Matthew 2:6
Encyclopedia
Matthew 2:6 is the sixth verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
. The magi
have informed King Herod
that they had seen portents showing the birth of the King of the Jews
. Herod has asked the leading Jewish religious figures about how to find out where Jesus was to be born. In this verse they tell him by quoting from the Book of Micah
.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 2:6
This verse is taken from Micah 5:2. Unlike the previous time Matthew quoted the Old Testament in Matthew 1:23
the wording does not seem to be taken from the Septuagint, rather it seems to be an original translation from the Hebrew. Matthew's version differs substantially from both the Septuagint and Masoretic.
Matthew's translation has several important differences from that found in the Septuagint. The King James Version of Micah 5:2, based on the Septuagint, reads:
Ephratah was a town near the Bethlehem
in Judea
. Some disambiguation is needed as there was at least one other town named Bethlehem at the time. Both referencing a larger neighbour and the province were accepted methods of disambiguation at the time, but the question is why Matthew changes the form. Two other references to Bethlehem being in Judea in Matthew 2:1
and 2:5
show that Matthew felt that showing Jesus was born in Judea was important. In this verse he does not use the same spelling he did previously, thus also linking to the Old Testament figure Judah
.
The second line is almost reversed in meaning by the author of Matthew. The original states that Bethlehem was a town of little importance that great thing would happen in. Matthew states that it is not a town of little because great things would happen there.
Brown also reports that Matthew replaces the word ruler in the original, perhaps to emphasize that despite what most Jews were predicting the messiah would not be a political figure, only a spiritual one.
The portion of Micah where this quote is found is clearly discussing the messiah and states that like King David
the messiah's origin would be in Bethlehem. At the time it was not widely accepted that the messiah would necessarily be born in Bethlehem, just that his ancestors would have been. It was thus not considered essential for a messiah to be someone born in that town, but it was considered a reasonable locale for a messiah to originate. Far more reasonable than the peripheral and little known town of Nazareth
in Galilee
where Jesus grew up.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. The magi
Biblical Magi
The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
have informed King Herod
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
that they had seen portents showing the birth of the King of the Jews
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
. Herod has asked the leading Jewish religious figures about how to find out where Jesus was to be born. In this verse they tell him by quoting from the Book of Micah
Book of Micah
The Book of Micah is one of fifteen prophetic books in the Hebrew bible/Old Testament, and the sixth of the twelve minor prophets. It records the sayings of Mikayahu, meaning "Who is like Yahweh?", an 8th century prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah...
.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the
- least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall
- come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among
- the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come forth
- a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel."
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 2:6
This verse is taken from Micah 5:2. Unlike the previous time Matthew quoted the Old Testament in Matthew 1:23
Matthew 1:23
Matthew 1:23 is the twenty-third verse of the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Joseph has just been informed of the nature of Jesus by an angel and in this verse the author of Matthew relates this to a quote from the Old Testament....
the wording does not seem to be taken from the Septuagint, rather it seems to be an original translation from the Hebrew. Matthew's version differs substantially from both the Septuagint and Masoretic.
Matthew's translation has several important differences from that found in the Septuagint. The King James Version of Micah 5:2, based on the Septuagint, reads:
- But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
- though thou be little among the
- thousands of Judah, yet out of
- thee shall he come forth unto
- me that is to be ruler in Israel;
Ephratah was a town near the Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
in Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
. Some disambiguation is needed as there was at least one other town named Bethlehem at the time. Both referencing a larger neighbour and the province were accepted methods of disambiguation at the time, but the question is why Matthew changes the form. Two other references to Bethlehem being in Judea in Matthew 2:1
Matthew 2:1
Matthew 2:1 is the first verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The previous verse ended with Jesus being named by his father, this verse marks the clear start of a new narrative. This verse deals with the arrival of the Magi at the court of Herod the Great in...
and 2:5
Matthew 2:5
Matthew 2:5 is the fifth verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The magi have informed King Herod that they had seen portents showing the birth of the King of the Jews. Herod has asked the leading Jewish religious figures about how to find out where Jesus was to...
show that Matthew felt that showing Jesus was born in Judea was important. In this verse he does not use the same spelling he did previously, thus also linking to the Old Testament figure Judah
Judah (Biblical figure)
Judah was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Judah. Biblical scholars, such as J. A...
.
The second line is almost reversed in meaning by the author of Matthew. The original states that Bethlehem was a town of little importance that great thing would happen in. Matthew states that it is not a town of little because great things would happen there.
Brown also reports that Matthew replaces the word ruler in the original, perhaps to emphasize that despite what most Jews were predicting the messiah would not be a political figure, only a spiritual one.
The portion of Micah where this quote is found is clearly discussing the messiah and states that like King David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
the messiah's origin would be in Bethlehem. At the time it was not widely accepted that the messiah would necessarily be born in Bethlehem, just that his ancestors would have been. It was thus not considered essential for a messiah to be someone born in that town, but it was considered a reasonable locale for a messiah to originate. Far more reasonable than the peripheral and little known town of Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
where Jesus grew up.