Matthew 2:2

2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose ¹  and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:7-10

2:7 Then Herod ²  privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He ³  sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again ⁴  the star they saw when it rose ⁵  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. ⁶ 

[2:2]  ¹ 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”).

[2:7]  ² sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

[2:8]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[2:9]  ⁴ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

[2:9]  ⁵ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

[2:10]  ⁵ tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”