Matthew 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
The Visit of the Magi.[a] 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod,[b] behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star[c] at its rising and have come to do him homage.”(A) 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.[d] 5 (B)They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” 9 After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 [e](C)and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
The Flight to Egypt. 13 [f]When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,[g] and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” 14 Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. 15 [h]He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet(D) might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
The Massacre of the Infants. 16 When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. 17 Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
18 [i](E)“A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.”
The Return from Egypt. 19 When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said,(F) “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”[j] 21 He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod,[k] he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. 23 [l](G)He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”
Footnotes
- 2:1–12 The future rejection of Jesus by Israel and his acceptance by the Gentiles are retrojected into this scene of the narrative.
- 2:1 In the days of King Herod: Herod reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. Magi: originally a designation of the Persian priestly caste, the word became used of those who were regarded as having more than human knowledge. Matthew’s magi are astrologers.
- 2:2 We saw his star: it was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler’s birth. Matthew also draws upon the Old Testament story of Balaam, who had prophesied that “A star shall advance from Jacob” (Nm 24:17), though there the star means not an astral phenomenon but the king himself.
- 2:4 Herod’s consultation with the chief priests and scribes has some similarity to a Jewish legend about the child Moses in which the “sacred scribes” warn Pharaoh about the imminent birth of one who will deliver Israel from Egypt and the king makes plans to destroy him.
- 2:11 Cf. Ps 72:10, 15; Is 60:6. These Old Testament texts led to the interpretation of the magi as kings.
- 2:13–23 Biblical and nonbiblical traditions about Moses are here applied to the child Jesus, though the dominant Old Testament type is not Moses but Israel (Mt 2:15).
- 2:13 Flee to Egypt: Egypt was a traditional place of refuge for those fleeing from danger in Palestine (see 1 Kgs 11:40; Jer 26:21), but the main reason why the child is to be taken to Egypt is that he may relive the Exodus experience of Israel.
- 2:15 The fulfillment citation is taken from Hos 11:1. Israel, God’s son, was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus; Jesus, the Son of God, will similarly be called out of that land in a new exodus. The father-son relationship between God and the nation is set in a higher key. Here the son is not a group adopted as “son of God,” but the child who, as conceived by the holy Spirit, stands in unique relation to God. He is son of David and of Abraham, of Mary and of Joseph, but, above all, of God.
- 2:18 Jer 31:15 portrays Rachel, wife of the patriarch Jacob, weeping for her children taken into exile at the time of the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom (722–21 B.C.). Bethlehem was traditionally identified with Ephrath, the place near which Rachel was buried (see Gn 35:19; 48:7), and the mourning of Rachel is here applied to her lost children of a later age. Ramah: about six miles north of Jerusalem. The lamentation of Rachel is so great as to be heard at a far distance.
- 2:20 For those who sought the child’s life are dead: Moses, who had fled from Egypt because the Pharaoh sought to kill him (see Ex 2:15), was told to return there, “for all the men who sought your life are dead” (Ex 4:19).
- 2:22 With the agreement of the emperor Augustus, Archelaus received half of his father’s kingdom, including Judea, after Herod’s death. He had the title “ethnarch” (i.e., “ruler of a nation”) and reigned from 4 B.C. to A.D. 6.
- 2:23 Nazareth…he shall be called a Nazorean: the tradition of Jesus’ residence in Nazareth was firmly established, and Matthew sees it as being in accordance with the foreannounced plan of God. The town of Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and no such prophecy can be found there. The vague expression “through the prophets” may be due to Matthew’s seeing a connection between Nazareth and certain texts in which there are words with a remote similarity to the name of that town. Some such Old Testament texts are Is 11:1 where the Davidic king of the future is called “a bud” (nēser) that shall blossom from the roots of Jesse, and Jgs 13:5, 7 where Samson, the future deliverer of Israel from the Philistines, is called one who shall be consecrated (a nāzîr) to God.
Matthaeus 2
Hoffnung für Alle
Gelehrte suchen den neuen König
2 Jesus wurde in Bethlehem geboren, einer Stadt in Judäa. Herodes war damals König.[a] Da kamen einige Sterndeuter aus einem Land im Osten nach Jerusalem 2 und erkundigten sich: »Wo ist der neugeborene König der Juden? Wir haben seinen Stern aufgehen sehen und sind aus dem Osten hierhergekommen,[b] um ihm die Ehre zu erweisen.«
3 Als König Herodes das hörte, war er bestürzt und mit ihm ganz Jerusalem. 4 Er rief die obersten Priester und die Schriftgelehrten des jüdischen Volkes zusammen und fragte sie: »Wo soll dieser versprochene Retter[c] denn geboren werden?« 5 Sie antworteten: »In Bethlehem in Judäa. So heißt es schon im Buch des Propheten:
6 ›Bethlehem, du bist keineswegs die unbedeutendste Stadt in Juda. Denn aus dir kommt der Herrscher, der mein Volk Israel wie ein Hirte führen wird.‹[d]«
7 Daraufhin ließ Herodes die Sterndeuter heimlich zu sich kommen und fragte sie aus, wann sie den Stern zum ersten Mal gesehen hätten. 8 Anschließend schickte er sie nach Bethlehem: »Erkundigt euch genau nach dem Kind«, sagte er, »und gebt mir Nachricht, sobald ihr es gefunden habt. Ich will dann auch hingehen und ihm die Ehre erweisen.«
9 Nach diesem Gespräch gingen die Sterndeuter nach Bethlehem. Derselbe Stern, den sie schon beobachtet hatten, als er am Himmel aufging,[e] führte sie auch jetzt. Er blieb über dem Haus stehen, in dem das Kind war. 10 Als sie das sahen, kannte ihre Freude keine Grenzen. 11 Sie betraten das Haus, wo sie das Kind mit seiner Mutter Maria fanden, fielen vor ihm nieder und ehrten es wie einen König. Dann packten sie ihre Schätze aus und beschenkten das Kind mit Gold, Weihrauch und Myrrhe.
12 Im Traum befahl ihnen Gott, nicht mehr zu Herodes zurückzugehen. Deshalb wählten sie für ihre Heimreise einen anderen Weg.
Flucht nach Ägypten
13 Nachdem die Sterndeuter fortgezogen waren, kam ein Engel des Herrn im Traum zu Josef und befahl ihm: »Steh schnell auf und flieh mit dem Kind und seiner Mutter nach Ägypten! Bleibt so lange dort, bis ich dir etwas anderes sage, denn Herodes lässt das Kind suchen und will es umbringen.« 14 Da brach Josef noch in der Nacht mit Maria und dem Kind nach Ägypten auf. 15 Dort blieben sie mit Jesus bis zum Tod von Herodes. So erfüllte sich, was der Herr durch seinen Propheten angekündigt hatte: »Ich habe meinen Sohn aus Ägypten gerufen.«[f]
Jesus soll getötet werden
16 Herodes war außer sich vor Zorn, als er merkte, dass die Sterndeuter ihn getäuscht hatten. Er ließ in Bethlehem und Umgebung alle Jungen, die zwei Jahre oder jünger waren, umbringen. Denn nach den Angaben der Sterndeuter musste das Kind in diesem Alter sein. 17 Auf diese Weise erfüllte sich, was Gott durch den Propheten Jeremia vorhergesagt hatte:
18 »Laute Schreie hört man in der Stadt Rama, Weinen und Klagen nehmen kein Ende. Rahel weint um ihre Kinder, sie will sich nicht trösten lassen, denn ihre Kinder wurden ihr genommen.«[g]
Rückkehr aus Ägypten
19 Als Herodes gestorben war, hatte Josef in Ägypten einen Traum. Darin erschien ihm wieder ein Engel des Herrn 20 und befahl ihm: »Steh auf und kehre mit dem Kind und seiner Mutter heim nach Israel! Die Leute, die das Kind umbringen wollten, sind tot.«
21 Josef gehorchte und ging mit Maria und dem Kind nach Israel zurück.
22 Unterwegs aber erfuhr er, dass Archelaus, der Sohn von Herodes, nun König von Judäa geworden war. Da bekam Josef Angst, dorthin zu gehen. Nachdem Gott noch einmal im Traum zu ihm gesprochen hatte, zog er in das Gebiet von Galiläa. 23 So kamen sie in die Stadt Nazareth und ließen sich dort nieder. Auf diese Weise sollte sich erfüllen, was Gott durch die Propheten angekündigt hatte: »Man wird ihn den Nazarener nennen.«[h]
Footnotes
- 2,1 Es handelt sich um Herodes den Großen. Vgl. »Herodes« im Biblischen Personen- und Ortsverzeichnis.
- 2,2 Oder: Wir haben seinen Stern im Osten gesehen und sind hierhergekommen.
- 2,4 Wörtlich: der Christus.
- 2,6 Micha 5,1
- 2,9 Oder: den sie schon im Osten beobachtet hatten.
- 2,15 Hosea 11,1
- 2,18 Jeremia 31,15
- 2,23 Die Einwohner von Nazareth und ganz Galiläa wurden von frommen Juden der damaligen Zeit gering geschätzt. Matthäus spielt hier wohl auf alttestamentliche Stellen an, in denen von der Niedrigkeit des versprochenen Retters und seiner Ablehnung durch die Menschen die Rede ist. Andere denken an eine Anspielung auf Jesaja 11,1, wo im Hebräischen »nezer« (»junger Trieb«) steht.
Matthew 2
New King James Version
Wise Men from the East
2 Now after (A)Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]wise men (B)from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, (C)“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen (D)His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all (E)the chief priests and (F)scribes of the people together, (G)he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But(H) you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
(I)Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the [b]wise men, determined from them what time the (J)star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, (K)they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned (L)in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
The Flight into Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, (M)“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A (N)voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”
The Home in Nazareth(O)
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 (P)saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who (Q)sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a (R)dream, he turned aside (S)into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called (T)Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled (U)which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:1 Gr. magoi
- Matthew 2:7 Gr. magoi
Mateo 2
Nueva Traducción Viviente
Visitantes del oriente
2 Jesús nació en Belén de Judea durante el reinado de Herodes. Por ese tiempo, algunos sabios[a] de países del oriente llegaron a Jerusalén y preguntaron: 2 «¿Dónde está el rey de los judíos que acaba de nacer? Vimos su estrella mientras salía[b] y hemos venido a adorarlo».
3 Cuando el rey Herodes oyó eso, se perturbó profundamente igual que todos en Jerusalén. 4 Mandó llamar a los principales sacerdotes y maestros de la ley religiosa y les preguntó:
—¿Dónde se supone que nacerá el Mesías?
5 —En Belén de Judea—le dijeron—porque eso es lo que escribió el profeta:
6 “Y tú, oh Belén, en la tierra de Judá,
no eres la menor entre las ciudades reinantes[c] de Judá,
porque de ti saldrá un gobernante
que será el pastor de mi pueblo Israel”[d].
7 Luego Herodes convocó a los sabios a una reunión privada y, por medio de ellos, se enteró del momento en el que había aparecido la estrella por primera vez. 8 Entonces les dijo: «Vayan a Belén y busquen al niño con esmero. Cuando lo encuentren, vuelvan y díganme dónde está para que yo también vaya y lo adore».
9 Después de esa reunión, los sabios siguieron su camino, y la estrella que habían visto en el oriente los guio hasta Belén. Iba delante de ellos y se detuvo sobre el lugar donde estaba el niño. 10 Cuando vieron la estrella, ¡se llenaron de alegría! 11 Entraron en la casa y vieron al niño con su madre, María, y se inclinaron y lo adoraron. Luego abrieron sus cofres de tesoro y le dieron regalos de oro, incienso y mirra.
12 Cuando llegó el momento de irse, volvieron a su tierra por otro camino, ya que Dios les advirtió en un sueño que no regresaran a Herodes.
Huida a Egipto
13 Después de que los sabios se fueron, un ángel del Señor se le apareció a José en un sueño. «¡Levántate! Huye a Egipto con el niño y su madre—dijo el ángel—. Quédate allí hasta que yo te diga que regreses, porque Herodes buscará al niño para matarlo».
14 Esa noche José salió para Egipto con el niño y con María, su madre, 15 y se quedaron allí hasta la muerte de Herodes. Así se cumplió lo que el Señor había dicho por medio del profeta: «De Egipto llamé a mi Hijo»[e].
16 Cuando Herodes se dio cuenta de que los sabios se habían burlado de él, se puso furioso. Entonces, basado en lo que dijeron los sabios sobre la primera aparición de la estrella, Herodes envió soldados para matar a todos los niños que vivieran en Belén y en sus alrededores y que tuvieran dos años o menos. 17 Esta acción brutal cumplió lo que Dios había anunciado por medio del profeta Jeremías:
18 «En Ramá se oyó una voz:
llanto y gran lamento.
Raquel llora por sus hijos;
se niega a que la consuelen,
porque están muertos»[f].
Regreso a Nazaret
19 Cuando Herodes murió, un ángel del Señor se le apareció en un sueño a José en Egipto. 20 «¡Levántate!—dijo el ángel—. Lleva al niño y a su madre de regreso a la tierra de Israel, porque ya murieron los que trataban de matar al niño».
21 Entonces José se levantó y regresó a la tierra de Israel con Jesús y su madre; 22 pero cuando se enteró de que el nuevo gobernante de Judea era Arquelao, hijo de Herodes, tuvo miedo de ir allí. Entonces, luego de ser advertido en un sueño, se fue a la región de Galilea. 23 Después la familia fue a vivir a una ciudad llamada Nazaret y así se cumplió lo que los profetas habían dicho: «Lo llamarán nazareno».
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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