Matthew 2:4
New International Version
When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

New Living Translation
He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

English Standard Version
and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Berean Standard Bible
And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

Berean Literal Bible
And having assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the Christ was to be born.

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

New King James Version
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

New American Standard Bible
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

NASB 1995
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

NASB 1977
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.

Legacy Standard Bible
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the Christ was to be born.

Amplified Bible
So he called together all the chief priests and scribes of the people and [anxiously] asked them where the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) was to be born.

Christian Standard Bible
So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.”

American Standard Version
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he gathered the Chief Priests and the Scribes of the people together and was asking them, “Where would The Messiah be born?”

Contemporary English Version
Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.

English Revised Version
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He called together all the chief priests and scribes and tried to find out from them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.

Good News Translation
He called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?"

International Standard Version
He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

Literal Standard Version
and having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is born.

Majority Standard Bible
And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

New American Bible
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

NET Bible
After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

New Revised Standard Version
and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

New Heart English Bible
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.

Weymouth New Testament
So he assembled all the High Priests and Scribes of the people, and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.

World English Bible
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.

Young's Literal Translation
and having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is born.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Pilgrimage of the Magi
3When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:…

Cross References
Matthew 2:3
When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew 2:5
"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:


Treasury of Scripture

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

the chief.

Matthew 21:15,23
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, …

Matthew 26:3,47
Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, …

Matthew 27:1
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

scribes.

Matthew 7:29
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Matthew 13:52
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

2 Chronicles 34:13,15
Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters…

he demanded.

Malachi 2:7
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

John 3:10
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

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Anxiously Assembled Assembling Born Chief Christ Demanded Gathered Gathering High Inquired Inquiring Law Messiah People's Priests Questioning Scribes Teachers Together
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Anxiously Assembled Assembling Born Chief Christ Demanded Gathered Gathering High Inquired Inquiring Law Messiah People's Priests Questioning Scribes Teachers Together
Matthew 2
1. The wise men from the east enquire after Jesus;
3. at which Herod is alarmed.
9. They are directed by a star to Bethlehem, worship him, and offer their presents.
13. Joseph flees into Egypt with Jesus and his mother.
16. Herod slays the children;
20. himself dies.
23. Jesus is brought back again into Galilee to Nazareth.














(4) The chief priests and scribes.--The chief priests were probably the heads of the twenty-four courses into which the sons of Aaron were divided (2Chronicles 23:8; Luke 1:5), but the term may have included those who had, though only for a time, held the office of high priest. The "scribes" were the interpreters of the Law, casuists and collectors of the traditions of the Elders, for the most part Pharisees. The meeting thus convened was not necessarily a formal meeting of the Sanhedrim or Great Council, and may have been only as a Committee of Notables called together for a special purpose. With a characteristic subtlety, as if trying to gauge the strength of their Messianic hopes, Herod acts as if he himself shared them, and asks where the Christ, the expected Messiah, the "anointed" of the Lord (Psalm 2:2; Psalm 45:7; Psalm 89:20) was to be born.

Verse 4. - And when he had gathered... together (καὶ συναγαγών). The Revised Version, and gathering together, suggests that there was no delay. All the chief priests and scribes of the people (πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ). In the absence of the article before γραμματεῖς we must take the words, "of the people," as belonging to both terms. The addition helped to bring out the evangelist's thought that the representatives of the chosen people (1 Peter 2:10) were fully informed of the coming of Christ. The chief priests (cf. also Matthew 16:21, note) represented the ecclesiastical and Sadducean part, the scribes the more literary and probably the Pharisaic part, of the nation. The width of the term "all," and the double classification, seem to point to this not being a meeting of the Sanhedrin as such. Herod called an informal and perhaps the more comprehensive meeting of those who could assist him. He demanded of them; Revised Version, inquired, for "demand" is, in modern English, too strong for ἐπυνθάνετο The tyrant could be courteous when it served his purpose. Does the imperfect mark his putting the question to one after another (cf. Acts 1:6; and contrast John 4:52)? Where Christ ( the Christ, Revised Version) should be born (γεννᾶται). In ver. 2 (ὁ τεχθείς) the stress lay on his birth as an accomplished fact. Here on his birth as connected with his origin The present is chosen, not the future, because Herod is stating a theological question without reference to time. Observe, in Herod's inquiry and subsequent action, the combination of superstition and irreligion. He was willing to accept the witness of stars and of prophecies, but not willing to allow himself to be morally influenced by it. His attempt to kill this Child was the expression of a desire to destroy the Jewish nationality so far as this was severed from himself, and perhaps with it to uproot at the same time a fundamental part of the Jewish religion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
When
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

he had assembled
συναγαγὼν (synagagōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4863: From sun and ago; to lead together, i.e. Collect or convene; specially, to entertain.

all
πάντας (pantas)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

chief priests
ἀρχιερεῖς (archiereis)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 749: High priest, chief priest. From arche and hiereus; the high-priest; by extension a chief priest.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

scribes
γραμματεῖς (grammateis)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1122: From gramma. A writer, i.e. scribe or secretary.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

people,
λαοῦ (laou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2992: Apparently a primary word; a people.

he inquired
ἐπυνθάνετο (epynthaneto)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4441: To ask, inquire, ascertain by inquiry, understand.

where
ποῦ (pou)
Adverb
Strong's 4226: Genitive case of an interrogative pronoun pos otherwise obsolete; as adverb of place; at what locality.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Christ
Χριστὸς (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

was to be born.
γεννᾶται (gennatai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1080: From a variation of genos; to procreate; figuratively, to regenerate.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 2:4 Gathering together all the chief priests (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 2:3
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