And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Parallel translations
- WEB They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,
- BSB “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
- 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 7:42Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
- Ruth 1:1Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
- 1 Sam 16:1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
- Ruth 2:4And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.
- Ruth 1:19So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
- Josh 19:15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.
- Ruth 4:11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
- Gen 35:19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Pastoral
On the genealogy and the name Immanuel.
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.