Matthew 2:3–6
It was not the magi’s voice that disturbed Herod, but the rumor among all who knew the law and trusted the prophets’ words. The magi were seeking a king; the Jews were publishing that the Christ had been born.
So he left the magi, called the Jews, and asked where the Christ is born — “the one you are now publishing,” he says, “after hearing the magi.” Even unwilling, the enemies of the truth speak the truth and interpret the whole prophecy — yet in vain, for they did not add what follows.
He calls the magi ambassadors because in a way they came to the king of Israel to make peace between themselves and Israel, so that of the nations and the Jews there might be “one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16)
And what did that mean — that “his goings forth are from the beginning” (Matthew 2:3–6)? People come from the ends of the inhabited world to see the manger.
Greek
Οὐχ ἡ τῶν μάγων φωνὴ ἐτάραξεν αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θρυλεῖσθαι παρὰ πάντων τῶν νομομαθῶν καὶ τοῖς τῶν προφητῶν πιστευόντων λό γοις· οἱ γὰρ μάγοι βασιλέα ἐζήτουν, οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι Χριστὸν ἐφήμιζον τετέχθαι. διὸ ἐάσας τοὺς μάγους, καλέσας δὲ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἠρώτα ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται, ὃν νῦν ὑμεῖς φημίζετε ἀκούσαντες τῶν μάγων. καὶ οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὶ καὶ ἄκοντες λέγουσιν τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ τὴν προφητείαν ἑρμηνεύουσιν εἰκῇ πᾶσαν· οὐ γὰρ προσέθηκαν τὸ ἑξῆς. πρέσβεις δὲ καλεῖ τοὺς μάγους, ἐπειδὴ τρόπον τινὰ ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ἵνα πρεσβεύσωνται καὶ γένηται εἰρήνη μεταξὺ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν καὶ γένηται τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ Ἰουδαίων "μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμὴν" ἀμφοτέρων. τί δὲ τοῦτο ἦν, ὅτι αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς–ἀπὸ τῶν περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔρχονται ὀψόμενοι τὴν φάτνην.
About this text
Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.
English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.