Now when Jesus was aborn in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of 1bHerod the king , 2magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,Herod the Great was born into a prominent, wealthy family in Idumea (the area formerly known as Edom, the land of Esau’s descendants) and some archeological evidence indicates he considered himself Jewish.Gr magoi; these were educated men who specialized in astronomy, astrology, and the natural sciences. The magi were witnesses to the miraculous events surrounding the birth of Jesus.Mic 5:2; Luke 2:4-7Luke 1:5 2 “Where is He who has been born aKing of the Jews? For we have seen bHis star 1in the east and have come to worship Him.” Num 24:17; Jer 23:5; Zech 9:9Or at its rising.Jer 23:5; 30:9; Zech 9:9; Matt 27:11; Luke 19:38; 23:38; John 1:49Num 24:17 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he called together all the chief priests and 1scribes of the people and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.Teachers and professional scholars specializing in the Law (Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament) and writings of the prophets. 5 They replied to him, “aIn Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet Micah:John 7:42
7 Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them 1the exact time athe star had first appeared.Lit the time of the appearing star.Num 24:17 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them continually leading the way until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And after entering the house, they saw the Child with aMary His mother; and they fell down and bworshiped Him. Then, after opening their treasure chests, they presented to Him gifts fit for a king, gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.Matt 1:18; 12:46Matt 14:33 12 And having been awarned by God bin a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.Matt 2:13, 19, 22; Luke 2:26; Acts 10:22; Heb 8:5; 11:7Job 33:15, 16; Matt 1:20
13 Now when they had gone, an aangel of the Lord bappeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.”Acts 5:19; 10:7; 12:7-11Matt 2:12, 19
14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet Hosea: “aOUT OF EGYPT I CALLED bMY SON.” Hos 11:1Hos 11:1; Num 24:8Ex 4:22f
16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by athe magi, was extremely angry, and he sent soldiers and bput to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi.Matt 2:1Is 59:7 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
19 But when 1Herod died, an angel of the Lord aappeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,Herod the Great died sometime between March 29 and April 11, 4 B.C.Matt 1:20; 2:12, 13, 22 20 “Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph got up, and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea 1in place of his father Herod the Great, he was afraid to go there. Then being awarned by God in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee,Following Herod’s death Israel was partitioned between three of his sons: Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip II.Matt 2:12, 13, 19 23 and went and settled in a city called aNazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a 1bNazarene.”The Nazarenes may have been looked on with disfavor by other Jews because Roman soldiers, whose presence was greatly resented, were housed near Nazareth, perhaps causing the Nazarenes to be identified with them.Luke 1:26; 2:39; John 1:45, 46Mark 1:24; John 18:5, 7; 19:19