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NASB | Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king (Herod the Great), magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, |
Bible Question: Who were the magi or wise men? |
Bible Answer: Hello carrielynn, Good question. Here's some answers from my good brother and bible teacher, Dr. James Raiford in his December 2011 article, "The First Christmas Gifts": CALLED MAGI, MATTHEW 2:1a. Magi were a special well known class of wise men within Israel and also from the Gentile nations. They were not simpletons and ignorant fanatics; they were a class of scholars who majored in astronomy, dreams, visions, and Holy Scripture. It is simple but must be said: Nowhere is it stated there were only three wise men because there were three gifts involved. Caution: resist determining your biblical information from Christmas cards. These are reliable men because the Word of God selected them to be witnesses of such a historical event. CAME FROM THE EAST, MATTHEW 2:1-2. This is an interesting statement and claim. Research reveals there are several opinions as to the meaning. The text does eliminate the possibility of their origin from certain countries. They were not from Egypt, Turkey or Syria as these nations were not known to be famous for having Magi as stated in the text of Matthew. Matthew says they followed a star. This star appeared, arrested their attention and disappeared. They arrived in Bethlehem and the star reappeared to them. Herod's wise men quoted Micah 5:1-3. CAME FROM BABYLON/CHALDEA. If this is the case they traveled 750 miles one way, 1500 total miles. These scholars traveled from Iraq, Nebuchadnezzar's empire, based on their scientific and biblical knowledge. This empire was famous for such inquiries into dreams, visions, and other sources of information. Daniel became a leading scholar in the empire according to Daniel chp 2, 7, and 9. Based on the text, they were seeking information concerning the long awaited child and king. In addition, they appeared to express a certain level of belief in contrast to other pagans and commentators! They clearly expected to locate the one spoken of by the prophecy. If so, the very nation Jehovah used to discipline his nation Israel were expecting the king of Israel! Merry CHRISTmas, BradK |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Matt 2:1 | Author | ||
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Wales | ||
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vai | ||
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templescroll | ||
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carrielynn | ||
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BradK | ||
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brothertim |