New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Matthew 2
1
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea. After Jesus' birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Micah 5:2
John 7:42
Luke 2:11
Isaiah 11:10
Genesis 49:10
Matthew 2:5
Genesis 25:6
Luke 2:15
1 Kings 4:30
References Jesus
Matthew 1:25
2
They asked, "Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have come to worship him."
Reference
Kingdom
Jeremiah 23:5
Zechariah 9:9
Isaiah 60:3
John 18:37
Psalm 2:6
Luke 23:38
Luke 23:3
Parallel theme
Numbers 24:17
Revelation 22:16
Worship
Hebrews 1:6
3
When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too.
Reference
4
So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ was going to be born.
Reference
6
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah. A ruler will come out of you. He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' " --(Micah 5:2)
Reference
Parallel theme
John 7:42
Revelation 11:15
Genesis 49:10
Matthew 28:18
Revelation 2:27
Isaiah 40:11
Colossians 1:18
Matthew 2:1
References Israel
Micah 5:2
2 Samuel 5:2
7
Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared.
Reference
8
He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, "Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship him too."
9
After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was.
Reference
11
The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and myrrh.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 72:10
Luke 2:16
1 Kings 10:2
Numbers 7:14
Worship
Isaiah 60:6
Matthew 2:2
Psalm 95:6
Psalm 72:15
Revelation 19:10
Matthew 14:33
12
But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 2:19
Matthew 2:13
Matthew 27:19
Matthew 1:20
References God
Matthew 2:22
Exodus 1:17
Genesis 31:24
Hebrews 11:7
Acts 5:29
Acts 4:19
13
When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him."
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 10:7
Job 33:15
Exodus 1:22
Matthew 2:16
Matthew 2:12
Revelation 12:14
Revelation 12:6
References Lord
Matthew 1:20
Acts 5:19
Acts 12:11
15
They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, "I chose to bring my son out of Egypt."--(Hosea 11:1)
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 26:54
Prophecy
Luke 24:44
Matthew 1:22
Matthew 2:17
Matthew 2:23
Matthew 26:56
References Egypt
Hosea 11:1
Numbers 24:8
References Lord
Exodus 4:22
Matthew 2:19
16
Herod realized that the Wise Men had tricked him. So he became very angry. He gave orders concerning Bethlehem and the area around it. All the boys two years old and under were to be killed. This agreed with the time when the Wise Men had seen the star.
Reference
17
In this way, the words the prophet Jeremiah spoke came true. He had said,
18
"A voice is heard in Ramah. It's the sound of crying and deep sadness. Rachel is crying over her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are gone." --(Jeremiah 31:15)
Reference
19
After Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Daniel 8:25
Isaiah 51:12
Psalm 139:7
Psalm 76:10
Matthew 2:22
Daniel 11:45
References Lord
Matthew 1:20
Jeremiah 30:10
Ezekiel 11:16
20
The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother. Go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead."
Reference
22
But then he heard that Archelaus was king of Judea. Archelaus was ruling in place of his father Herod. This made Joseph afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, Joseph went back to the land of Galilee instead.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Luke 2:39
John 7:52
Isaiah 30:21
Psalm 121:8
Psalm 73:24
Matthew 2:19
Matthew 1:20
Matthew 3:13
1 Samuel 16:2
References God
Psalm 48:14
23
There he lived in a town called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said about Jesus came true. They had said, "He will be called a Nazarene."
Reference
📍 Nazareth
Parallel theme
Judges 13:5
Chapter Summary
Matthew 2 continues the story of Jesus' birth by introducing the Magi from the east, who travel to Jerusalem after seeing a star that they associate with the birth of the King of the Jews and demonstrate remarkable recognition of Jesus' significance.
Their arrival alarms Herod the Great, whose political power makes him deeply suspicious of any possible rival, while the religious leaders in Jerusalem are able to identify Bethlehem as the expected birthplace of the Messiah even though they do not accompany the Magi to search for Him.
The Magi eventually find Jesus with Mary, worship Him, and present valuable gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but God warns them not to return to Herod, preventing the king from learning the child's exact location.
Joseph then receives an angelic warning that Herod intends to kill Jesus, so he immediately takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt, where they remain until Herod's death, demonstrating God's protection over the child despite the political danger surrounding His birth.
When Herod realizes that the Magi have not returned, he orders the killing of young boys in Bethlehem and its surrounding region, creating a scene of terrible grief that Matthew connects with Jeremiah's earlier prophecy concerning Rachel mourning for her children.
After Herod dies around 4 BC, Joseph receives further divine instructions and returns to Israel, but because Herod's son Archelaus is ruling Judea, he settles instead in Nazareth in Galilee, where Jesus grows up.
The chapter repeatedly emphasizes dreams, angels, prophecy, political danger, travel, and divine guidance, showing that although powerful rulers attempt to control Jesus' future, God remains in control of the events surrounding His Son and repeatedly protects Him from those who seek His destruction.
The central message is that Matthew 2 presents Jesus as the promised King whose significance is recognized by Gentile visitors but threatened by a fearful ruler, while God's protection guides His family through danger, exile, return, and finally settlement in Nazareth.
The chapter therefore shows that Jesus' early life is already connected with the larger story of Israel, because His journey to Egypt, return to Israel, experience of suffering, and settlement in Nazareth are presented as part of God's continuing plan revealed through the Scriptures, while the contrast between Herod's fear and the Magi's worship reveals two radically different responses to the arrival of God's promised King.
Their arrival alarms Herod the Great, whose political power makes him deeply suspicious of any possible rival, while the religious leaders in Jerusalem are able to identify Bethlehem as the expected birthplace of the Messiah even though they do not accompany the Magi to search for Him.
The Magi eventually find Jesus with Mary, worship Him, and present valuable gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but God warns them not to return to Herod, preventing the king from learning the child's exact location.
Joseph then receives an angelic warning that Herod intends to kill Jesus, so he immediately takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt, where they remain until Herod's death, demonstrating God's protection over the child despite the political danger surrounding His birth.
When Herod realizes that the Magi have not returned, he orders the killing of young boys in Bethlehem and its surrounding region, creating a scene of terrible grief that Matthew connects with Jeremiah's earlier prophecy concerning Rachel mourning for her children.
After Herod dies around 4 BC, Joseph receives further divine instructions and returns to Israel, but because Herod's son Archelaus is ruling Judea, he settles instead in Nazareth in Galilee, where Jesus grows up.
The chapter repeatedly emphasizes dreams, angels, prophecy, political danger, travel, and divine guidance, showing that although powerful rulers attempt to control Jesus' future, God remains in control of the events surrounding His Son and repeatedly protects Him from those who seek His destruction.
The central message is that Matthew 2 presents Jesus as the promised King whose significance is recognized by Gentile visitors but threatened by a fearful ruler, while God's protection guides His family through danger, exile, return, and finally settlement in Nazareth.
The chapter therefore shows that Jesus' early life is already connected with the larger story of Israel, because His journey to Egypt, return to Israel, experience of suffering, and settlement in Nazareth are presented as part of God's continuing plan revealed through the Scriptures, while the contrast between Herod's fear and the Magi's worship reveals two radically different responses to the arrival of God's promised King.