International Institute of Jesus Christ

Matthew 2

Translated straight from the SBLGNT, with the grounds of every decision on the page.

Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλέεμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐν ἡμέραις Ἡρῴδου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἰδοὺ μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν παρεγένοντο εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα

Now Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king — look — magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

Why this rendering

Matt.2.1 Observation

Syntactic observation

μάγοι — a foreign word inside Greek that the lexica describe as designating a Persian priestly class. Matthew has it four times, all in this chapter (1, 7, 16, 16). The text does not say how many they were, whether they were kings, or what their names were — the count of three comes from the three gifts of v.11, not from a number in the text. The versions compared split evenly: those that transliterate (Magi, magi, mages — NASB, NIV, BSB, LSV, YLT) and those that render by sense (wise men, 박사 — KJV, ESV, NET, WEB, 개역한글). This corpus has transliterated praetorium, Legion, Korban, Gehenna, kodrantes and centurion, and that principle reaches here. The opening phrase Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος is a genitive absolute with the passive participle of γεννάω — the verb that ran actively thirty-nine times in ch. 1 arrives passive here too.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“magi from the east”

Basis Keeps the transliteration, applying the corpus rule (praetorium, Legion, Gehenna, centurion) to a foreign word of the same kind.

“wise men from the east”

Basis Renders the word by sense.

Rejected 박사 or wise men lets the translation decide in advance what these people were. The Greek names a specific class and says no more, and that strangeness is a condition of the scene.

Lost in translation

where the word comes from

To a Greek reader μάγος sounded like a word from the east, so the word itself repeats the phrase from the east. Transliterated or not, that doubling does not reach a Korean or English reader.

λέγοντες· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ.

saying, “Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising, and we have come to worship him.”

Why this rendering

Matt.2.2 Observation

Syntactic observation

Verses 1 and 2 use the same word in different numbers. v.1 has ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν — genitive plural; vv.2 and 9 have ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ — dative singular. The plural is the idiom for the compass point (the east); the singular can be read as the rising of a star (when it rose). Matthew switches number within a verse of himself, and the switch divides the sense: did the magi see the star while in the east, or did they see it rising? The versions split exactly here — ESV, NIV, NET and NLT take when it rose; the rest take in the east. And in v.9 the star προῆγεν, went ahead — the verb used of Jesus at Mark 10:32, 14:28 and 16:7. τεχθείς, born, is the passive participle of τίκτω, of the same root as τέξεται and ἔτεκεν at 1:21, 23, 25.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“we saw his star at its rising” — kept distinct from the east of v.1

Basis Keeps the number-shift visible: plural as the compass point, singular as the rising.

the east in both places

Basis Fixes one word to one rendering.

Rejected This corpus holds one word to one rendering, but here the text itself changes number — where the form differs, rendering it differently is what keeps that same rule. Merging the two fixes where the magi saw the star as their own location.

Lost in translation

one word, two faces

Greek holds direction and rising in one word, so both ring at once. Either rendering loses the other, and blurs the fact that vv.1 and 2 use the same word.

ἀκούσας δὲ ⸂ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης⸃ ἐταράχθη καὶ πᾶσα Ἱεροσόλυμα μετ’ αὐτοῦ,

And hearing this, King Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

καὶ συναγαγὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνετο παρ’ αὐτῶν ποῦ ὁ χριστὸς γεννᾶται.

And gathering all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ is born.

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Ἐν Βηθλέεμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας· οὕτως γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου·

And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it stands written through the prophet:

Καὶ σύ, Βηθλέεμ γῆ Ἰούδα, οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ.

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'”

Why this rendering

Matt.2.6 Observation

Syntactic observation

The quotation carries a negation — οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ, you are by no means least. Micah 5:2 is understood to say that Bethlehem is small, so Matthew's citation stands with the sense reversed. The text does not explain the reversal; it puts it in the scribes' mouths as it is. Every version compared renders the negative as it stands — here the versions do not divide. Within the quotation the words shift too: ἡγεμόσιν, rulers, and ἡγούμενος, one who leads, stand in one sentence, and the last verb is ποιμανεῖ, he will shepherd — the sentence speaks of ruling and ends in a shepherd. Verse 5 introduces the citation as διὰ τοῦ προφήτου, through the prophet, without a name; v.17 names Jeremiah; v.23 says prophets, plural.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah”

Basis Renders the form Matthew quotes. That it differs from the prophet's own text is recorded in the analysis, not corrected in the body.

Conform it to Micah: “though you are little”

Basis Harmonises with the source of the quotation.

Rejected It would amend Matthew's text. This project renders Matthew, not the prophet Matthew cites, and the divergence of the citation is itself worth recording.

Τότε Ἡρῴδης λάθρᾳ καλέσας τοὺς μάγους ἠκρίβωσεν παρ’ αὐτῶν τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος,

Then Herod, calling the magi secretly, ascertained from them exactly the time the star had appeared.

καὶ πέμψας αὐτοὺς εἰς Βηθλέεμ εἶπεν· Πορευθέντες ⸂ἐξετάσατε ἀκριβῶς⸃ περὶ τοῦ παιδίου· ἐπὰν δὲ εὕρητε, ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι, ὅπως κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσω αὐτῷ.

And sending them to Bethlehem he said, “Go and search out accurately concerning the child; and when you find him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship him.”

οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπορεύθησαν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀστὴρ ὃν εἶδον ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ προῆγεν αὐτούς, ἕως ἐλθὼν ⸀ἐστάθη ἐπάνω οὗ ἦν τὸ παιδίον.

And having heard the king they went; and — look — the star they had seen at its rising went ahead of them, until it came and stood over where the child was.

ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα.

And seeing the star they rejoiced with very great joy.

καὶ ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἶδον τὸ παιδίον μετὰ Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν.

And coming into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshipped him. And opening their treasures they offered him gifts — gold and frankincense and myrrh.

καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ’ ὄναρ μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην δι’ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.

And having been instructed in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their own country by another road.

Ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου ⸂φαίνεται κατ’ ὄναρ⸃ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ λέγων· Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἴσθι ἐκεῖ ἕως ἂν εἴπω σοι· μέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό.

And after they had withdrawn — look — an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον,

And rising, he took the child and his mother by night and withdrew into Egypt,

καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς Ἡρῴδου· ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ⸀ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου.

and was there until the death of Herod — so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Τότε Ἡρῴδης ἰδὼν ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν μάγων ἐθυμώθη λίαν, καὶ ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλεν πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλέεμ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσεν παρὰ τῶν μάγων.

Then Herod, seeing that he had been tricked by the magi, was enraged; and he sent and killed all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time he had ascertained from the magi.

τότε ἐπληρώθη τὸ ῥηθὲν ⸀διὰ Ἰερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·

Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

Why this rendering

Matt.2.17 Observation

Syntactic observation

Matthew introduces fulfilment citations with a set formula, and in this chapter the three instances of it differ. v.15: τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου — what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, with two prepositions kept apart: ὑπό for the speaker (the Lord), διά for the channel (the prophet). v.17: τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἰερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου — through Jeremiah the prophet, **with no ὑπὸ κυρίου.** v.23: τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν — through the prophets, plural and unnamed. And what v.17 is attached to is Herod's killing of the children. That this is where the formula lacks by the Lord is a fact that emerges from counting; what it means the text does not say. The governing verb differs too — vv.15 and 23 have ἵνα πληρωθῇ (so that it might be fulfilled, purpose), v.17 has τότε ἐπληρώθη (then was fulfilled, a statement of fact). SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀διὰ).

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

Three formulas rendered distinctly — by the Lord through the prophet (15), through Jeremiah the prophet (17), through the prophets (23)

Basis Renders distinctly what the text distinguishes, fixing ὑπό as by and διά as through.

Level the three into one formula

Basis Makes a recurring formula read consistently.

Rejected That the formula appears three times differently is the datum. Levelling it removes from the translation the fact that by the Lord is missing at v.17, and makes countable what could be counted uncountable.

Lost in translation

the distinction of ὑπό and διά

Greek separates speaker from channel by preposition; Korean tends to fuse them into one particle, and 선지자로 말씀하신바 does not distinguish them.

Survives in · ESV / NET

Φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαμὰ ⸀ἠκούσθη, κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμὸς πολύς· Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναι ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν.

“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and much lamentation — Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they are not.”

Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου ⸂φαίνεται κατ’ ὄναρ⸃ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ

But when Herod had died — look — an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

λέγων· Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πορεύου εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ, τεθνήκασιν γὰρ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ παιδίου.

saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go into the land of Israel; for those seeking the child's life have died.”

ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ⸀εἰσῆλθεν εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ.

And rising, he took the child and his mother and entered the land of Israel.

ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἀρχέλαος ⸀βασιλεύει τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἀντὶ ⸂τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ἡρῴδου⸃ ἐφοβήθη ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν· χρηματισθεὶς δὲ κατ’ ὄναρ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Γαλιλαίας,

But hearing that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being instructed in a dream he withdrew to the regions of Galilee.

καὶ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς πόλιν λεγομένην Ναζαρέτ, ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται.

And he came and settled in a town called Nazareth — so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, that he will be called a Nazorean.

Why this rendering

Matt.2.23 Observation

Syntactic observation

The introduction is plural — διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, through the prophets. Matthew's other fulfilment citations name a prophet or use the singular (1:22, 2:15, 2:17); only here is it plural and unnamed. And the sentence quoted, Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται, he will be called a Nazorean, is not found as such in any prophetic book. Matthew introduces it in a way that specifies no source, attaching only ὅτι as a quotation marker. The word divides too: Ναζωραῖος occurs in Matthew (2:23, 26:71) and John, while Mark uses Ναζαρηνός for the same thing (1:24, 10:47, 14:67, 16:6). The town is Ναζαρέτ, but the adjective for a man of it has two forms, and the three authors split between them.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“what was spoken through the prophets” — plural as written, “he will be called a Nazorean”

Basis Keeps the plural and supplies no source. Mark's Ναζαρηνός and Matthew's and John's Ναζωραῖος are held apart in English as Nazarene and Nazorean; where a locale cannot hold them apart (Korean, Chinese) the difference is recorded in the analysis instead.

“what was spoken by the prophet” — singular

Basis Matches the form of the other fulfilment citations.

Rejected That Matthew uses the plural only here is the datum. The singular makes it sound as though there is one source, and hides that no such single source can be found.

Lost in translation

the split between two adjectives

Ναζωραῖος and Ναζαρηνός are different words in Greek, and English can keep them apart — this translation uses Nazorean for the one and Nazarene for the other, as Portuguese (nazoreu/nazareno), Russian (Назорей/Назарянин) and Japanese (ナゾラ人/ナザレ人) do. Korean (나사렛 사람) and Chinese (拿撒勒人) cannot: there the choice each gospel made does not show on the page. What no locale can supply is the reason for the choice.