In brief
The wise men from the East are men who come from the east to Jerusalem shortly after the birth of Jesus, in the days of King Herod. They have seen his star and look for the king of the Jews to worship him. Guided to Bethlehem, they bow down before the child and offer him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Warned in a dream, they go home another way. Matthew gives neither their number, nor their names, nor a title of king.
What does the name The Wise Men from the East mean?
The word “wise men” translates the Greek magoi, generally linked to sages or scholars who watched the sky in the East. Matthew does not give their names; the ones often heard come from tradition, not from the Bible.
The story of The Wise Men from the East
His star in the east
Matthew 2:1-2Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod. Wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem and ask: “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” The text states neither their exact country nor their number.
Herod troubled
Matthew 2:3-8Herod is troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. The chief priests and scribes point him to Bethlehem, according to the prophet. Herod calls the wise men secretly, finds out when the star appeared and sends them to Bethlehem, asking them to report back so that he too may go and worship the child.
The star and the exceedingly great joy
Matthew 2:9-10After hearing the king, the wise men leave. The star they had seen in the east goes before them until it stops over the place where the young child is. When they see it, they rejoice with exceedingly great joy. Their search succeeds, not through Herod's palace, but through the sign God gave.
Worship and gifts
Matthew 2:11The wise men enter the house and see the young child with Mary, his mother. They fall down and worship him. Then they open their treasures and offer him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The text speaks of three gifts, but it does not say how many wise men brought them.
Another way
Matthew 2:12Warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the wise men go back to their country another way. In this way God protects the child from the king's intentions. Here ends everything the Bible says about the wise men: it tells nothing of their lives after this journey.
Herod outwitted
Matthew 2:13-16After they leave, an angel warns Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with the child and his mother. Seeing that he was outwitted by the wise men, Herod becomes furious. He has all the boys of two years and under in Bethlehem and its region killed, according to the time learned from the wise men.
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What The Wise Men from the East teaches us
- God draws to his Son people from far away: Jesus is the Savior of the nations.
- Seeking Jesus means setting out and following what God shows.
- A true encounter with Jesus leads to worship and to giving what is most precious.
- Knowing the Scriptures without going to Jesus is not enough, as the scribes of Jerusalem show.
- Whoever has met Jesus goes home another way and obeys God rather than the powerful.
Key verses
The wise men come to worship “he who is born King of the Jews.” Foreigners recognize in Jesus the king his own people were awaiting.
The wise men's exceedingly great joy leads to worship: they fall down before the child and offer him gold, frankincense and myrrh, the best they have.
Warned in a dream, the wise men do not return to Herod and go back to their country another way. God watches over his Son.
The prophecy cited by the scribes announces that from Bethlehem will come one who will rule over Israel, and whose origin goes back to the days of eternity.
Sermons about The Wise Men from the East
- Epiphany: What the Bible Really Says About the Wise MenThis page rereads Matthew 2:1-12 closely and reminds us that the Bible says neither that there were three wise men, nor that they were kings, nor what their names were.
- The True Story of the Magi Through the History of PaintingThis lecture starts from Matthew 2: only one gospel speaks of the wise men, they enter a house and not a stable, and the text gives neither their number, nor their names, nor a title of king.
- Christmas: Herod's Fear or the Magi's JoyThe preacher contrasts two reactions to the birth of Jesus: Herod, troubled, fearing for his throne, and the wise men, who came from afar, filled with joy and bowing before the king.
- Christmas: What the Magi from the East Teach UsThe preacher recalls that the wise men are not the kings of Christmas cards but sages who studied the stars, and that the text does not say there were three of them.
Frequently asked questions
How many wise men were there, and what were their names?
The Bible does not say. Matthew 2 speaks only of wise men from the east, giving neither their number nor their names. The number three probably comes from the three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, and the names often cited belong to tradition, not to the biblical text.
Were the wise men kings?
No, the Bible does not say they were kings. Matthew calls them wise men from the east, and the Greek word refers rather to sages who watched the sky. In the story, the only king is Herod, facing Jesus, the king of the Jews whom the wise men come to worship.
Where can I find the story of the wise men in the Bible?
The story of the wise men is found only in Matthew 2:1-12. The rest of the chapter tells of the flight to Egypt and the killing of the children of Bethlehem, ordered by Herod after he was outwitted by the wise men (Matthew 2:13-18). Luke does not mention the wise men.