“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
Parallel translations
- WEB They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,
- KJV And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
- NKJV So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
- NASB They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
- NLT “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
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
The scribes answer that the Christ is to be born in Bethlehem, as the prophet wrote. Scripture pinpoints the Messiah's birthplace.
Overview
The religious leaders correctly cite Micah 5:2, showing the prophecy was well known. Their accurate answer underscores that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled God's ancient word. Yet their head knowledge did not move them to seek the King themselves.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- John 7:42Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
- Ruth 1:1In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
- 1 Sam 16:1Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
- Ruth 2:4Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.
- Ruth 1:19So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
- Josh 19:15It also included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve cities, along with their villages.
- Ruth 4:11“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.
- Gen 35:19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
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 2:5 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.