Now Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, behold magi from the east arrived at Jerusalem, saying,
Matthew fixes the birth of Jesus in real history: a town, a king, and travellers from far away. Two questions follow: when did these visitors arrive, and why were strangers seeking a King that Jerusalem was not expecting?
Older versions open with "when Jesus was born," which sounds like the visitors came at once. The ESV reads "after Jesus was born." The Greek settles it.
The fact is, the word "when" in English sounds to the ordinary English reader like a note of time. Nothing in the Greek answers to it. The Greek is simply "Now Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judea" — a fact of all importance to His history.
The journey itself accounts for the gap.
It simply means that these easterners came after He was born. Many months, or more than a year, might have passed in between. The wise men had first seen the star in the east, most probably at the time of our Lord's birth. That confirms it. After seeing the star, they had many preparations to make before they could set out. Then they had a long way to travel. Travelling in those days was hard and slow in the eastern parts of the world.
The town has a history with David, and its name fits the child born there.
David was anointed in the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite, so it seems this was the place of David's birth. That is why Luke 2:11 calls it the "city of David." It was also the birthplace of Jesus. Though it was "little among the thousands of Judah," it agreed better with His humiliation. Bethlehem means "house of bread." That is a very fitting name for the place the Saviour should come from as a man — He who was the living bread that came down from heaven.
Their home was somewhere else. An emperor's decree settled where the birth happened.
Joseph and Mary are at Nazareth, but Christ must be born at Bethlehem. And the decree goes out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. All the machinery of that vast empire is set in motion to bring God's purpose about. This is very comforting to His own.
Matthew dates the birth by a king who was not of Israel at all.
The Herods came from Idumea. The Roman government made them rulers in name over Judea and Galilee. The name Idumea is the Greek equivalent of Edom, the land of the descendants of Esau. So the position of the Jews in the days of the Gospels was deeply humiliating. They were not only under the rule of the Gentile power at Rome, but a son of Esau ruled over them in the land... And the New Testament opens with an Edomite trying to destroy Him who was born King of the Jews. This ruler held Edom as well as Judea and Galilee.
Who were these travellers, and how did they link a star with a Jewish king?
The Greek word here, translated "wise men," is magi. Magicians and magi are often lumped together, but they are not necessarily the same. Philo describes the magi as men who gave themselves to studying nature and to thinking on the divine perfections — men worthy to be the counsellors of kings. How the magi connected the star with "the King of the Jews" is not known. The Jews had been scattered among the nations, so the magi may have heard of the prophecy of Balaam (Numbers 24:17) or of Daniel's prophecy. God warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. In the same way He may have led them to connect these prophecies with the appearance of the star.
The scene sets the pattern for everything that follows in this Gospel.
The chapter gives us in a nutshell the story of the entire Gospel. Jerusalem is the City of a great King, yet the true King is not known there. In His own royal residence, His people do not know He has come. Strangers from distant lands seek Him and want to know and worship Him.
Israel had no welcome ready for its Messiah. God found one elsewhere.
God would have a fitting testimony to such a Messiah; and if the Jews were unready, He would gather from the very ends of the earth some hearts to welcome Jesus.
- Born — the Greek reads "Jesus having been born." The magi came months, maybe more than a year, later — not at the manger.
- Bethlehem — "house of bread" and David's town — small, yet chosen. A Roman census brought Joseph and Mary there.
- Herod — a son of Esau ruled Jacob's land. The New Testament opens with an Edomite trying to destroy Him who was born King of the Jews.
- Strangers — men from the east came looking for the King. Balaam's or Daniel's prophecy may have stirred them.
- Pattern — the whole Gospel in miniature. His own people do not know He has come. God gathers hearts from the ends of the earth instead.
Where is the king of the Jews that has been born? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to do him homage.
Strangers from the east arrive in Jerusalem. They ask for a king the city does not know it has. Their question is the first one recorded in the New Testament, and the rest of the book answers it.
One writer sets it beside the Old Testament's first question, which was about fallen man.
What is man's position as a fallen sinner? Where is he, now that he has broken loose from God's control? This is the first question of the Old Testament. The rest of the Old Testament works out the answer in all its ugly detail, until we reach the closing chapter of Malachi, which ends with the significant word "curse." Then we open the New Testament. Not by accident, the first question on record there is "Where is He …?" We read on, and find the glorious answer.
What gives Him the right to Israel's crown?
"I am the root and the descendant of David." The "I" is emphatic. His connection with Israel in royalty is asserted here. As divine He is the Root of David's house. As man He is the descendant of David. He is David's Lord and David's Son. The crown of Israel is His because of who He is, and His too by promise and prophecy. He was born King of the Jews. He died as King of the Jews. He shall reign as King of the Jews.
It is Gentiles who acknowledge Him by that title.
The Gentiles formally acknowledge Him as King of the Jews. The will of God guides them, acting on the hearts of their wise men.
One writer weighs how the Greek tense should come across in English. He quotes the older translation of the verse.
"We saw his star in the east." This is merely a historical fact. There is nothing wrong in the translation, but "we have seen it" has quite a different force to the mind. "We have seen" is a present, lasting effect in their minds. His star had been revealed to them, and under the present influence of that they had come to worship.
Why should a star mean a king? The link goes back to Balaam, a prophet in the east.
Balaam was the last man known in the east as a prophet, before the Gentiles were broken in the presence of Israel. He was certainly a wicked man, but God used him to speak the most remarkable predictions of Israel's coming glory. And that very prophecy had closed with a reference to the Star that should rise out of Jacob. Hundreds of years later, traces of this prophecy still lingered among the people of the east.
Another writer rules out every natural explanation of what they saw.
The star was surely supernatural. Kepler pointed to a conjunction of planets. But no conjunction of planets could be called a star. And none could have produced such a complete conviction in men who knew the heavens well. It was, in fact, a beautiful witness of the God of nature to the men of nature.
They travelled to give, not to get. Their gifts suited a king. What they did before giving suited more than a king.
These princes brought their gifts, gifts such as nobles from far away would bring to a king. But "when they saw the child with Mary His mother," they recognised His divine glory first, and they "fell down and worshipped Him." Then they acknowledged His kingship and brought out their gifts. They worshipped God and gave gifts to the King.
The men who could answer the question from Scripture did answer it. Then they did nothing.
With the greatest readiness these men of the Bible turned up Micah 5:2 and read out to the king the well-known words. Yet not one step did these men take in the direction of Bethlehem to see if the promised King was there. There is nothing more heartless than mere Bible knowledge without faith.
Their loss was not information. It was the voice of God.
God spoke to the wise men, first by a star and then by a dream. To the religious men in Jerusalem He did not speak at all. There had been days when the high priest among them had been in touch with God by means of the Urim and Thummim. Now God was silent to them.
- Question. The New Testament opens with the search God's own city never started: "Where is He?" — asked by outsiders.
- Star. A supernatural light drew men who watched the heavens — a witness of the God of nature to the men of nature.
- Seeking. The scribes had the verse; the strangers took the road. Bible knowledge without faith is heartless.
- Sovereign. The crown is His because of who He is: born King of the Jews, crucified as King, set to reign as King.
- Submission. The search ended in worship. They saw His divine glory first, then gave a king's gifts.
But Herod the king having heard [of it], was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
The birth of a King should have set the city celebrating. Instead it put the city on edge. The verse raises two questions: why would a king fear a baby, and why would the whole capital of God's people share that fear?
The trouble Herod felt was personal. He held the title, and the arrival of the real owner of it left him no room.
Herod was king at Jerusalem, so he was deeply shaken by the announcement that the King of the Jews was born. It touched him very closely, because he knew that if the true Messiah had come, he could no longer be king himself. Besides, the news that God's King had come was enough to alarm the conscience and awaken fear and dread. Others felt the same... There were no thunderclaps or lightning, no threats, no sound of alarm; yet they were troubled... The king's troubled state of mind led him to make inquiry... but with all the unquestionable evidence in front of him, he did not think the Messiah worth seeking.
The city had its own reason to be uneasy. Living under a ruler like Herod, they could guess what his panic would cost them.
Herod, the king, was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. He feared for his throne, which was not his. Jerusalem knew what Herod's fear meant — rebellion, bloodshed, and suffering.
Herod's alarm is easy to explain. The second half of the verse is the shock. These were the people who claimed to be waiting for this very birth.
It is not surprising, we say again, that Herod should be troubled when he heard the news, for here was apparently a rival claimant to his throne. But we read that "he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." So the coming of the Saviour produced not celebration but dismay among the very people who claimed to be waiting for Him! Something was terribly wrong, since so far this was only the recoil of their twisted instincts. They had not seen Him. He had done nothing yet. They only sensed that His coming would mean the spoiling of their pleasures instead of the fulfilment of their hopes.
The word "all" leaves no group standing outside the reaction.
"All Jerusalem" is sweeping enough, surely. The expression would include the learned and the unlearned, old and young, clergy and laity. All Jerusalem was troubled!
The men Herod called in could answer his question instantly from Micah's prophecy. Their accuracy only made their coldness plainer.
Look at the words, "and all Jerusalem with him." Let each of us underline that word "all" in our minds. It clearly means Pharisees and Sadducees included. True, these religious men had a knowledge of their Scriptures, for they could quote Micah 5:2 at once in reply to Herod's demand. Yet the only practical use they made of their knowledge was to give Herod an opportunity to kill the infant Messiah.
Knowing the text is not the same as wanting the One it speaks of.
Yet these men did not take one step toward Bethlehem to see if the promised King was there. There is nothing more heartless than mere Bible knowledge without faith. Strange as it may seem, it is possible to go down to an eternal hell with a mind crammed with Bible truth.
The men who travelled furthest were the ones who came to worship.
When the first breath of this news reaches Jerusalem, the result is dismay in everyone. The king, the priests, the scribes — all are in turmoil. There was no heart for Jesus. But God will always have a testimony. If the Jews will not have Him, the Gentiles come; and it is grace that brings this about... Jerusalem sides with the false king, and does not care to receive Him. Those who were despised as dogs have the honour of truly recognising the claims of the Messiah. The Jews themselves had to teach them the first lessons of prophecy.
Herod's reaction becomes a mirror. News about Christ still troubles people. The question is what that trouble leads to.
But does news of Christ trouble you now? Then you are like Herod. I wish to God that you were troubled, but on the right account. I wish you were anxious about your soul and crying, "What must I do to be saved?"
- Troubled, not glad. There were no thunderclaps and no threats, yet the whole city was shaken. The birth that should have brought celebration brought dismay instead.
- Troubled by a throne. Herod feared for a crown that was not his. If the true Messiah had come, he could no longer be king himself.
- Troubled before He acted. He had done nothing yet, and they had not even seen Him. They sensed His coming meant the spoiling of their pleasures. That instinct alone showed something was terribly wrong.
- Troubled with Scripture open. The scribes quoted the right verse and never walked to Bethlehem. Bible knowledge without desire for Christ served a murderer's plot.
- Troubled, or seeking? Strangers from the east came to worship Him. The city next door sided with the false king. The same news still divides people that way.
and, assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.
News of a newborn King has reached Jerusalem. The man on the throne calls in the nation's religious experts and asks them one question. The scene is strange. A king fears the Messiah, and the Bible teachers can say where He is without going to Him.
Herod's summons was not curiosity. He held the title "king of the Jews" himself. The news struck at everything he owned. The answer he got did not settle him.
Herod was king at Jerusalem, so he was deeply shaken by the announcement that the King of the Jews was born. It touched him very closely, because he knew that if the true Messiah had come, he could no longer be king himself. Besides, the news that God's King had come was enough to alarm the conscience and stir up fear and dread... The king's troubled state of mind led him to make inquiry. He first gathered the men he judged best able to give him information. He demanded that they tell him where the Christ was to be born. But though their reply was correct, it did not relieve his trouble.
Herod's question is about "the Christ" — the Messiah the prophets promised. Look at who he called in and how they replied.
By order of the king they were called together, not in a special session of the Sanhedrin, but in a larger gathering. He commanded all the chief priests and scribes to present themselves and to bring out the scrolls of the law, the prophets and the writings. Now Herod puts his question: where is the Messiah to be born? The answer comes at once from the prophecies of Micah, at the start of his fifth chapter: Bethlehem of Judea. There was no dissenting voice. They were all orthodox and knew the Scriptures perfectly. But it was head knowledge, and it never touched their consciences.
Notice where Herod had to turn when he wanted facts he could trust.
It is a very striking thing. If you want solid information you must go to the Scriptures. Even that godless man Herod had to go to Scripture. Where did Herod get his information? From the pages of Scripture. And where do men get real light and truth today? Again, it is from the Scriptures.
Herod called these men in as the experts, and they performed perfectly. They never acted on what they read out to him.
With the utmost readiness these men of the Bible turned up Micah 5:2 and read out the well-known words to the king... Yet not one step did these men take in the direction of Bethlehem to see if the promised King was there. There is nothing more heartless than mere Bible knowledge without faith. Strange as it may seem, it is possible to go down to an eternal hell with a mind crammed full of Bible truth.
The test of the moment was not whether they could answer, but whether they wanted the One they were answering about.
They knew the answer (from Micah 5:2), but they seemed to have no more desire for Christ than Herod did. Surely any honest reality of faith would have gladly desired to join the wise men in such a quest.
These men should have been the closest to God of anyone in Israel. Their high priest once got answers from Him directly. See who was actually hearing from Him now.
The shepherds of Luke 2 knew of His birth within a few hours. These eastern astronomers knew within a few days, or weeks at the most. But several months must have passed before the priests and scribes had the smallest hint of what had happened. God spoke to the wise men first by a star and then by a dream. To the religious leaders in Jerusalem He did not speak at all. Yet there had been days when the high priest among them was in touch with God through the Urim and Thummim. Now God was silent to them.
Their careful study is a warning, not a model. It leaves a rule for everyone who reads the Bible.
People generally felt that someone was coming. They studied the letter of the word with such remarkable care that they could say where the Messiah would be born. Yet that study was lifeless. Unless we connect everything with Jesus, we fail to get the profit from any portion of Scripture.
- Fear asks. The birth of the true King threatened Herod's throne, so he called the council. Their correct answer left his trouble exactly where it was.
- Knowledge answers. The chief priests and scribes replied at once, and no one disagreed. Their facts were flawless. Their consciences were untouched.
- Scripture supplies. Even a godless king had to go to the written word for anything solid. That is still where men find light and truth.
- Faith walks. Not one of these Bible men took a step toward Bethlehem. A mind crammed with Bible truth is no proof of a heart that wants Christ.
- Silence follows. God spoke to strangers from the east by a star and a dream. To the men holding the scrolls He said nothing. Study stays lifeless until we connect everything with Jesus.
And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judaea; for thus it is written through the prophet
Herod's question gets an immediate answer from the scribes. It comes not from the star, and not from palace guesswork, but from a written line of prophecy. The striking thing is how much these men know and how little they do with it.
The men from the east had a sign in the sky, but not an address.
When these strangers saw the star, they set out for Jerusalem, the traditional royal capital. When they arrived, God meets them; and it is remarkable how He does so. It is by His word, and His word interpreted by those who had not the smallest interest of heart in the Messiah. They were quite right in their interpretation; they knew where Messiah was to be born.
Even Herod had to open the book. There was nowhere else to go for a reliable answer.
It is a very striking thing that if you want solid information you must go to the Scriptures. Even that godless man Herod had to go to Scripture. Where did Herod get his information? From the pages of Scripture. And where do people get real light and truth today? Again, it is from the Scriptures.
The prophet named a small town, not the capital. Both its size and its name fit the One born there.
David was anointed in the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite. So it appears to have been the place of David's birth, and this is why Luke 2:11 calls it the "city of David." It was also the birthplace of Jesus. Though it was "little among the thousands of Judah," that matched His lowliness all the better. Bethlehem means "house of bread." That is a very fitting name for a place from which the Saviour should come as a man — He who was the living bread that came down from heaven.
Mary and Joseph did not live in Bethlehem. Getting them there took an empire — and that is exactly what God used.
The greatest interest of Bethlehem is that it marks the birthplace not only of David, but of his greater Son. God is overruling all, He brings this about. Joseph and Mary are at Nazareth, but Christ must be born at Bethlehem. And the decree goes out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. All the machinery of that vast empire is set in motion to bring God's purpose about. This is very comforting to His own.
These teachers gave the right answer and then stayed where they were.
The scribes in Herod's court hold the prophetic word in their minds, clear, full and correct. They can teach it to others. It is bright and exact in their intellect and memory. But they make no use of it themselves. A solemn sight indeed! They sent the men of the east on their way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem in the bright light of the prophet Micah. But they do not take one step along that road themselves.
Writers press this as a warning rather than as a curiosity of history.
Yet not one step did these men take in the direction of Bethlehem to see if the promised King was there. There is nothing more heartless than mere Bible knowledge without faith. Strange as it may seem, it is possible to go down to an eternal hell with the mind crammed with Bible truth.
There was a purpose in God letting visitors from another nation ask the question first.
Through these Gentiles He sent a testimony to Jerusalem about the birth of the Messiah. God knew how to do this, and to rebuke, through their testimony, those who should above all have watched for and welcomed their own Messiah.
Micah's sentence does not stop where the scribes stopped it. The next clause — quoted here from an older English Bible — says who this ruler is.
These scribes quoted Micah 5:2, and they mentioned the "Governor." But they chose to leave out the wonderful words that follow: "whose goings forth have been from everlasting," or, as the margin has it, "from the days of eternity." They hid the truth that this King was the Lord, Jehovah!
- Written. Micah's prophecy fixed the birthplace long before the birth. The answer to Herod was a quotation, not an opinion.
- Written for the seeker. The star brought the travellers as far as Jerusalem. Only Scripture told them where to go next, and even a godless king had to consult it.
- Written, then arranged. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth. God set a whole empire's census in motion to bring the birth to Bethlehem, "the house of bread," the town of David.
- Written but half-quoted. The scribes named the Governor. They stopped short of "whose goings forth have been from everlasting" — the words that show this King is the Lord Himself.
- Written but not obeyed. They gave directions they never followed. Bible knowledge without love for Christ leaves a person right where it found them.
And *thou* Bethlehem, land of Juda, art in no wise the least among the governors of Juda; for out of thee shall go forth a leader who shall shepherd my people Israel.
Herod asks the scribes in his court where the Christ will be born. They answer at once by quoting Micah. The verse names a small town, a Ruler, and a people. It also leaves one question hanging: why did the men who knew the place never go there themselves?
Bethlehem had nothing to recommend it. The prophecy is the only reason anyone remembers it.
Bethlehem was of small consequence in itself, insignificant among the thousands of Judah, yet it was to leap into undying fame. And why? "Out of you shall He come forth to Me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
(The ESV puts that last line as "whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.") The town was not the only lowly thing lifted up by Him.
Here the Messiah, the ruler, appears in many glories, both personal and official. And poor Bethlehem, little in Judah, is honoured because of Him. His mother was the poor carpenter's wife of Nazareth. His birthplace was the poor town of Bethlehem. Both take honour and blessing because of Him.
Set this verse next to Micah 5:2 and the words do not match. Micah calls the town little; here it is by no means least.
The Gospel writer gives the sense rather than the exact words of the Hebrew or of the Greek Old Testament. Here the literal translation of the Hebrew does agree with the Greek.
Micah's sentence does not stop at the Ruler. The scribes' answer does.
"Bethlehem," said the scribes, and they quoted the prophet's words about the "Governor" who would rule God's people Israel (Micah 5:2). But they chose to leave out the wonderful words that follow: "whose goings forth have been from everlasting," or, as the margin note puts it, "from the days of eternity." They hid what this King really was: the Lord, Jehovah!
Those omitted words settle who this Ruler is.
He was born in Bethlehem. But that is not all, for "His goings forth have been of old from everlasting." He was a divine person. In grace He became a baby in Bethlehem, but He was Jehovah the true God of Israel.
Everything turns on the verb behind "rule" in this verse.
poimainō means to feed cattle, as in Luke 17:7. It is also used as a picture of feeding the flock or church of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). Four times it is translated "rule," where it applies to the people of Israel and to the nations in a future day: Matthew 2:6; Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15. It comes from the root poimēn, "a shepherd," and may be translated "to shepherd," because it means care or oversight as well as feeding.
Micah's picture of the coming Ruler is more than a prediction.
That is God's thought of a true ruler… The true Shepherd of the sheep will never give up the service to which love set Him apart, whatever the circumstances. With love, rule is service, and how blessed the time when love alone shall rule!
The last words of the verse say whose Shepherd He is.
He was born into this world as the heir to David's throne. That throne had stood empty for centuries, waiting for its rightful and expected occupant. By birth He was the Shepherd of Israel (Matthew 2:6, Greek), for the Old Testament Scriptures use that title for kings… So all Israel were the sheep whose interests and welfare the Son of David would be expected to promote.
The tragedy of the verse is who spoke it.
The scribes in Herod's court hold the prophetic word in their minds, clear, full and exact. They can teach it to others… But they make no use of it themselves. A solemn sight indeed! They sent the men from the east on their way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem in the bright light of the prophet Micah. Yet they never take one step along that road themselves.
- Small town. Bethlehem was insignificant among the thousands of Judah. The Ruler born there gave it undying fame.
- Eternal Person. Micah's next line calls His goings forth "from everlasting." The Baby of Bethlehem was a divine person. The scribes quoted up to that line and stopped.
- Shepherd rule. The word for "rule" is poimainō, to shepherd; it carries care and feeding, not only authority.
- His people. By birth He is the Shepherd of Israel, David's heir to a throne empty for centuries, with all Israel as His sheep.
- Cold knowledge. The scribes pointed out the road to Bethlehem and never walked it. A right answer is not the same as taking the road yourself.
Then Herod, having secretly called the magi, inquired of them accurately the time of the star that was appearing;
The chief priests and scribes have just told Herod where the Messiah would be born. Now he calls the visitors from the east aside for the one thing Scripture could not give him: the timing of the star. His secrecy and his careful questions have a purpose, and verse 16 uncovers it.
Herod splits his inquiry in two. The scribes could tell him the place; only the magi could tell him the time.
Herod was very crafty. He knew who to ask. He does not expect the wise men to tell him where He was born. But he does ask them when.
His exact questions were not devotion. He was working out an age. What he asks of the magi next only covers that up.
Herod carefully asked them what time the star appeared. His motives in this were thoroughly evil, as verse 16 proves. He wanted to know the age of the child, with the object of murdering Him. Yet in cunning hypocrisy he asked them to find the child and report to him, so that he might worship Him too.
The religious leaders had just given Herod the word of God. He uses what he learns, but hearing Scripture and bowing to it are not the same thing.
It is a striking testimony to the value of God's Word that Herod, in the middle of his confusion, has to turn to Scripture and listen to it. When he gets the knowledge, he turns it to bad account, like many another sinner… He had no thought of that. That was mere deceit on his lips. He was set on murder, not worship, in his heart… That is man's hatred. As soon as he hears of His birth, he plots to destroy the blessed Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Herod was not the only one in Jerusalem who gained nothing from Scripture.
There was such careful study of the letter of the word that men could say where the Messiah would be born; yet that study was lifeless. Unless we connect everything with Jesus, we fail to get profit from any part of scripture.
The magi's answer fixed a date in Herod's mind. His later order shows how far back that date lay.
It was after the king's careful inquiry of the wise men that he settled in his own mind at what time the Child must have been born. God warned the magi, so they withdrew instead of returning to Herod. Then he sent out the cruel command to kill the children in Bethlehem and all its region who were two years old or under. He drew the natural conclusion: a long time had passed between the birth of Christ and his wicked order.
This verse also corrects the familiar picture of the wise men standing at the manger on the night of the birth.
It is assumed that the visit of the Magi took place at the time of Christ's birth. Who has not seen them pictured from early childhood among donkeys and oxen? They kneel before a mother and a newborn baby, with halos round their heads.… Nothing in the history given in scripture proves that the Magi came at the moment of Christ's birth. A good deal shows that they did not. Herod's question about when the star appeared (Matt. 2:7) makes it clear enough that the star appeared at His birth. They may well have taken time to prepare to set out, and the journey itself must have taken time.
Behind the private summons lies a simple refusal. Another has the rightful title, and Herod means to keep the crown anyway.
The rejection was immediate and outright. Murderous hands sealed it, hands moved by the spirit of the world in the heart. Yet they tried to cover themselves with lies and hypocrisy. Nothing could be worse than the wickedness of Herod. The throne at Jerusalem was in his possession at that time, and he will not give it up, even though another has a divine title to it. If he can keep it, he will not give it up even to God Himself. This is the language of his actions.
- Secrecy — Herod calls the magi aside for what the scribes cannot supply: not where, but when the star appeared.
- Calculation — his careful questions are arithmetic, not reverence. He is working out the child's age so he can reach Him.
- Knowledge — he hears Scripture and uses it. An unwilling heart puts even truth to bad use.
- Chronology — the star marked the birth, but travel and preparation took time. Herod's order against children two years old or under shows he reckoned a long gap.
- Motive — behind it all is a throne he will not give up, not even to God. Worship on the lips hides murder in the heart.
and having sent them to Bethlehem, said, Go, search out accurately concerning the child, and when ye shall have found [him] bring me back word, so that *I* also may come and do him homage.
Herod sounds like a fellow seeker: find the child, then send word back so he can come and worship too. But the rest of the chapter unmasks him: a man can quote the right Scripture and still plot against the One he claims to seek.
Why did Herod want to know when the star first appeared? What he did later, in verse 16, gives the answer.
Herod carefully asked them when the star appeared. His motives in this were thoroughly evil, as verse 16 proves. He wanted to know the age of the child, with the object of murdering Him. Yet in cunning hypocrisy he asked them to find the child and report to him in order that he also might worship Him.
Hatred of Christ was there from His first days, and it wore a polite face.
At His birth the enmity of man is ready to kill the child Jesus, and to cover its murderous intent with lying words (Matt. 2:8, 16).
Herod turns to the Bible before he lies. The trouble is what he does with it.
God's Word shows its value in a striking way here. Even in his confusion, Herod has to turn to Scripture and listen to it. When he gets the knowledge, he turns it to bad account, like many another sinner… He had no thought of worshipping Him. That was mere deceit on his lips. He was set on murder, not worship, in his heart.
Notice who actually passed the prophecy on to the men from the east.
The scribes and chief priests did not pass the Word on to the wise men. It was wicked King Herod, with his wicked thoughts and plans, who passed it on to them.
The scribes could name the town. They never went there.
The scribes in Herod's court know the prophetic word clearly, fully and accurately. They can teach it to others. It is bright and correct in their intellect and memory. But though this is so, they make no use of it themselves. A solemn sight indeed! In the bright light of the prophet Micah they sent the men of the east on their way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. But they do not take one step along that road themselves.
Their answer was correct. So what is such knowledge worth on its own?
There is nothing more heartless than mere Bible knowledge without faith. Strange as it may seem, it is possible to go down to an eternal hell with the mind crammed with Bible truth.
Herod meant to make the visitors from the east his agents. It did not work.
What saved "the wise men from the east"? Why could Herod not — why could Satan not — enlist them into his service? Reader, mark the reply. They had a heart for Christ. Blessed safeguard! No doubt they were ignorant of Scripture… but they were looking for Jesus — earnestly, honestly, diligently looking for Jesus! Herod would gladly have used them if he could, but they were never his to use… Instead of being tools in the hands of Herod, they were worshippers at the feet of Jesus.
God does not just block Herod. He uses him.
They are like signposts on a road along which they do not move an inch. They pass the word on to those who value it. Herod himself also becomes the instrument that guides worshippers to the feet of Jesus.
The report Herod asked for never came, because God intervened.
God also warned these men from the east, and they went home another way. That defeated the plan of the treacherous heart and cruel head of the Edomite king.
- Words — "That I too may come and worship him" was a lie from a man set on murder. The same mouth that quotes Scripture can plot against Christ.
- Knowledge — Herod got the right answer from the Bible and turned it to bad use. The experts gave the right answer and never left Jerusalem.
- Heart — The visitors never became Herod's tools. What saved them was a heart looking for Jesus.
- Signposts — You can point others down the road to Christ and never walk it yourself. Bible knowledge without faith is heartless.
- Overruling — The king's own order sent the worshippers to Bethlehem. God's warning sent them home another way. The plot served the worship it meant to stop.
And they having heard the king went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them until it came and stood over the place where the little child was.
The wise men leave Herod's court with the words of the prophets in their ears. At that moment the sign that first set them travelling comes back into view. Two questions follow: what was this star, and why did it return just then?
A common picture has the star hanging over the caravan for the whole journey west. Writers on this verse point out that the text does not say that.
It is also wrong to think that the star guided the wise men from the East across a vast stretch of country and finally brought them to Jerusalem. The star they had seen in the East went before them only after they had departed from Jerusalem. It then says, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." This shows that for a time they did not see the star.
Their joy at seeing it is the evidence. You do not rejoice over the return of something you never lost. Some older translations read "in the East" where the ESV says the star was seen "when it rose."
While the star was out of sight, guidance came through Scripture. Men who knew the text well handed it on to others.
They are like signposts on a road along which they do not move an inch. They pass on the word to those who value it... They alone obey the Word and turn their faces toward Bethlehem. As they do, the star they had lost along the way appears again. It goes before them until it comes and stands over the place where the young child is. It does not leave them now until they are face to face with Him they seek.
The order matters. The sign returned only after they acted on what they had heard.
We shall find it true in our own experience, that where we act in simple obedience, we find all that is necessary. God always takes special care of those who are true to the light, however little it is. But nothing offends Him more than a big claim to light with no heart for the true light, which is Christ.
Commentators differ here. Some hold that no natural event in the sky can account for it.
The star was surely supernatural. No lining up of planets, such as Kepler pointed out, could be called a star. Nor could it have produced such a complete conviction in men who knew the heavens well. It was, in fact, a beautiful witness of the God of nature to the men of nature. He is not bound by the regular order of things, which we so need if we are to have a stable world to count on.
Another writer leaves room for a natural event in the sky at the same moment, without insisting on it:
I do not say that this coincidence is what the magi saw, but it might be the case, since such was the state of the heavenly bodies when these men came up.
Why would a star mean a king to men who lived far from Israel? One writer points to an old prediction that people in the East kept alive.
The "Star" and the "Sceptre" plainly refer to Christ; the former in His first advent, the latter in His second. Quite possibly people in the East remembered this prediction about the "Star" and handed it down from generation to generation. That would have given the "wise men from the east" the idea that the remarkable star they saw marked the birth of the King of the Jews.
The star did not stop over a town. What kind of star can come to rest over one house?
Astronomers tell us there is no record of any special star or comet in the sky at that time. It seems likely God sent this one just for them to see. It could not have been a huge star. It was more like a meteor, since it came close enough to earth to stand right over the house where the Lord was. So it seems it was meant only for the wise men. He was no longer in the manger, but in a house.
- Lost — the star did not stay with them the whole way. Their great joy at seeing it again proves there was a stretch of road without it.
- Word — in that gap God guided by Scripture, handed on by men who knew the text but never moved toward Bethlehem.
- Obeyed — the sign returned as they turned toward Bethlehem. God takes special care of those true to the little light they have.
- Personal — it went before them and stopped over one house, and did not leave them until they stood face to face with the Child.
- Debated — writers differ on what the star was, supernatural or partly natural. They agree on where it led: to the Child Himself.
And when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Wise men from the east had followed a star to find the newborn King. Somewhere between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, that light came back into the sky. This verse records what that sight did to them. It also divides two kinds of people: those who know where the King is, and those who go to Him.
If the star had shone over them the whole journey, seeing it again would be no cause for joy.
Some say the star travelled along with the wise men. It is a common but very strange mistake. Scripture not only gives no hint of it, but contradicts it. "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." They had seen it in the east. After they questioned Herod, it appeared again and pointed out the birthplace of Jesus. If the Son of the Highest was born into the world, I see nothing strange in an extraordinary event marking it out — an event suited to the wise men's minds, and one that drew everyone's attention. The presence of the Son of God in the world was much more wonderful than that of the star.
Was this an ordinary star? One reference work treats it as sent for this one occasion:
From the account given of this star it is clear that it was sent for this birth alone. It did not only appear to the wise men in the East. It also guided them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and "stood over" where the young child was. Faith in the power of God removes all difficulty about the star.
The star came back the moment they acted on the little they knew. One writer turns that into a rule for us.
They arrive at Jerusalem. When they leave it for Bethlehem, God encourages them again… And we shall find it true in our own experience: where we act in simple obedience, we find all that we need. God always takes particular care of those who are true to the light, however little it may be. Nothing is more hateful to Him than big claims to light in someone with no heart for the true light, which is Christ.
The scribes in Jerusalem gave Herod the right answer. They never went to Bethlehem themselves.
They quote the text for Herod; and they do it well; but they have no heart for the One they testify to. They are like signposts on a road along which they do not move an inch… The wise men alone obey the Word and turn their faces toward Bethlehem. As they do so, the star which they had lost along the way appears again and goes before them. It goes on until it comes and stands over where the young child is. It does not leave them now until they are face to face with Him they seek.
The same news reached the capital city and these travellers. It landed in opposite ways.
All Jerusalem was troubled; some Gentiles were made exceedingly happy. It was something like what Peter says: "joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory." The matter must have been very important to these men from the east. Otherwise they would never have taken such a long journey. They naturally thought Jerusalem, the capital, would be the birthplace of the King. And now, to see the star again was a great cause for rejoicing.
Why so much joy over a light in the sky? One writer answers from the journey behind them.
If you have a desire for Him, be encouraged by the example of these men. Let their example cheer you. We read — "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." Why? Because they had this thought: we are nearing the object of our search now. They travelled over that desert for long weary weeks and months. I have no doubt the question often rose in their minds: "Shall we find Him?" Now their search is about to be rewarded, and they rejoice.
They rejoiced at a sign before they had seen the King Himself. Did the reality match the sign?
But the worship was real, and the great joy with which they had greeted the star when it reappeared was, we may be sure, more than justified by the result.
- Lost light. The star had vanished for part of the journey. Scripture "contradicts" the idea that it went with them the whole way.
- Obedient step. They acted on the little they knew, and the light returned. God "takes particular care of those who are true to the light, however little it may be."
- Idle signpost. The scribes named Bethlehem correctly. They never walked there — right answers with "no heart for the One they testify to."
- Opposite hearts. One city was troubled by the news; outsiders were "made exceedingly happy" by the same news.
- Justified joy. Their gladness at a sign was "more than justified by the result." The star never left them until they stood face to face with Him.
And having come into the house they saw the little child with Mary his mother, and falling down did him homage. And having opened their treasures, they offered to him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Travellers from the east reach the end of a long search in a house in Bethlehem. They fall down before a small child and open their treasures — which raises three questions: who did they think He was, why these gifts, and what does their worship ask of us?
Many picture a stable here, but Matthew's wording points elsewhere:
Matthew 2:11 speaks of the wise men coming into "the house," and says that they opened out their treasures. No hint of a stable. Herod sent them to Bethlehem, and the star went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Mary is there and named, yet the homage goes past her. William Kelly points to what the words say:
The wise men, "going into the house," saw "the child with Mary His mother," and they fell down and worshiped Him — not her. Their homage was to Him. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh. They acknowledged Him. They were poor strangers, and their greatest honour was that He acknowledged them.
The word Matthew uses for what they offered means to bring something and present it:
In the New Testament two Greek words are translated 'to offer.' One is prosphero, 'to bring to,' 'present.' This is the word used in Matthew 2:11, of the wise men who 'presented' their gifts to the Lord.
The searchers come from outside Israel, and their arrival exposes how little room there was for Him at home.
Even though there was no heart for Him in Jerusalem and no room for Him in Bethlehem, God would raise up a testimony from among the nations outside Israel. "Wise men" — wise in every sense of the word — are led by God to seek Him. They recognise His divinity, worship Him, and present to Him their threefold gift: "gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
Commentators read the gifts as a portrait of the child. They differ on the details. James McBroom traces them from His glory to His death:
Gold witnesses to the Divine and eternal glory that was there. The frankincense speaks of all those precious human graces so beautifully joined with the Divine, which the Father could take account of. Myrrh — a plant said to give out its fragrance when it is crushed — tells of what came out by His suffering and death at the Cross.
Another writer sets two readings side by side. He also warns against claiming too much for the travellers:
The Church of old seems to have agreed almost with one voice about them. In the gold they saw the recognition of His royalty; in the frankincense, the acknowledgement of His Deity; and the myrrh, later used at His burial, they took as looking ahead to His death. From the way these things are used in Scripture, we might take the gold as the recognition of His divine glory, and the frankincense as the fragrance of a life lived for God as no other life ever was… nor could we argue that the wise men knew the real meaning of what they did. But the worship was real.
Many tie this scene to Isaiah's picture of nations bringing gifts. The lists do not match, and the gap is the point.
In Isaiah we read that they will bring gold and frankincense and proclaim the praises of the Lord. We notice at once that Isaiah says nothing at all about myrrh. Why is there no myrrh in Isaiah, and why does Matthew mention it? Isaiah's passage refers to the coming of the nations at the time when the rejected King has come again in power and glory, as King of kings. So there is no need of myrrh… They do not seek a small humble house, as the wise men did; they seek the house of glory.
W. T. P. Wolston turns the scene on the reader:
Whatever the gifts may mean, they mean this at least: the best they had was for Jesus. What have you had for Jesus yet?… If you learn His grace, what will come then? Out of your heart will come what the gold, frankincense and myrrh pointed to. You will present to Him the best of everything — the affection and worship of a loving heart.
Hamilton Smith names what makes such giving worship:
In worship there is no thought of receiving blessing from Christ, but of bringing the homage of our hearts to Christ.
- Sought — They came from outside Israel to look for Him. The ones who found Him were the ones searching.
- Seen — In an ordinary house, not a stable, they saw a child with His mother and recognised His divinity.
- Bowed — Their homage went to Him alone. Kelly notes that the text says they worshiped Him, "not her."
- Opened — Writers read the three gifts as His glory, His fragrant life and His death. They differ on the details, and the wise men may not have grasped their own act.
- Anticipated — In Isaiah's coming day the nations bring gold and frankincense, but no myrrh. The suffering will be past.
And being divinely instructed in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
The wise men had worshipped the child and given their gifts. Now God speaks to them in a dream — do not go back to Herod — and their road home changes.
The order of events matters. They gave their gifts and bowed first; God's direction came after. One writer sees the same pattern for believers today.
"And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way." This is all the Word has to say about how these strangers left. After their worship and their gifts, God's guidance instructs them. We have guidance too as believers, but ours comes through the Spirit in the Word.
Older translations read "divinely instructed" rather than "warned", which points to more than a caution. Notice too that this was not God's first approach to these men.
In a dream God instructs them not to return to Herod. Once again He meets them in their own particular way, and they go back by another road to the place they came from.
Jerusalem had a history of hearing from God. Something had changed.
God spoke to the wise men first by a star and then by a dream. To the religious men in Jerusalem He did not speak at all. Yet there had been days when the high priest among them had been in touch with God by means of the Urim and Thummim. Now God was silent to them.
This was not a one-off. One writer draws a general rule from it.
We will find this true in our own experience: when we act in simple obedience, we find everything we need. God always takes special care of those who are true to the light, however small that light may be. And nothing disgusts Him more than big claims about light in someone who has no heart for the true light, which is Christ.
Herod was waiting for the wise men to come back to him. One dream ended that.
God also sent word to these men from the east, and they went home by another way. So they defeated the plan of the treacherous heart and cruel mind of the Edomite king, even though he still slaughtered the innocent children.
Behind Herod's flattering words the commentators see a familiar pattern of evil, exposed the moment God's warning strips away the pretence.
The unbelief that refused God's word is now left to show how completely it lay under Satan's power. Satan shows himself, as he has from the beginning, first a liar and then a murderer. But God revealed Herod's purpose.
Their part in the story ends here. Look back over the chapter, though, and God's hand is on every move.
God's supernatural guidance beautifully marks every detail of this history in chapter 2. God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Herod, so they took another route home. They made this great journey only for a brief sight of the young child born King of Israel. What a lesson for Jews in the land, who had no interest in seeing Him! But Scripture keeps the wisdom and faith of these wise men on record for ever!
- Guided. God's direction came after their worship, not before it. Believers get the same guidance today through the Spirit in the Word.
- Personal. A star drew them; a dream now warns them. God met them in a way that fitted them.
- Silent. The travellers got a star and a dream; the religious men of Jerusalem got nothing. Light obeyed brings more light; light only owned brings none.
- Defeated. One dream unravels Herod's whole scheme, exposing the liar who was already a murderer at heart.
- Remembered. They made a long journey for one brief sight of the child, and Scripture keeps their faith on record for ever.