Magi

Biblical Literacy: 3 Kings For Baby Jesus?

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Kings or Magi?

The Bible does not actually say that three kings brought gifts to baby Jesus.

In Matthew 2:1–12, the Bible tells us that “wise men from the east” (Greek: magoi, meaning “magi” or scholars/astrologers) came to visit Jesus after His birth. It mentions that they brought three gifts — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — but it never specifies how many magi there were, nor that they were kings.

Here’s the key verse (Matthew 2:11, KJV):

“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.”

The Bible mentions magi (wise men), not kings.

It mentions three gifts, but not the number of visitors.

The idea of “three kings” likely came later from tradition and song (like “We Three Kings”), probably because there were three types of gifts.

Also, according to the Bible, the wise men (Magi) did not arrive at the same time as the shepherds. The shepherds came the night Jesus was born, but the Magi came later, possibly months — or even up to two years — afterward.

The Shepherds

Found in Luke 2:8–20.

The shepherds were in the fields nearby when the angel announced Jesus’ birth.

They immediately went to Bethlehem and found “the babe lying in a manger.”
This clearly happened the night of Jesus’ birth.

The Wise Men (Magi)

Found in Matthew 2:1–12.

They came “from the east” after seeing a special star that signified a new king.

When they arrived, they entered a house (not a stable) and saw “the young child with Mary his mother” (Matthew 2:11).

King Herod asked when the star appeared and later ordered the killing of boys two years old and under (Matthew 2:16), suggesting Jesus could have been as much as two years old by the time the Magi visited.

Summary

GroupWhen They ArrivedWhere They Found JesusBiblical Source
ShepherdsThe night of His birthIn a mangerLuke 2:8–20
Wise MenWeeks or months laterIn a houseMatthew 2:1–12

So, while Christmas pageants often combine the two groups for simplicity, the Bible clearly describes two separate visits — first by shepherds, then later by the Magi.

Matthew: A Baby And A Jealous King

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Our regular Thursday feature at Bible Rebel is called ‘What’s The Big Idea’, where we’ll introduce and explore larger biblical themes and go deeper into biblical teaching through commentary, research, and even creative writing from guest writers.

We start today with a look at the book of Matthew and it’s major theme of the King and the Kingdom.

A Tale of Two Kings

In Matthew 2:1-3 we get a snapshot of the impact the birth of our Lord had on wicked King Herod and on the capitol city of occupied Judea, Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:1-3 (NIV):
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Do you see the contrast between the two kings there? The Magi asked about the one who had been ‘born King of Jews’ and they asked it of ‘King Herod’, the false king of Jews .

Craig Keener’s Socio-Historical Commentary puts it this way: ‘The “king of the Jews” title given by the Magi contrasts with Herod’s illegitimacy as a ruler, appointed by Rome rather than descended from Davidic lineage.‘

And from Matthew Henry’s Commentary: ‘Herod’s reaction reveals his fear and jealousy. Rather than rejoicing at the fulfillment of prophecy, Herod sees Jesus as a threat to his power.’

No wondered he was ‘disturbed’. He must have thought, “Who do these so-called Magi think they are coming up in here and asking me, the reigning King, about some other baby king? We’ll see about that! No one is taking my throne.”

Political Trouble

Matthew 2:3 – “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.“

We know why Herod was disturbed by the news of a baby king, but why was all Jerusalem also troubled?

From the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: ‘Jerusalem’s disturbance highlights the tension of living under Herod’s volatile leadership.’

‘Volatile leadership’ indeed.

The citizens of Jerusalem certainly had reason to be worried, because their ruler was known to be vicious and cruel – and those concerns were confirmed by his later actions when Herod ordered the execution of all male children who were two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem, where the true King was born – a demonic level of evil that is almost unimaginable.

Questions and a Final Answer

The question of why a loving God would allow such evil to occur, doing nothing to stop the slaughter of innocents, is a subject to be explored in-depth in future ‘What’s The Big Idea’ posts.

I’ll conclude here by pointing out that Matthew 2:1-3 affirms that God does watch over His own and will bring His purposes to full fruition, even in the midst of a dark and dangerous world filled with evil kings and political turmoil.

And the one true King will return in due time to set the world right.