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

2They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod and all Jerusalem heard about this, they became disturbed. He called together all the chief priests and the experts in the Scriptures and tried to find out from them where the Messiah was supposed to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this: 6Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah. A leader will come from you. He 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 experts in Moses’ Teachings saw the amazing miracles he performed and the children shouting in the temple courtyard, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were irritated.
• Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the leaders of the people gathered in the palace of the chief priest Caiaphas.
• Matthew 27:1Early in the morning all the chief priests and the leaders of the people decided to execute Jesus.
• 1 Chronicles 24:4Since Eleazar’s descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar’s descendants, they were divided so that Eleazar’s descendants had 16 family leaders and Ithamar’s descendants had 8 family leaders.
• 2 Chronicles 36:14All the officials, the priests, and the people became increasingly unfaithful and followed all the disgusting practices of the nations. Although the Lord had made the temple in Jerusalem holy, they made the temple unclean.
• Ezra 10:5Then Ezra got up and made the leaders, priests, Levites, and all the rest of Israel swear to do what they had said. So they took an oath.
• Nehemiah 12:7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and of their relatives at the time of Jeshua.
• Psalms 2:2Kings take their stands. Rulers make plans together against the Lord and against his Messiah by saying,
• John 7:32The Pharisees heard the crowd saying things like this about him. So the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest Jesus.
• John 18:3So Judas took a troop of soldiers and the guards from the chief priests and Pharisees and went to the garden. They were carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.
• Matthew 7:29Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.
• Matthew 13:52So Jesus said to them, “That is why every student of the Scriptures who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
• 2 Chronicles 34:13also supervised the workers and directed all the workmen on the various jobs. Some of the Levites served as scribes, officials, or gatekeepers.
• Ezra 7:6As a scribe, Ezra was an expert in Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king gave Ezra everything he requested because the Lord his God was guiding him.
• Jeremiah 8:8“ ‘How can you say that you are wise and that you have the Lord’s teachings? The scribes have used their pens to turn these teachings into lies.
• Mark 8:31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life.

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