Matthew 2:8

He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

World English Bible
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WEBBE

He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

BSB

And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

KJV

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

ASV

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word, that I also may come and worship him.

BBE

And he sent them to Beth-lehem and said, Go and make certain where the young child is; and when you have seen him, let me have news of it, so that I may come and give him worship.

Original Greek

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καὶ kai And G2532 πέμψας pempsas having sent G3992 αὐτοὺς autous them G846 εἰς eis to G1519 Βηθλέεμ Bēthleem Bethlehem G965 εἶπεν eipen he said G2036 πορευθέντες poreuthentes Having gone G4198 ἐξετάσατε exetasate do search G1833 ἀκριβῶς akribōs carefully G199 περὶ peri for G4012 τοῦ tou the G3588 παιδίου paidiou Child G3813 ἐπὰν epan when G1875 δὲ de then G1161 εὕρητε heurēte You may have found [Him] G2147 ἀπαγγείλατέ apangeilate do bring word back G518 μοι moi to me G3165 ὅπως hopōs so that G3704 κἀγὼ kagō I myself also G1473 ἐλθὼν elthōn having come G2064 προσκυνήσω proskunēsō may worship G4352 αὐτῷ.¶ autō Him G846

The early church

Having therefore called them, he saith, "Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also." Seest thou his extreme folly? Why, if thou sayest these things in sincerity, wherefore dost thou inquire privily? But if intending to plot against Him, how is it thou dost not perceive, that from the fact of their being asked secretly the wise men will be able to perceive thy craft? But as I have already said, a soul taken captive by any wickedness becomes more utterly senseless than any thing. And he said not, "go and learn concerning the King," but "concerning the young Child;" for he could not even endure to call Him by the name of His dominion. But the wise men perceive nothing of this, by reason of their exceeding reverence (for they never could have expected that he could have gone on to so great wickedness, and would have attempted to form plots against a dispensation so marvellous): and they depart suspecting none of these things, but from what was in themselves auguring all that would be in the rest of mankind.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Matthew
To induce them to do this, he put on the colour of devotion, beneath which he whetted the sword, hiding the malice of his heart under colour of humility. Such is the manner of the malicious, when they would hurt any one in secret, they feign meekness and affection.
Pseudo-Chrysostom · d. 500Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
The Magi obeyed the King so far as to seek the Lord, but not to return to Herod. Like in this to good hearers; the good they hear from wicked preachers, that they do; but do not imitate their evil lives.
Remigius of Rheims · d. 533Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(Hom. in Ev. i. 10. 3.) He feigns a wish of worshipping Him only that he may discover Him, and put Him to death.
Gregory the Dialogist · d. 604Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(non occ.) According to others, the star was first seen on the day of the nativity, and having accomplished its end, ceased to be. Thus Fulgentius says, "The Boy at His birth created a new star." (Serm. de Epiph.) Though they now knew both time and place, he still would not have them ignorant of the person of the Child, Go, he says, and enquire diligently of the young Child; a commission they would have executed even if he had not commanded it.
Glossa Ordinaria · d. 1274Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–8

Those who live at the greatest distance from the means of grace often use most diligence, and learn to know the most of Christ and his salvation. But no curious arts, or mere human learning, can direct men unto him. We must learn of Christ by attending to the word of God, as a light that shineth in a dark place, and by seeking the teaching of the Holy Spirit. And those in whose hearts the day-star is risen, to give them any thing of the knowledge of Christ, make it their business to worship him. Though Herod was very old, and never had shown affection for his family, and was not himself likely to live till a new-born infant had grown up to manhood, he began to be troubled with the dread of a rival. He understood not the spiritual nature of the Messiah's kingdom. Let us beware of a dead faith. A man may be persuaded of many truths, and yet may hate them, because they interfere with his ambition, or sinful indulgences. Such a belief will make him uneasy, and the more resolved to oppose the truth and the cause of God; and he may be foolish enough to hope for success therein.

Read Matthew Henry on Matthew 2 →

Cross-references

17

People & places

Bethlehem

Topics

HypocrisyFalsehoodDeception

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.