Matthew 2:8-9

2:8 He ¹  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 ²  the star they saw when it rose ³  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

Matthew 2:11

2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down ⁴  and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, ⁵  and myrrh. ⁶ 

Matthew 19:14

19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ⁷ 

[2:8]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

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

[2:9]  ³ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

[2:11]  ³ 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]  ⁴ sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).

[2:11]  ⁵ sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.

[19:14]  ⁴ sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.