Amplified Bible
Matthew 2:6
6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not in any way least among the leaders of Judah; For from you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
Matthew 2:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
Context of Matthew 2:6
4So he called together all the chief priests and scribes of the people and [anxiously] asked them where the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) was to be born. 5They replied to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet [Micah]: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not in any way least among the leaders of Judah; For from you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them the [exact] time the star [had first] appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”
Read all of Matthew 2Matthew 2:6 word by word
καὶ σὺ βηθλέεμ γῆ Ἰούδα, οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- BethlehemΒηθλεέμBēthleem · BethlehemG965
- the landγῆgē · earth: countryG1093
- of JudaἸουδάIouda · JudahG2448
- artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐδαμῶςoudamōs · by no meansG3760
- the leastἐλάχιστοςelachistos · leastG1646
- amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the princesἡγεμώνhēgemōn · rulerG2232
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- shall comeἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
- a Governorἡγέομαιhēgeomai · to governG2233
- thatὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- shall ruleποιμαίνωpoimainō · to shepherdG4165
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474
Cross-references for Matthew 2:6
- Matthew 2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king (Herod the Great), magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,
- Micah 5:2But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah; From you One shall come forth for Me [who is] to be Ruler in Israel, His goings forth (appearances) are from long ago, From ancient days.”
- John 7:42Does the Scripture not say that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
- Matthew 28:18Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Genesis 49:10The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes, And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
- Numbers 24:19One from [the descendants of] Jacob shall have dominion And will destroy the remnant from the city.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:2Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came [David] the leader [and eventually the Messiah], yet the birthright was Joseph’s—
- Psalms 2:1Why are the nations in an uproar [in turmoil against God], And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?
- Isaiah 9:6For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Ephesians 1:22And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,
- Colossians 1:18He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything.
- Revelation 2:27and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father;
- Revelation 11:15Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
- Psalms 78:71From tending the ewes with nursing young He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.
- Isaiah 40:11He will protect His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom; He will gently and carefully lead those nursing their young.
- Jeremiah 23:4I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” says the Lord.
Commentaries on Matthew 2:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda - To distinguish it from Bethlehem, in the tribe of Zebulon. Joshua 19:15. See on Matthew 2:1; (note). Art not the least - In Micah 5:2, it is read, Though thou be little - להיות צעיר tsdir lehayoth, little to be. Houbigant, struck with the oddness of the construction of the Hebrew, by dividing the last word, and making a small change in two of the letters, makes the prophet agree with the evangelist, ,tsilegna היית…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Bethlehem was a small village. It was important because it was where King David was born. The religious leaders knew from prophecy (Matthew 1:22) that this is where God would cause his Messiah to be born there. King David had been a shepherd when he was young. As king, he became the shepherd of Israel (2 Samuel 5:2). Micah 5:2–4 predicts the Messiah as a shepherd (compare Psalm 23:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda--the "in" being familiarly left out, as we say, "London, Middlesex." art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, &c.--This quotation, though differing verbally, agrees substantially with the Hebrew and the Septuagint. For says the prophet, "Though thou be little, yet out of thee shall come the Ruler"--this honor more than compensating for its natural insignificance; while…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 2:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Amplified Bible — © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
Commentaries