Matthew 2:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

NASB: After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found.

CSB: After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was--the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.

NLT: After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.

KJV: When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

NKJV: When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

The wise men, or "Magi," been sent out by Israel's Rome-installed king, Herod, to find the newborn and long-awaited Christ. Based on their study of Jewish Scripture and the appearance of a strange star in the night sky, they are convinced that the prophesied "King of the Jews" has been born. They came first to Jerusalem looking for the child, perhaps assuming that's where a king would be born. Herod has pointed them to Bethlehem instead, based on the prophecies quoted to him by Israel's religious leaders (Matthew 2:1–8).

Bethlehem is only six miles south of Jerusalem. As the wise men set off, Herod's lead is confirmed by the reappearance of the star they have been tracking. The star rises in the sky and leads them to the place where the child Jesus was. Not all scholars agree about how to interpret these details. Scripture does not specify if the star was bright enough to be seen in the daytime, if the wise men and their entourage made a short trip by night. We are not told if the star "settled" over Bethlehem generally, requiring them to ask around about a child born under unusual circumstances. Nor does it say if the star was a ball of light very close to the ground, literally floating above a specific house.

Details aside, this specific appearance of the "star" appears to be a truly supernatural phenomenon, perhaps an angel. The first appearance of the star might have been an astrological event. This, however, seems far more specific and not easily explained with natural means. Whatever specific form the star took, the wise men are convinced it is leading them to the king of the Jews.

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.