Matthew 2:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

NIV: When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

NASB: And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

CSB: So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born.

NLT: He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, 'Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?'

KJV: And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

NKJV: And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

King Herod and all of Jerusalem are troubled. Wise men from the east had arrived in Jerusalem looking for the newborn "king of the Jews." This was inspired by tracking of a star in the sky and the wise men's understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures. Those Scriptures pointed to the birth of a "Christ" or "Messiah" who would save Israel and rule over the nation. They had come to give reverence to this long-awaited king.

King Herod was troubled by this news for two reasons. First, he knew all about these prophesies. Israelites grew up being taught about the coming "Christ," a king over Israel who would make all things right again. Any rumor of a born king, or savior, would be extremely powerful among the Jewish people.

The second reason Herod was troubled is that he didn't want that Christ to come to power while he was king. Herod was not king by birth, but through the installment of the Roman government. We know from history that Herod killed many of his own relatives, including his wife and several sons, to protect his power. He decides to try and stop this newborn king from coming to power.

History describes Herod as ruthless and cruel, but certainly not stupid. His attempt to eliminate this potential threat is clever and subtle. His first step is to assemble the chief priests and scribes. These two groups probably did not like Herod or each other. They resented Herod for his role as a supporter of the conquering Romans. Many may have seen him as a traitor, benefiting from Israel's occupation. The two groups resented each other for deeply held theological differences. Most of the scribes were Pharisees, while most of the priests were Sadducees.

Herod overrules these differences, because he needs these groups to answer one question from Israel's Scriptures: Where is the Christ to be born? They have a clear answer for him in the following verses. Using that, and the wise men's own information, Herod will have several options for finding and killing this child (Matthew 2:8, 12, 16).

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.