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 Living Translation (NLT)“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

Context of Matthew 2:2

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 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.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And 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.

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 daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
• Psalms 2:6“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
• Isaiah 9:6For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• Isaiah 32:1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.
• Jeremiah 23:5“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
• Zechariah 9:9“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
• Luke 2:11For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
• Luke 19:38saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
• Luke 23:3Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
• John 1:49Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
• John 12:13took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
• John 18:37Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
• John 19:12From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
• Numbers 24:17“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.
• Isaiah 60:3The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
• Luke 1:78Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

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