Matthew 2:10

The Magi and the star, Gentile da Fabriano - 1423

Matthew 2:10 is the tenth verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The magi, dispatched by King Herod, have been shown the location of the infant Jesus by the Star of Bethlehem. In this verse they react to this.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

When they saw the star,

they rejoiced with

exceeding great joy.

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

When they saw the star,

they rejoiced with

exceedingly great joy.

For a collection of other versions see here: Matthew 2:10

The main observation on this verse is how hard the author of Matthew strives to prove the joy of the magi. The phrase "rejoiced with exceedingly great joy" piles modifiers on the basic joy of the magi. Gundry notes that the Matthew is the only gospel to use such constructions.^[1] Reid links the joy felt with the Magi upon first encountering Jesus with the joy of the disciples upon doing the same at Matthew 13:20.^[2]

Gundry sees this part of the chapter as an embellishment on the Gospel of Luke, and this verse as a magnified version of Luke 2:10. Perhaps the star over Jerusalem was the Holy Spirit, or Angel of the Lord, descending upon the virgin Mary.^[3]

References

1. Gundry, Robert H. Matthew a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.
2. Reid, Barbara E. The Gospel according to Matthew: Volume 1 of The new Collegeville Bible commentary. Liturgical Press, 2005 pg. 18
3. Gundry, Robert H. Matthew a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.

Resources

• Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
• Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. London: G. Chapman, 1977.