Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
Parallel Translations
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Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
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Then Herod prevely called the wyse men and dyligetly enquyred of them the tyme of the starre that appered
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Then Herod priuily called the Wisemen, and diligently inquired of them the time of the starre that appeared,
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (11)
Passages linked to Matthew 2:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Exodus 1:10 Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
- 1 Samuel 18:21 Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, “You shall today be my son-in-law a second time.”
- Psalms 55:21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
- Psalms 64:4-6 to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly. They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?” They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.
- Isaiah 7:5-7 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying, “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.” This is what the Lord Yahweh says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.”
- Psalms 10:9-10 He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net. The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength.
- Psalms 83:3-4 They conspire with cunning against your people. They plot against your cherished ones. “Come,” they say, “let’s destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
- Ezekiel 38:10-11 “ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, ‘I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
- Revelation 12:1-5 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.
- Matthew 26:3-5 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”
- Revelation 12:15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the…
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Ver. 7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently] {a} The children of this world are wise in their generation, but so are serpents, foxes, &c., to the which the Church’s enemies are often compared, He thought by this means to have made all sure, but in the thing wherein he dealt proudly and politically, God was above them, as old Jethro hath it, Exo 18:11. There is neither power nor policy against the Lord; "who ever waxed fierce against him, and prospered?" Job 9:4.
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{a} ηκριβωσε. Accuravit, et omnibus nervis incubuit.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Herod having heard the answer of the priests and…
Herod having heard the answer of the priests and scribes, did not think fit to make any noise of it amongst the people; he knew the Jews were apt enough to rebel, and being so little a conqueror had no reason to presume much of their goodwill towards him; he therefore calls the wise men privily, and takes no notice of any King they talked of, but only inquires the time when this new star first appeared. To what end he made this inquiry may be learned from Mat 2:16; only that he might be able to govern himself in his bloody decree, that he might neither destroy more children than would serve his present design, nor yet leave this Child behind.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain Observe here, 1. How Herod clokes his intended cruelty…
Observe here, 1. How Herod clokes his intended cruelty with disguised hypocrisy: he had a murder in his heart, when he pretended to worship Christ with his mouth. There is no villainy so great, but will mask itself under a pretence ond shew of piety. Herod veils his intent to kill Christ, with a pretence to worship him.
Observe, 2. Herod calls him the young child, not the young king: that word was too big to come out of Herod’s proud mouth; he could neither bear the thing, nor brook the title. A king it is true he is, but one that will never be thy rival: he has a kingdom, but it is not of this world.
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Observe, 3. How craftily Herod lays his plot; he desires the wise men to enquire thoroughly, and to inform him privately. To be wise in doing mischief, is the worst wisdom in the world: it is not the wisdom from above, but from hell beneath.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise…
Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men,.... As soon as he had got the intelligence of the place of the Messiah's birth, he called, or ordered the wise men to be brought into his presence, and that in a very private manner; lest the Jews, who knew his hypocrisy and deceit, should perceive his views, and enter into his designs, and so give the wise men some instructions, which would be prejudicial to the scheme he was forming in his own mind to destroy the young king; and having called them to him, he
inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. He took a good deal of pains in examining them, he sifted them, and inquired of them with much accuracy, and exactness, the precise time of the star's appearing to them, how long ago it was when it was first observed by them; that hereby he might exactly know the age of Christ, and the better execute the bloody design he had formed, should the wise men disappoint him; and the better detect an impostor, should another afterwards arise, and set up himself for the king of the Jews.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Mat 2:7. Then Herod, when he had privily called…
Mat 2:7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, &c. — He thought it prudent to keep the matter as close as possible, lest the Jews, understanding the time of the birth of the Messiah, should, from thence, take occasion to rebel: for not having an hereditary right to the kingdom, and having been guilty of many acts of cruelty among them, he had no reason to presume upon their good-will toward him. He feared, likewise, lest, if it should be noised abroad that the Messiah was born, his purpose of destroying him should be prevented. But there is no wisdom or counsel against the Most High! He inquired of them diligently — Or, as the words ηκριβωσε παρ’ αυτων, more properly signify, inquired of them the exact time, or, got exact information from them, what time the star appeared — That is, at what time it began to appear, judging, as probably the fact was, that the star first appeared at the time the child was born. His view in this was, that he might thereby form some conjecture concerning the age of the child to whose birth it referred. For on the one hand, it seems, he did not wish to destroy more children than the accomplishment of his design appeared to require; and on the other, not to leave this child alive.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Privily - Secretly, privately. He did this to ascertain…
Privily - Secretly, privately. He did this to ascertain the time when Jesus was born.
Diligently - Accurately, exactly. He took pains to learn the precise time when the star appeared. He did this because he naturally concluded that the star appeared just at the time of his birth, and he wished to know precisely how old the child was.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise…
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men--Herod has so far succeeded in his murderous design: he has tracked the spot where lies his victim, an unconscious babe. But he has another point to fix--the date of His birth--without which he might still miss his mark. The one he had got from the Sanhedrim; the other he will have from the sages; but secretly, lest his object should be suspected and defeated. So he
inquired of them diligently--rather, "precisely."
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what time the star appeared--presuming that this would be the best clue to the age of the child. The unsuspecting strangers tell him all. And now he thinks he is succeeding to a wish, and shall speedily clutch his victim; for at so early an age as they indicate, He would not likely have been removed from the place of His birth. Yet he is wary. He sends them as messengers from himself, and bids them come to him, that he may follow their pious example.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 7. Privily — Privately, because he wished the excitement…
7. Privily — Privately, because he wished the excitement to die, and to keep the matter under his own control. Called the wise men — Who plainly were waiting to learn the locality of the Messiah, being not now directed by the visible star. What time the star appeared — In order to know the precise time of the birth.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 7. inquired of them diligently] Rather, having accurately ascertained;…
7. inquired of them diligently] Rather, having accurately ascertained; the word is used of scientific exactness. The reason of this inquiry appears in Mat_2:16.
what time the star appeared] Literally, the time of the star which was appearing, i. e. when it first appeared and how long it would continue.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (7) When he had privily called.—True to his nature…
(7) When he had privily called.—True to his nature to the last—himself probably a believer in astrology, and haunted by fears of what the star portended—the king’s next measure is to ascertain the limits of his danger. The English “what time the star appeared” is not quite accurate. Literally, the time of the star that was appearing—i.e., at what time the star, which was still visible (Mat_2:9), had first appeared.
Enquired of them diligently.—Better, ascertained exactly.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Then Herod, when he had privily called the Wise…
Then Herod, when he had privily called the Wise Men. Secrecy was doubly necessary. He would not publicly commit himself to acknowledging the rights of the new King, and he would give no opportunity for others to warn the Child"s parents of the dangerous interest that Herod was taking in him. Duplicity was very characteristic of Herod; cf. his assassination of Aristobulus the high priest (Josephus, "Ant.," 15:3. 3), and his alluring his son Antipater home to death (ibid., 17:5. 1). Inquired of them diligently; learned of them carefully (Revised Version); "lerned of hem bisili" (Wickliffe); hkribwsen par autwn . The stress is not upon Herod"s careful questioning, but on the exact information that he obtained. What time the star appeared. Although this is not the literal translation, it may, perhaps, represent the sense of the original (tonon tou fainomenou asterov), the participle characterizing the star in its most important relation its appearance, and the words being treated as a compound expression. (cf. Joh_12:9, Joh_12:12) Herod supposed that the birth of the Babe was synchronous with the first appearance of the star. The translation, however, of the Revised Version margin, "the time of the star that appeared," better suits the exact wording (cronon , not kairon ; fainomenou , not fanentov), the phrase thus including both the first appearance and also the period of continuance (cf. Grotius, "non initium, sed continuitas"). But it is difficult to see What Herod would have learned from this latter particular. Some even think that the star was still visible (Plumptre; Weiss, "Matthew"), but in this case the joy of the Magi in ver. 10 is not satisfactorily explained.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Search diligently.
Mat_2:7
Search diligently.
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I. Wicked men often cloak their evil designs under the appearance of religion. They attempt to deceive those who are really good, and to make them suppose that they have the same design. But God cannot be deceived, and He will bring them to punishment.
II. Wicked men often make use of the PIOUS to advance their evil purposes. Men like Herod will stop at nothing if they can carry their ends. They endeavour to deceive the simple, allure the unsuspecting, and to beguile the weak, to answer their purposes of wickedness.
III. The plans of wicked men are often well laid. They occupy a long time; they make diligent inquiry; and all of it has the appearance of religion. But God sees the design; and though men are deceived, He cannot be (Pro_15:3). (Dr. A. Barnes.)
A king frightened by an infant
I. That men may be interested in Christ, and inquire about Him from different motives- some to worship, some to murder.
1. The motive of the wise men.
2. Herods motive.
II. That inquiry about Christ does not produce the same results in all.
1. The wise men rejoiced.
2. Herod was troubled.
III. That all opposition to Christ and His cause must end in failure and overthrow. (T. Kelly.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 7. Then Herod privily called the wise men. The…
7. Then Herod privily called the wise men. The crafty and cruel king had gained one point: he now knew where the Christ was to be born. He therefore asks another question of the wise men, by which he hopes to ascertain the age of the royal child. What time the star appeared. The fact that, as stated below, he slew the children of two years and under, denotes that the star had been seen first about two years before.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Herod secretly called the learned men
Herod secretly called the learned men
This means that Herod talked to the learned men without other people knowing.
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men to ask them exactly what time the star had appeared. He
This can be translated as a direct quotation. AT: "men, and he asked them, 'When exactly did this star appear?' He" (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)
what time the star had appeared
It is implied that the learned men told him when the star appeared. AT: "what time the star had appeared. The learned men told Herod when the star first appeared" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
young child
This refers to Jesus.
bring me word
"let me know" or "tell me" or "report back to me"
worship him
See how you translated this in Matthew 2:2.
translationWords
Herod the Great
learned men
Bethlehem
word
worship
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.