Matthew 2:9

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was.

BSB

Parallel translations

4 additional translations

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KJV

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

ASV

And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

YLT

And they, having heard the king, departed, and lo, the star, that they did see in the east, did go before them, till, having come, it stood over where the child was.

DBT

And they having heard the king went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them until it came and stood over the place where the little child was.

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Commentary voices

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Voices5

On this verse

(in Luc. ii. 45.) The star is the way, and the way is Christ; and according to the mystery of the incarnation, Christ is a star. He is a blazing and a morning-star. Thus where Herod is, the star is not seen; where Christ is, there it is again seen, and points out the way.

Ambrose of Milan· Catena Aurea by Aquinas, 397patristic

Related commentary

When they had heard the king,....

John Gill· Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)reformed

The star ... went before them - From this it appears that the star was a luminous meteor, perhaps at no great distance from the ground. It is not unlikely that they lost sight of it after they had commenced their journey from the East. It is probable that it appeared to them first in the direction of Jerusalem. They concluded that the expected King had been born, and immediately commenced their journey to Jerusalem. When they arrived there, it was important that they should be directed to the very place where he was, and the star again appeared.

Albert Barnes· Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)evangelical

Thus are the very errors and crimes and cold indifferences of men all overruled. and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east--implying apparently that it had disappeared in the interval. went before them, and stood over where the young child was--Surely this could hardly be but by a luminous meteor, and not very high.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed

They who follow God in the dark shall find that light is sown, is reserved, for them. Israel was led by a pillar of fire to the promised land, the wise men by a star to the promised Seed, who is himself the bright and morning Star, Rev. xxii. God would rather create a new thing than leave those at a loss who diligently and faithfully sought him.

Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan

Voices on this verse

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Rabbinic commentary

How the Hebraic tradition has read this verse — and Marcus Brown’s own reading of it.

Cross-references

6 linked verses

The verses this one reaches6

Matthew 2:2
asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
2 Peter 1:19
We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Psalms 25:12
Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
Proverbs 2:1–6
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
Luke 2:15
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Cross-references

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The quotation web

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Original language

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Around this verse

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

Featured studyThe Genealogy of Jesus — Matthew's 3×14This study walks through this verse.

John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Matthew — The Gospel of the promised King. Five discourses punctuate the narrative; roughly sixty-five Old Testament citations bind the story to the prophets.

Canon: New Testament
Author: Matthew (Levi), a former tax collector called by Jesus
Date: c. AD 50–60

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
leads to
- John 14:23
  Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
- John 14:21
  Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
- Psalms 91:14
  “Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
- Isaiah 55:6
  Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Through
Matthew 2:2
asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
leads to
- Revelation 22:16
  “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Numbers 24:17
  I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and…
- Jeremiah 23:5
  Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
Through
Psalms 25:12
Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.
leads to
- Psalms 37:23
  The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.

The whole web at once: see the Arc.

Where the connections lead

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