Matthew 2:2

Matthew 2:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
• New International Version (NIV)and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)saying, "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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Context of Matthew 2:2

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

Matthew 2:2 word by word

λέγοντες· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Whereποῦpou · where?G4226
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• that is bornτίκτωtiktō · to give birth toG5088
• Kingβασιλεύςbasileus · kingG935
• of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• we have seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• starἀστήρastēr · starG792
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the eastἀνατολήanatolē · eastG395
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• are comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• to worshipπροσκυνέωproskuneō · to worshipG4352

Cross-references for Matthew 2:2

• Matthew 21:5“Tell the people of Zion, ‘Look, your king is coming to you, unassuming and seated on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
• Psalms 2:6“I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
• Isaiah 9:6For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• Isaiah 32:1Look, a king will promote fairness; officials will promote justice.
• Jeremiah 23:5“I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.
• Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: he is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey – on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
• Luke 2:11Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.
• Luke 19:38“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
• Luke 23:3So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.”
• John 1:49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!”
• John 12:13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”
• John 18:37Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
• John 19:12From this point on, Pilate tried to release him. But the Jewish leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!”
• Numbers 24:17‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth.
• Isaiah 60:3Nations come to your light, kings to your bright light.
• Luke 1:78Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high

Commentaries on Matthew 2:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2We have seen his star - Having discovered an unusual luminous appearance or meteor in the heavens, supposing these persons to have been Jews, and knowing the prophecies relative to the redemption of Israel, they probably considered this to be the star mentioned by Balaam, Numbers 24:17. See the note there. In the east - , At its rise. and are used in the New Testament for east and west. To worship him - Or, To do him homage; . The word , which is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Where is he … - There was at that time a prevalent expectation that some remarkable personage was about to appear in Judea. The Jews were anxiously looking for the coming of the Messiah. By computing the time mentioned by Daniel Daniel 9:25-27, they knew that the period was approaching when he would appear. This personage, they supposed would be a temporal prince, and they were expecting that he would deliver them from Roman bondage. It was natural that…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Matthew often describes Jesus as receiving worshipped (Matthew 2:2, 8, 11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17). In this way, Matthew identifies Jesus as God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?--From this it would seem they were not themselves Jews. (Compare the language of the Roman governor, Joh 18:33, and of the Roman soldiers, Mt 27:29, with the very different language of the Jews themselves, Mt 27:42, &c.). The Roman historians, Suetonius and Tacitus, bear witness to an expectation, prevalent in the East, that out of Judea should arise a sovereign of the world. for we have seen his star…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 2:2

• Faith
• Heathen
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Magi
• Miracles
• Seekers
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Wisdom
• Wise Men

In the dictionaries

• King of the Jews
• Star in the East
• Dream
• Flee
• Herod the Great
• Jesus
• Lamentation
• Magic
• Mary
• Star, Morning

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