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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed 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 when it rose and have come to worship him." 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6"'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.'"

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 21:15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant,
• Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
• Matthew 27:1When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
• 1 Chronicles 24:4Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers' houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar.
• 2 Chronicles 36:14All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.
• Ezra 10:5Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.
• Nehemiah 12:7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
• Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
• John 7:32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
• John 18:3So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
• Matthew 7:29for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
• Matthew 13:52And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
• 2 Chronicles 34:13were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.
• Ezra 7:6this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
• Jeremiah 8:8"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
• Mark 8:31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

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