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 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. After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet: 6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for 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 21:15But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant
• Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.
• Matthew 27:1When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him.
• 1 Chronicles 24:4The descendants of Eleazar had more leaders than the descendants of Ithamar, so they divided them up accordingly; the descendants of Eleazar had sixteen leaders, while the descendants of Ithamar had eight.
• 2 Chronicles 36:14All the leaders of the priests and people became more unfaithful and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations. They defiled the Lord’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
• Ezra 10:5So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn oath.
• Nehemiah 12:7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their colleagues in the days of Jeshua.
• Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth form a united front; the rulers collaborate against the Lord and his anointed king.
• John 7:32The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about Jesus, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
• John 18:3So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. They came to the orchard with lanterns and torches and weapons.
• Matthew 7:29because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.
• Matthew 13:52Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
• 2 Chronicles 34:13supervised the laborers and all the foremen on their various jobs. Some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and guards.
• Ezra 7:6This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
• Jeremiah 8:8How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean.
• Mark 8:31Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, 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