Matthew 2:1

The Visit of the Wise Men

2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem ¹  in Judea, in the time ²  of King Herod, ³  wise men ⁴  from the East came to Jerusalem ⁵ 

Matthew 2:16

2:16 When Herod ⁶  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men ⁷  to kill all the children in Bethlehem ⁸  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

Matthew 2:18

2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

weeping and loud wailing, ⁹ 

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she did not want to be comforted, because they were ¹⁰  gone.” ¹¹ 

¹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

² tn Grk “in the days.”

³ sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.

⁴ sn The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).

⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.

⁷ tn Or “soldiers.”

⁸ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

⁹ tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later mss (C D L W 0233 ˹³ 33 Ï) have a quotation in Matthew which conforms to that of the LXX (θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμός καὶ ὀδυρμός; qrhno" kai klauqmo" kai odurmo"). But such assimilations were routine among the scribes; as such, they typically should be discounted because they are both predictable and motivated. The shorter reading, without “lamentation and,” is thus to be preferred, especially since it cannot easily be accounted for unless it is the original wording here. Further, it is found in the better mss along with a good cross-section of other witnesses (א B Z 0250 ˹ pc lat co).

¹⁰ tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.

¹¹ sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.