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Matthew 2

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, look, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4He gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written through the prophet:

6‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7Then Herod secretly summoned the magi and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report to me, so that I too may come and pay him homage.” 9After hearing the king, they went on their way. And look, the star they had seen at its rising went ahead of them until it came and stood over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and paid him homage. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their own country by another road.

13After they withdrew, look, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.” 14So he got up, took the child and his mother with him by night, and withdrew to Egypt. 15He stayed there until Herod's death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16Then Herod, seeing that he had been made a fool of by the magi, became very angry. He sent men and killed all the boys in Bethlehem and all its surrounding territory, from two years old and under, according to the time he had determined from the magi. 17Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great lamentation: Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

19After Herod died, look, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the child's life have died.” 21So he got up, took the child and his mother with him, and entered the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23He came and settled in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Translation notes 10

2:1 — Magi. Often called “wise men”: interpreters of celestial signs, as their interest in the star shows. Matthew does not call them kings, give their names, or specify their number.

2:2, 8, 11 — Homage. The Greek verb can describe reverence toward a ruler or divine worship. “Pay homage” fits the royal setting without specifying how fully the visitors understood Jesus' identity. Verse 11 also explicitly describes their falling down.

2:2, 9 — At its rising. Alternatively, “in the east.” The same Greek expression occurs in both verses. Its astronomical setting favors “at its rising,” but the alternative remains possible. The account's movement and stopping of the star are retained without identifying a particular astronomical event.

2:4 — Scribes. Scholars and interpreters of the scriptural law, not merely copyists.

2:6 — Rulers; shepherd. Matthew's quotation recalls Micah 5:2 and the shepherd-ruler language of 2 Samuel 5:2. “Rulers” preserves the Greek wording, which may represent their towns or governing divisions. “Shepherd” retains the image for ruling and caring for the people.

2:11 — Gifts. Frankincense and myrrh are aromatic resins. “Treasure chests” expresses containers of valuables; Matthew does not assign a symbolic meaning to each gift here.

2:15, 17–18 — Fulfilled. The quotations recall Hosea 11:1 and Jeremiah 31:15. Matthew relates these earlier words to Jesus' story; the translation does not rewrite their original settings as explicit predictions about an infant Messiah.

2:16 — Boys. The royal child's perceived threat supplies the male reference. “Sent men” makes the implied agents explicit; the wording still attributes the killing to Herod.

2:20 — Those seeking the child's life. The plural is retained even though the narrative has focused on Herod. “Life” gives the contextual sense of the Greek word often translated “soul.”

2:23 — Nazarene. A designation connected here with Nazareth. No exact Old Testament quotation has been identified, and Matthew says “prophets” in the plural. Proposed wordplays and broader prophetic themes remain uncertain; “Nazirite,” a different designation, is not substituted.