New King James Version
Matthew 2:8
8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
Matthew 2:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
- New International Version (NIV)He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
Context of Matthew 2:8
6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Read all of Matthew 2Matthew 2:8 word by word
καὶ πέμψας αὐτοὺς εἰς Βηθλέεμ εἶπεν· πορευθέντες ἐξετάσατε ἀκριβῶς περὶ τοῦ παιδίου. ἐπὰν δὲ εὕρητε, ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι ὅπως κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσω αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- he sentπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- BethlehemΒηθλεέμBēthleem · BethlehemG965
- and saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Goπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
- and searchἐξετάζωexetazō · to find outG1833
- diligentlyἀκριβῶςakribōs · exactlyG199
- forπερίperi · aboutG4012
- the young childὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the young childπαιδίονpaidion · childG3813
- andδέde · thenG1161
- whenἐπάνepan · when/as soon asG1875
- ye have foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
- bringἀπαγγέλλωapaggellō · to announceG518
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
- Iκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
- may comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- and worshipπροσκυνέωproskuneō · to worshipG4352
Cross-references for Matthew 2:8
- 1 Samuel 23:22Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty.
- 2 Samuel 17:14So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.
- 1 Kings 19:2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
- Job 5:12He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
- Psalms 33:10The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
- Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord.
- Lamentations 3:37Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?
- 1 Corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;
- Matthew 26:48Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”
- 2 Samuel 15:7Now it came to pass after forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord.
- 2 Kings 10:18Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve him much.
- Ezra 4:1Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel,
- Psalms 12:2They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
- Psalms 55:11Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
- Proverbs 26:24He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself;
- Jeremiah 41:5that certain men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the Lord.
Commentaries on Matthew 2:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8That I may come and worship him also - See Matthew 2:2, and on Genesis 17:3; (note), and Exodus 4:31; (note). What exquisite hypocrisy was here! he only wished to find out the child that he might murder him; but see how that God who searches the heart prevents the designs of wicked men from being accomplished!Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Go, and search diligently - Herod took all possible means to obtain accurate information respecting the child, that he might be sure of destroying him. He not only ascertained the probable time of his birth, and the place where he would be born, but he sent the wise men that they might actually see him, and bring him word. All this might have looked suspicious if he had not clothed it with the appearance of religion. He said to them, therefore, that he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10God placed the star to guide the wise men to the Messiah (see Numbers 24:17). The details are unclear.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently--"Search out carefully." for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also--The cunning and bloody hypocrite! Yet this royal mandate would meantime serve as a safe conduct to the strangers.Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 2:8
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries