Matthew 2

Matthew 2 is the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Following the genealogy and birth narrative of Jesus in Matthew 1, it recounts the events surrounding the infant Jesus after his birth. Each scene is accompanied by a quotation stating that an Old Testament prophecy was "fulfilled."

Outline

• Verses 1–6: In the days of Herod the king, wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem seeking "he that is born King of the Jews." When Herod asks where the Christ is to be born, the chief priests and scribes cite the words of the prophet and answer that it is Bethlehem.
• Verses 7–12: Guided by the star, the wise men find the young child with Mary his mother, worship him, and present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, warned in a dream, they return to their own country by another way.
• Verses 13–15: Instructed in a dream by the angel of the Lord, Joseph takes his family by night and flees to Egypt. The family remains there until the death of Herod.
• Verses 16–18: Herod kills all the male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and the surrounding region. Matthew presents this as the fulfillment of Jeremiah's words about Rachel weeping for her children.
• Verses 19–23: After Herod's death, Joseph returns to the land of Israel. On hearing that Archelaus reigns in Judea, however, he is afraid to go there, and after being warned in a dream he settles in Nazareth of Galilee.

Key Verses

• Matthew 2:6 "Out of thee shall come a Governor" — Quoting Micah 5, this verse links the birth in Bethlehem to messianic prophecy.
• Matthew 2:11 "Fell down, and worshipped him" — A scene in which Gentiles worship Jesus.
• Matthew 2:15 "Out of Egypt have I called my son" — Hosea 11:1 is applied to Jesus.

People and Places

• The wise men (Magi): The original Greek term magoi is generally understood to refer to scholars and astrologers of Persian background.
• Herod: Herod the Great, who ruled Judea at the time.
• Mary and Joseph: Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph.
• Archelaus: A son of Herod who succeeded his father as ruler of Judea.
• Rachel: Mentioned in the quotation in verse 18. The wife of Jacob, she symbolizes Israel as a mother bereaved of her children.
• Places: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Egypt, Galilee, Nazareth

Points to Consider

• Traditions not found in the text: The text does not say that there were three wise men or that they were kings, nor does it give their names. The idea that there were three is a tradition derived from the three gifts. Moreover, the wise men found the child in a "house" (v. 11). For this reason, many interpreters hold that, contrary to the depiction in Christmas pageants, they were not at the manger with the shepherds on the night of the birth.
• Interpretation of Old Testament quotations: The words of Hosea quoted in verse 15 originally referred to Israel brought out of Egypt in the Exodus. A widely held interpretation is that Matthew presents Jesus as the new Israel. Verse 23, "He shall be called a Nazarene," has no exactly corresponding Old Testament verse, and interpretations therefore differ: some link it to the "Branch" (Hebrew netzer) of Isaiah 11:1, others to the Nazirite.
• Historicity of the massacre of the innocents: The killing of the infants is recorded only in Matthew. Because it does not appear in other ancient sources, its historicity is debated among scholars.

In the Korean Church

• The scene of the wise men's worship is frequently featured in sermons around Christmas and in Sunday school Christmas plays.
• Churches that follow the liturgical calendar read this chapter on Epiphany (January 6) to commemorate the visit of the wise men.