Matthew 2:7-12

2:7 Then Herod ¹  privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He ²  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 ³  the star they saw when it rose ⁴  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. ⁵  2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down ⁶  and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, ⁷  and myrrh. ⁸  2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, ⁹  they went back by another route to their own country.

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

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

[2:9]  ³ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

[2:9]  ⁴ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

[2:10]  ⁴ tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”

[2:11]  ⁵ 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.”

[2:11]  ⁶ sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).

[2:11]  ⁷ sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.

[2:12]  ⁶ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.