerusalem that Christ knew." (Ryrie)
"In the next scene of the wonderful drama appears the savage murderous face of the monster Herod. He was greatly troubled and filled with alarm when he heard the report of the Magi. The 'whole city was disturbed with him.' The reason for this agitation of the people was not far to seek. Only a little while before this, filled with rage of family rivalries and jealous of anyone who might supplant him on the throne of Palestine which he an Idumean had usurped, he had secured the murder of his own beautiful princess of the Asmonean line and his two favorite sons Alexander and Aristobulus. Though he had sought by every means to secure the favor of the Roman Emperor, Augustus about this time had said he would prefer to be Herod's hog (hus) than to be his son (huios), for he would then have a better chance of life. They city feared now the revenge of this cruel and cunning king, who had in the beginning of his reign destroyed the Sanhedrin, and now in the last years of his bloody reign, might seize and execute the chief Jews." (Shepard)
wise men - "These wise men from the east were experts in the study of the stars. Tradition says that there were three and that they were kings, but we do not know that for certain." (Ryrie)
"In portraying Jesus as the King, Matthew included the visit of the Magi from the East." (Pentecost)
"There was a messianic expectation abroad at this time. Farrar notes: 'We are informed by Tacitus, by Suetonius, and by Josephus, that there prevailed throughout the entire East at this time an intense conviction, derived from ancient prophecies, that ere long a powerful monarch would arise in Judaea, and gain dominion over the world. It has, indeed, be conjectured that the Roman historians may simply be echoing an assertion, for which Josephus was in reality their sole authority; but even if we accept this uncertain supposition, there is still ample proof, both in Jewish and in Pagan writing, that a guilty and weary world was dimly expecting the advent of its Deliverer." (Pentecost)
scribes - "...who belonged mainly to the party of the Pharisees, functioned as members of a highly honored profession. They were professional students and defenders of the law (scriptural and traditional), gathering around them pupils who they instructed in the law. They were also referred to as lawyers because they were entrusted with the administration of the law as judges in the Sanhedrin (cf. Matt 22:35)." (Ryrie)
a ruler - "See Micah 5:2. An earthly king, though a supernatural one, is meant." (Ryrie)
the star - "The start reappeared and led them to the exact house in Bethlehem." (Ryrie)
"While there seems adequate astronomical support for the appearance of a heavenly light of such proportions as to indicate to these searchers the birth of the King of the Jews, this scarcely seems to be an adequate interpretation. This was not a natural phenomenon but a supernatural one. If these men were astronomers, they would have been familiar with such a phenomenon and would have explained it naturally. It would have required more than a natural phenomenon to send them on such a journey. This star is better explained as a manifestation of the shining glory of God that He reveals to those who are recipients of revelation. There seems to be a parallel in the case of Abraham, a wise, powerful man from the East to whom God appeared and revealed His glory (Acts 7:2). This revelation of God's glory moved Abraham out of his home and country." (Pentecost)
"'When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy' (vs. 9 and 10). This statement makes it clear that the star did not precede them in their journey to Jerusalem, as is popularly supposed..." (Walker)
into the house ... the child - "These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ. The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and 'child' can mean a newborn (John 16:21). We do not know how many wise men there were." (Ryrie)
"The question has been raised, Where did they find the child? In Luke we read, 'And when they had performed all these things according to the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee, their own city Nazareth' (Luke 2:39). Now if the wise men came about a year later, did they find the child in Bethlehem or were they guided all the way up to Nazareth? We think they were guided by the star to Bethlehem in fulfillment of the word they had heard. Bethlehem is in a southern direction from Jerusalem and Nazareth directly north. They were put without question on the right road by Herod, when the star appeared again. But if the parents were in Bethlehem a year later with the child, why did they go there? The Gospel of Luke gives the answer. 'Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast' (Luke 2:41-42). This brings out that they were a year after again Jerusalem for the feast, and were therefore not in Nazareth. Bethlehem was truly their city, and the very short journey was made there from Jerusalem, where the wise men now found the young child with Mary His mother." (Gaebelein)
"The Lord was presented in the Temple forty-one days after His birth (Luke 2:21 with Lev 12:3-4), and thence returned to Nazareth (Luke 2:39). The events in this chapter, therefore, occurred later, i.e., between Luke 2:39 and Luke 2:40." (Walker)
gold and frankincense and myrrh - "These gifts worthy of a king. The early church Fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity, the frankincense of His purity, and the myrrh of His death (since it was used for embalming)." (Ryrie)
"In this paragraph, then, Matthew presented the One who one day will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be recognized as Sovereign by the nations of the earth just as He was recognized by the Magi, subsequent to His birth, as the One who has the right to rule. On previous occasions in the New Testament, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, Anna, and the shepherds had received a message directly from God which they believed and upon which they acted. Now for the first time in the New Testament, Gentiles, having received a message from God, accepted it and responded to it in faith." (Pentecost)
Jesus was born - "It is clear that Christ was born before Herod the Great's death and after the census. In looking at the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke one would need to conclude that Christ was born of Mary within a year or two of Herod's death. In looking to some of the other chronological notations in the Gospels, the evidence led to the conclusion that Christ was born in the winter of 5/4 B.C. Although the exact date of Christ's birth cannot be known, either December, 5 B.C. or January, 4 B.C., is most reasonable." (Pentecost)
Bethlehem - "The town is five mi (eight km) S of Jerusalem." (Ryrie)
Herod the king - "This was Herod the Great, whose family, though nominally Jewish, was in reality Edomite. He was king, with Roman help, from 37 to 4 B.C. He built the Temple in Jerusalem that Christ knew." (Ryrie)
"In the next scene of the wonderful drama appears the savage murderous face of the monster Herod. He was greatly troubled and filled with alarm when he heard the report of the Magi. The 'whole city was disturbed with him.' The reason for this agitation of the people was not far to seek. Only a little while before this, filled with rage of family rivalries and jealous of anyone who might supplant him on the throne of Palestine which he an Idumean had usurped, he had secured the murder of his own beautiful princess of the Asmonean line and his two favorite sons Alexander and Aristobulus. Though he had sought by every means to secure the favor of the Roman Emperor, Augustus about this time had said he would prefer to be Herod's hog (hus) than to be his son (huios), for he would then have a better chance of life. They city feared now the revenge of this cruel and cunning king, who had in the beginning of his reign destroyed the Sanhedrin, and now in the last years of his bloody reign, might seize and execute the chief Jews." (Shepard)
wise men - "These wise men from the east were experts in the study of the stars. Tradition says that there were three and that they were kings, but we do not know that for certain." (Ryrie)
"In portraying Jesus as the King, Matthew included the visit of the Magi from the East." (Pentecost)
"There was a messianic expectation abroad at this time. Farrar notes: 'We are informed by Tacitus, by Suetonius, and by Josephus, that there prevailed throughout the entire East at this time an intense conviction, derived from ancient prophecies, that ere long a powerful monarch would arise in Judaea, and gain dominion over the world. It has, indeed, be conjectured that the Roman historians may simply be echoing an assertion, for which Josephus was in reality their sole authority; but even if we accept this uncertain supposition, there is still ample proof, both in Jewish and in Pagan writing, that a guilty and weary world was dimly expecting the advent of its Deliverer." (Pentecost)
scribes - "...who belonged mainly to the party of the Pharisees, functioned as members of a highly honored profession. They were professional students and defenders of the law (scriptural and traditional), gathering around them pupils who they instructed in the law. They were also referred to as lawyers because they were entrusted with the administration of the law as judges in the Sanhedrin (cf. Matt 22:35)." (Ryrie)
a ruler - "See Micah 5:2. An earthly king, though a supernatural one, is meant." (Ryrie)
the star - "The start reappeared and led them to the exact house in Bethlehem." (Ryrie)
"While there seems adequate astronomical support for the appearance of a heavenly light of such proportions as to indicate to these searchers the birth of the King of the Jews, this scarcely seems to be an adequate interpretation. This was not a natural phenomenon but a supernatural one. If these men were astronomers, they would have been familiar with such a phenomenon and would have explained it naturally. It would have required more than a natural phenomenon to send them on such a journey. This star is better explained as a manifestation of the shining glory of God that He reveals to those who are recipients of revelation. There seems to be a parallel in the case of Abraham, a wise, powerful man from the East to whom God appeared and revealed His glory (Acts 7:2). This revelation of God's glory moved Abraham out of his home and country." (Pentecost)
"'When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy' (vs. 9 and 10). This statement makes it clear that the star did not precede them in their journey to Jerusalem, as is popularly supposed..." (Walker)
into the house ... the child - "These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ. The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and 'child' can mean a newborn (John 16:21). We do not know how many wise men there were." (Ryrie)
"The question has been raised, Where did they find the child? In Luke we read, 'And when they had performed all these things according to the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee, their own city Nazareth' (Luke 2:39). Now if the wise men came about a year later, did they find the child in Bethlehem or were they guided all the way up to Nazareth? We think they were guided by the star to Bethlehem in fulfillment of the word they had heard. Bethlehem is in a southern direction from Jerusalem and Nazareth directly north. They were put without question on the right road by Herod, when the star appeared again. But if the parents were in Bethlehem a year later with the child, why did they go there? The Gospel of Luke gives the answer. 'Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast' (Luke 2:41-42). This brings out that they were a year after again Jerusalem for the feast, and were therefore not in Nazareth. Bethlehem was truly their city, and the very short journey was made there from Jerusalem, where the wise men now found the young child with Mary His mother." (Gaebelein)
"The Lord was presented in the Temple forty-one days after His birth (Luke 2:21 with Lev 12:3-4), and thence returned to Nazareth (Luke 2:39). The events in this chapter, therefore, occurred later, i.e., between Luke 2:39 and Luke 2:40." (Walker)
gold and frankincense and myrrh - "These gifts worthy of a king. The early church Fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity, the frankincense of His purity, and the myrrh of His death (since it was used for embalming)." (Ryrie)
"In this paragraph, then, Matthew presented the One who one day will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be recognized as Sovereign by the nations of the earth just as He was recognized by the Magi, subsequent to His birth, as the One who has the right to rule. On previous occasions in the New Testament, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, Anna, and the shepherds had received a message directly from God which they believed and upon which they acted. Now for the first time in the New Testament, Gentiles, having received a message from God, accepted it and responded to it in faith." (Pentecost)
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