Historic pastoral reading
The church later named three visitors. The text does not count them.
Matthew 2:1-2, 11
There were three wise men.
The text
WEB
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
2 Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.
11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
KJV
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
What kind of text
- Gospel
- Infancy
- Magi
Matthew tells of magi, a house, a child, and three kinds of gift.
How Christians have read this
Common misuse
Nativity sets taught as if they were a verse.
What the next verse does
They leave another way after being warned in a dream.
Older commentary
Matthew Henry
Henry on Matthew 2: wise men from the east, three gifts, no count of the men.
Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon loved the magi. He still refused to put a number where Matthew put none.