Matthew 2:5 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

They told him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, that's what the prophet wrote about.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Sometimes the answer you're looking for is already written down somewhere.

📚 Historical Context

In the first century AD, during the reign of King Herod the Great, wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of the Jews, which led Herod to consult the chief priests and scribes about the Messiah's birthplace. These Jewish leaders drew from the Old Testament prophecy in the book of Micah, which foretold that the ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem of Judea. This moment in the Gospel of Matthew underscores how the Scriptures were actively used to interpret current events in Jewish society.

Explore Similar Verses

Matthew 2:6

And you, Bethlehem, in Judah, don't think you're small or forgotten among all the important cities in Judah. Because from your little town is going to come a Leader who will guide my people Israel.

Matthew 2:1

So Jesus was born in Bethlehem (in Judea) while Herod was king. And guess what? These wise men from way out east showed up in Jerusalem.

Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, yeah, you might be small compared to all the other towns in Judah, but someone's coming out of your little town who's going to rule over Israel. And this isn't some new guy, he's been around since the very beginning, from forever.

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📚 Historical Context

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