Matthew 2 · Verse 4

Matthew 2:4

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

Matthew 2:4, King James Version

Matthew 2:4 in other translations

BSB	And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
WEB	Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.
ASV	And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.
YLT	and having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is born.
DARBY	and, assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.
BBE	And he got together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, questioning them as to where the birth-place of the Christ would be.
Webster	And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.

What does Matthew 2:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together--The class of the "chief priests" included the high priest for the time being, together with all who had previously filled this office; for though the then head of the Aaronic family was the only rightful high priest, the Romans removed them at pleasure, to make way for creatures of their own. In this class probably were included also the heads of the four and twenty courses of the priests. The "scribes" were at first merely transcribers of the law and synagogue readers; afterwards interpreters of the law, both civil and religious, and so both lawyers and divines. The first of these classes, a proportion of the second, and "the elders"--that is, as Lightfoot thinks, "those elders of the laity that were not of the Levitical tribe"--constituted the supreme council of the nation, called the Sanhedrim, the members of which, at their full complement, numbered seventy-two. That this was the council which Herod now convened is most probable, from the solemnity of the occasion; for though the elders are not mentioned, we find a similar omission where all three were certainly meant (compare Mt 26:59; 27:1). As Meyer says, it was all the theologians of the nation whom Herod convened, because it was a theological response that he wanted. he demanded of them--as the authorized interpreters of Scripture. where Christ--the Messiah. should be born--according to prophecy.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 4. The Chief Priests. By the chief priests here are meant not only the high priest and his deputy, but also the heads or chiefs of the twenty-four classes into which David had divided the sacerdotal families, 1Chr 23:6, 24:1, 2Chr 8:14, 36:14; Ezr 8:24.

Scribes. By the scribes, in the New Testament, are meant learned men, men skilled in the law, and members of the great council. They were probably the learned men, or the lawyers of the nation. They kept the records of the court of justice, the registers of the synagogues, wrote their articles of contract and sale, their bills of divorce, &c. They were also called lawyers, Mt 22:35, and doctors of the law, Lk 5:17. They were called scribes from the fact of their writing the public records. They were not, however, a religious sect, but might be either Pharisees or Sadducees. By the chief priests and scribes here mentioned, is denoted the sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. This was composed of seventy-two men, who had the charge of the civil and religious affairs of the Jews. On this occasion, Herod, in alarm, called them together, professedly to make inquiry respecting the birth of the Messiah.

Demanded of them. Inquired, or asked of them. As they were the learned men of the nation, and as it was their business to study and explain the Old Testament, they were presumed to know what the prophecies had declared on that point. His object was to ascertain from prophecy where he was born, that he might strike an effectual blow. He seems not to have had any doubt about the time when he should be born. He was satisfied that the time had come.

(f) "gathered" Ps 2:2.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 The chief priests - Not only the high priest for the time being, called כהן הראש cohen ha-rosh, 2Kgs 25:18, and his deputy, called כהן משנה cohen mishneh, with those who had formerly borne the high priest's office; but also, the chiefs or heads of the twenty four sacerdotal families, which David distributed into so many courses, 1 Chronicles 24. These latter are styled סרי הכהנים sarey ha-cohanim, chief of the priests, 2Chr 36:14; Ezr 8:24; and ראשי הכהנים roshey ha-cohanim, heads of the priests, Neh 12:7. Josephus calls them by the same name as the writers of the New Testament. In his Life, sect. 8, he mentions πολλους - των Αρχιερεων, Many of the chief priests. The word is used in the singular in this last sense, for a chief of the priests, Act 19:14. Scribes - The word Γραμματευς, in the Septuagint, is used for a political officer, whose business it was to assist kings and civil magistrates, and to keep an account in writing of public acts and occurrences. Such an officer is called in Hebrew ספר המלך seper hamelech, ὁ γραμματευς του βασιλεως, the king's scribe, or secretary. See Lxx. 2Kgs 12:10. The word is often used by the Lxx. for a man of learning, especially for one skilled in the Mosaic law: and, in the same sense, it is used by the New Testament writers. Γραμματευς is therefore to be understood as always implying a man of letters, or learning, capable of instructing the people. The derivation of the names proves this to be the genuine meaning of the word γραμμα: a letter, or character, in writing: or γραμματα, letters, learning, erudition, and especially that gained from books. The Hebrew ספר or סופר sopher, from saphar, to tell, count, cypher, signifies both a book, volume, roll, etc., and a notary, recorder, or historian; and always signifies a man of learning. We often term such a person a man of letters. The word is used Act 19:35, for a civil magistrate at Ephesus, probably such a one as we would term recorder. It appears that Herod at this time gathered the whole Sanhedrin, in order to get the fullest information on a subject by which all his jealous fears had been alarmed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 2:1-8

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 2:1-8 →

Matthew 2:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532

συναγαγὼνsunagagōnhaving gathered togetherG4863

πάνταςpantasallG3956

τοὺςtoustheG3588

ἀρχιερεῖςarchiereischief priestsG749

καὶkaiandG2532

γραμματεῖςgrammateisscribesG1122

τοῦtouof theG3588

λαοῦlaoupeopleG2992

ἐπυνθάνετοepunthanetohe was inquiringG4441

παρ᾽par᾽ofG3844

αὐτῶνautōnthemG846

ποῦpouwhereG4226

ὁhotheG3588

χριστὸςchristosChristG5547

γεννᾶται.gennataiis born.G1080

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 2:4

Acts 23:9
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
Matthew 7:29
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Acts 6:12
And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,
Matthew 21:23
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
Jeremiah 8:8
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
Acts 4:5
And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
John 3:10
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Luke 20:19
And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
Psalms 2:2
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
John 8:3
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
John 7:32
The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
Luke 23:10
And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the chief.
21:15,23; 26:3,47; 27:1; 1Ch 24:4-19; 2Ch 36:14; Ezr 10:5; Ne 12:7
Ps 2:2; Joh 7:32; 18:3
scribes.
7:29; 13:52; 2Ch 34:13,15; Ezr 7:6,11,12; Jer 8:8; Mr 8:31; Lu 20:19
Lu 23:10; Joh 8:3; Ac 4:5; 6:12; 23:9
he demanded.
Mal 2:7; Joh 3:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 2:3
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:4
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Matthew 2:5
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

Read all of Matthew 2

Matthew 2:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y convocados todos los príncipes de los sacerdotes, y los escribas del pueblo, les preguntó dónde había de nacer el Cristo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et ayant assemblé tous les principaux sacrificateurs et scribes du peuple, il s’enquit d’eux où le Christ devait naître.
German Elberfelder 1871	und er versammelte alle Hohenpriester und Schriftgelehrten des Volkes und erkundigte sich bei ihnen, wo der Christus geboren werden solle.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et congregans omnes principes sacerdotum, et scribas populi, sciscitabatur ab eis ubi Christus nasceretur.