When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Parallel translations
- WEB When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- BSB When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
- NKJV When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- NASB When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- NLT King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Herod is troubled by the news, and all Jerusalem with him. The arrival of the true King unsettles those clinging to earthly power.
Overview
Herod, a paranoid and ruthless ruler, sees a rival in any newborn "King of the Jews." That all Jerusalem is troubled reveals a city more anxious about political upheaval than joyful at the Messiah's coming. The verse exposes how the human heart often resists rather than welcomes God's reign.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 17:6–7And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
- John 11:47–48Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
- Matt 23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- Acts 4:2Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
- Matt 8:29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
- Acts 5:24–28Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
- Acts 16:20–21And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
- 1 Kgs 18:17–18And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
- Acts 4:24–27And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Pastoral
On the genealogy and the name Immanuel.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 2:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.