Matthew 2:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

NIV: When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

NASB: When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

CSB: When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

NLT: King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.

KJV: When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

NKJV: When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew has described a significant event in Jerusalem. Men from the east described as "wise men" or "Magi" have arrived on a quest, likely with a large company of their own. The Greek word magoi was a general term name for those interested in dreams, astrology, and obscure wisdom. These wise men, though, knew about Israel's Scriptures. They specifically knew of about prophecies related to the Messiah, a long-awaited king who would save Israel and reign over her.

When they arrived in Jerusalem asking where the newborn king was so they could worship Him, it got Herod's attention. Herod was Israel's king-in-practice, thanks only to the authority of the occupying Romans. Herod was technically Jewish, though historical records suggest he was also an Idumean: a descendant of Esau and the Edomites, who opposed Israel. He was familiar enough with Israel's God and the old prophecies to know how influential they could be on the rest of the people.

Instead of being excited about the possibility that the Messiah, also known as the Christ, had been born in Israel, Herod was troubled. All of Jerusalem was troubled with him. We're not told exactly why others were worried as well, but Herod was known as a man willing to kill anyone to protect his own power. He'd done exactly that to his own family members. Religious and civil rulers in Jerusalem may also have been protective of their power and status, even under the rule of the Romans.

Matthew 2:1–12 describes the arrival in Jerusalem of a group of wise men, sometime after Jesus' birth. They are responding to the sight of a ''star'' in the night sky, leading them to conclude the ''king of the Jews'' had been born. King Herod is troubled by this news and sends them to Bethlehem. His deceitful orders are for the wise men to return and tell him where the child is. The travelling scholars are overjoyed to find the Christ, at last. They worship Him by bowing and presenting expensive gifts. Warned not to return to Herod, after all, they slip away by another route.

King Herod is surprised and troubled by the arrival of wise men from the east. They have come looking for a newborn king of the Jews. Herod directs the men to Bethlehem to find the boy for him. The wise men find and worship Jesus. Rather than cooperating with the wicked Herod, the wise men slip away. An angel warns Joseph to flee to Egypt with his family before Herod kills all the boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger to protect his throne. After Herod's death, an angel sends Joseph back to Israel and then God directs him to settle with Mary and Jesus in Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

Chapter 1 established the genealogy and miraculous conception of Jesus Christ. Sometime after Jesus' birth, a group of wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem. They have been tracking a star that points to the birth of the king of the Jews. They find and worship Jesus, then leave without telling the wicked king, Herod, where to find the boy. Warned by an angel, Joseph flees with Jesus and Mary to Egypt before Herod orders the execution of all the boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger. When notified by an angel again, they return to Israel and settle in Nazareth, in the northern region of Israel known as Galilee. This leads into chapter 3, which leaps forward to Jesus' adulthood, and the ministry of John the Baptist.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.