Matthew 2:3
Encyclopedia
Matthew 2:3 is the third verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
. In the previous verse the magi
had informed King Herod
that they had seen portents showing the birth of the King of the Jews
. In this verse he reacts to this news.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 2:3
That Herod should be troubled by the King of the Jews being born is not surprising. As an Edomite Herod was open to challenge from someone claiming to be the heir of King David
, and the central theme of Matthew 1
is Jesus' Davidic status. Moreover Herod was renowned for his paranoia, killing several of his own sons who threatened him.
Why all Jerusalem should be troubled is a more important question. Throughout this chapter Matthew shows the leaders of Jerusalem allied with Herod against the new messiah. These passages have been quoted in support of Christian anti-Semitism. That all Jerusalem is agitated also seems to conflict with later in the Gospel when the people are oblivious to Jesus. France
suggests that the passage could perhaps be read as showing that the people of Jerusalem were troubled because of the possibility of Herod's wrath. Other scholars see this interpretation as being fairly implausible. Brown notes that this phrase originates in Exodus. There is a theory that this part of Matthew is heavily influence by the story of Moses
. In Exodus all Egypt is troubled by Moses, not just the Pharaoh. Thus in parallel all Jerusalem must also be troubled. This view was shared by St. Chrysostom
.
Gundry
sees this passage as influenced by the politics of the time it was written, a foreshadowing of the rejection of Jesus and his church by the leaders of Jerusalem. Similarly Keener argues that Matthew is contrasting the goodness of the pagan Magi against the residents of Jerusalem as part of his overall advocacy of Christian outreach beyond the Jewish community. Matthew challenges his reader's negative views of outsiders by contrasting these foreigners with the bevahiour of those in Jerusalem. Levin believes the verse reflects Matthew's social critique. She argues that throughout the Gospel he denigrates the wealthy and powerful city dwellers while elevating nomads like the magi and those who live in villages and rural areas.
Gundry notes that this verse again makes sure to note Herod is a king. He sees this as an effort by the author of Matthew to create a deliberate contrast with Jesus, with Herod being the embodiment of all the things Jesus is not.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. In the previous verse the magi
Biblical Magi
The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
had informed King Herod
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
that they had seen portents showing the birth of the King of the Jews
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
. In this verse he reacts to this news.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- When Herod the king had heard these things, he
- was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- When King Herod heard it, he was troubled,
- and all Jerusalem with him.
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 2:3
That Herod should be troubled by the King of the Jews being born is not surprising. As an Edomite Herod was open to challenge from someone claiming to be the heir of King David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
, and the central theme of Matthew 1
Matthew 1
Matthew 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It contains two distinct sections. The first lists the genealogy of Jesus's legal father Joseph from Abraham...
is Jesus' Davidic status. Moreover Herod was renowned for his paranoia, killing several of his own sons who threatened him.
Why all Jerusalem should be troubled is a more important question. Throughout this chapter Matthew shows the leaders of Jerusalem allied with Herod against the new messiah. These passages have been quoted in support of Christian anti-Semitism. That all Jerusalem is agitated also seems to conflict with later in the Gospel when the people are oblivious to Jesus. France
R. T. France
Richard Thomas France is a New Testament scholar and Anglican cleric. He was Principal of Wycliffe Hall Oxford from 1989 to 1995. He has also worked for the London School of Theology.-Biography:...
suggests that the passage could perhaps be read as showing that the people of Jerusalem were troubled because of the possibility of Herod's wrath. Other scholars see this interpretation as being fairly implausible. Brown notes that this phrase originates in Exodus. There is a theory that this part of Matthew is heavily influence by the story of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
. In Exodus all Egypt is troubled by Moses, not just the Pharaoh. Thus in parallel all Jerusalem must also be troubled. This view was shared by St. Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
.
Gundry
Robert H. Gundry
Robert Horton Gundry is a Biblical scholar. He received a B.A. and a B.D. degree from the Los Angeles Baptist College and Seminary, and his Ph.D. from Manchester University in Manchester, England in 1961 and has taught for several decades at Westmont College in California...
sees this passage as influenced by the politics of the time it was written, a foreshadowing of the rejection of Jesus and his church by the leaders of Jerusalem. Similarly Keener argues that Matthew is contrasting the goodness of the pagan Magi against the residents of Jerusalem as part of his overall advocacy of Christian outreach beyond the Jewish community. Matthew challenges his reader's negative views of outsiders by contrasting these foreigners with the bevahiour of those in Jerusalem. Levin believes the verse reflects Matthew's social critique. She argues that throughout the Gospel he denigrates the wealthy and powerful city dwellers while elevating nomads like the magi and those who live in villages and rural areas.
Gundry notes that this verse again makes sure to note Herod is a king. He sees this as an effort by the author of Matthew to create a deliberate contrast with Jesus, with Herod being the embodiment of all the things Jesus is not.