Matthew 2:1-2

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  2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose ⁶  and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:9-11

2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again ⁷  the star they saw when it rose ⁸  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. ⁹  2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down ¹⁰  and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, ¹¹  and myrrh. ¹² 

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 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).

⁷ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

⁸ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

⁹ tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

¹¹ sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).

¹² sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.