Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

Matthew 2:7

Then Herod sent for the wise men privately, and put questions to them about what time the star had been seen.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Heathen;   Jesus, the Christ;   Magi;   Miracles;   Wisdom;   Wise Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Herods of the New Testament;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophecies Respecting Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Magi or Wise Men;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Edom;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Foreigner;   Jerusalem;   Magic;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Herod the Great;   Jesus;   Magic;   Stars;   Wise Men;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Archaeology and Biblical Study;   Bethlehem;   Epiphany;   Fall;   Herod;   Antiochus IV;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Midrash;   Wisdom and Wise Men;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Herod;   Jesus Christ;   Magi;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Mss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dates (2);   Flight;   Magi ;   Perfect Perfection;   Star (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Herod the Great;   Herod, Family of;   Magi ;   Star in the East;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Herodians;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Bethlehem;   Gospel;   Magi;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ma'gi;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Eclipse;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Appear;   Carefully;   Chronology of the New Testament;   Enquire;   Joseph, Husband of Mary;   Magi, the;   Star of the Magi;   Zoroastrianism;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared.
King James Version (1611)
Then Herod, when he had priuily called the Wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the Starre appeared:
King James Version
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
English Standard Version
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
New American Standard Bible
Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
New Century Version
Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men and learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.
Amplified Bible
Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them the [exact] time the star [had first] appeared.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Herod priuily called the Wisemen, and diligently inquired of them the time of the starre that appeared,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Herod secretly called the magi and carefully determined from them the time the star appeared.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared.
Contemporary English Version
Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star.
Complete Jewish Bible
Herod summoned the Magi to meet with him privately and asked them exactly when the star had appeared.
Darby Translation
Then Herod, having secretly called the magi, inquired of them accurately the time of the star that was appearing;
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.
George Lamsa Translation
Then Herod called the Magi secretly, and he learned from them at what time the star appeared to them.
Good News Translation
So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
Lexham English Bible
Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and determined precisely from them the time when the star appeared.
Literal Translation
Then secretly calling the wise men, Herod asked of them exactly the time of the star appearing.
American Standard Version
Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared.
Hebrew Names Version
Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
International Standard Version
Then Herod secretly called together the wise menastrologers
; Gk. magi">[fn] and found out from them the time the star had appeared.
Etheridge Translation
Then Herodes privately called the Magians, and learned from them at what time the star appeared to them:
Murdock Translation
Then Herod privately called the Magi, and learned from them at what time the star appeared to them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Herode, when he had priuilye called the wyse men, inquired of the diligently, what tyme the starre appeared.
English Revised Version
Then Herod privily called the wise men, and learned of them carefully what time the star appeared.
World English Bible
Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then Herod, having privately called the wise men, inquired of them with great exactness, at what time the star appeared:
Weymouth's New Testament
Thereupon Herod sent privately for the Magi and ascertained from them the exact time of the star's appearing.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne Eroude clepide pryueli the astromyens, and lernyde bisili of hem the tyme of the sterre that apperide to hem.
Update Bible Version
Then Herod secretly called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
New English Translation
Then Herod privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared.
New King James Version
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
New Living Translation
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
New Life Bible
Then Herod had a secret meeting with the men who learned things from stars. He asked them about what time the star had been seen.
New Revised Standard
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Herod, privately, calling the wise men, ascertained from them the time of the appearing star;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Herod, privately calling the wise men learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them;
Revised Standard Version
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared;
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then Herod prevely called the wyse men and dyligetly enquyred of them ye tyme of the starre that appered
Young's Literal Translation
Then Herod, privately having called the mages, did inquire exactly from them the time of the appearing star,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then Herod preuely called the wyse men, and dyligently enquyred of them, what tyme the starre appered,
Mace New Testament (1729)
Then Herod having privately sent for the Magi, enquired of them the exact time when the star appeared.
THE MESSAGE
Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, "Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I'll join you at once in your worship."
Simplified Cowboy Version
Then Herod asked those strangers when the bright light had appeared in the sky.

Contextual Overview

1 Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Beth-lehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is the King of the Jews whose birth has now taken place? We have seen his star in the east and have come to give him worship. 3 And when it came to the ears of Herod the king, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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. 5 And they said to him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea; for so it is said in the writings of the prophet, 6 You Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel. 7 Then Herod sent for the wise men privately, and put questions to them about what time the star had been seen. 8 And he sent them to Beth-lehem and said, Go and make certain where the young child is; and when you have seen him, let me have news of it, so that I may come and give him worship.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 26:3-5, Exodus 1:10, 1 Samuel 18:21, Psalms 10:9, Psalms 10:10, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 64:4-6, Psalms 83:3, Psalms 83:4, Isaiah 7:5-7, Ezekiel 38:10, Ezekiel 38:11, Revelation 12:1-5, Revelation 12:15

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 10:13 - beginning Matthew 2:16 - according Revelation 22:16 - the bright

Cross-References

Genesis 2:14
And the name of the third river is Tigris, which goes to the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
Genesis 2:15
And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to do work in it and take care of it.
Genesis 2:20
And the man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every beast of the field; but Adam had no one like himself as a help.
Genesis 2:21
And the Lord God sent a deep sleep on the man, and took one of the bones from his side while he was sleeping, joining up the flesh again in its place:
Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to be a worker on the earth from which he was taken.
Genesis 7:22
Everything on the dry land, in which was the breath of life, came to its end.
Numbers 16:22
Then falling down on their faces they said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, because of one man's sin will your wrath be moved against all the people?
Numbers 27:16
Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, put a man at the head of this people,
Job 4:19
How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;
Job 27:3
(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men,.... As soon as he had got the intelligence of the place of the Messiah's birth, he called, or ordered the wise men to be brought into his presence, and that in a very private manner; lest the Jews, who knew his hypocrisy and deceit, should perceive his views, and enter into his designs, and so give the wise men some instructions, which would be prejudicial to the scheme he was forming in his own mind to destroy the young king; and having called them to him, he

inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. He took a good deal of pains in examining them, he sifted them, and inquired of them with much accuracy, and exactness, the precise time of the star's appearing to them, how long ago it was when it was first observed by them; that hereby he might exactly know the age of Christ, and the better execute the bloody design he had formed, should the wise men disappoint him; and the better detect an impostor, should another afterwards arise, and set up himself for the king of the Jews.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Privily - Secretly, privately. He did this to ascertain the time when Jesus was born.

Diligently - Accurately, exactly. He took pains to learn the precise time when the star appeared. He did this because he naturally concluded that the star appeared just at the time of his birth, and he wished to know precisely how old the child was.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile