Matthew 2:4

Matthew 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
• New International Version (NIV)When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Context of Matthew 2:4

2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: 6And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Matthew 2:4 word by word

καὶ συναγαγὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνετο παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ποῦ ὁ χριστὸς γεννᾶται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And whenκαίkai · andG2532
• he had gatheredσυνάγωsunagō · to assembleG4863
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the chief priestsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the chief priestsἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• scribesγραμματεύςgrammateus · scribeG1122
• of the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• he demandedπυνθάνομαιpunthanomai · to inquireG4441
• ofπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• whereποῦpou · where?G4226
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• should be bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080

Cross-references for Matthew 2:4

• Matthew 21:15When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and the children shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant
• Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas,
• Matthew 27:1When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death.
• 1 Chronicles 24:4Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than Ithamar’s, they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of ancestral families were from Eleazar’s descendants, and eight heads of ancestral families were from Ithamar’s.
• 2 Chronicles 36:14All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
• Ezra 10:5Then Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said; so they took the oath.
• Nehemiah 12:7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua.
• Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One:
• John 7:32The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about him, and so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent servants to arrest him.
• John 18:3So Judas took a company of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees and came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
• Matthew 7:29because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
• Matthew 13:52“Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”
• 2 Chronicles 34:13They were also over the porters and were supervising all those doing the work task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.
• Ezra 7:6— came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
• Jeremiah 8:8“How can you claim, ‘We are wise; the law of the Lord is with us’? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood.
• Mark 8:31Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days.

Commentaries on Matthew 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The chief priests - Not only the high priest for the time being, called הראש כהן cohen ha -rosh, 2 Kings 25:18, and his deputy, called משנה כהן cohen mishneh, with those who had formerly borne the high priest's office; but also, the chiefs or heads of the twenty four sacerdotal families, which David distributed into so many courses, 1 Chronicles 24. These latter are styled הכהנים סרי sarey ha -cohanim, chief of the priests, 2 Chronicles 36:14; Ezra 8:24…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The chief priests - By the chief priests here are meant not only the high priest and his deputy, but. also the heads or chiefs of the 24 classes into which David had divided the sacerdotal families, 1 Chronicles 23:6; 24; 2 Chronicles 8:14; Ezra 8:24. Scribes - By the scribes, in the New Testament, are meant learned men; men skilled in the law, or the lawyers of the nation. They kept the records of the Courts of justice, the registers of the synagogues…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The leading priests had political and religious influence and mainly served in the temple (see Matthew 21:23). Herod gathered the teachers of religious law because they knew Old Testament prophecies and were often influential Pharisees.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together--The class of the "chief priests" included the high priest for the time being, together with all who had previously filled this office; for though the then head of the Aaronic family was the only rightful high priest, the Romans removed them at pleasure, to make way for creatures of their own. In this class probably were included also the heads of the four and twenty…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 2:4

• Heathen
• Jesus, the Christ
• Magi
• Miracles
• Scribe (S)
• Wisdom
• Wise Men

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Dream
• Flee
• Herod the Great
• Jesus
• Lamentation
• Magic
• Mary
• Stars

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