Bible Strands
Matthew 2:5
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The chief priests and scribes reply to King Herod after he summons them to ask where the Messiah is to be born. They confirm the prophesied birthplace is Bethlehem in Judea.
The words — εἶπαν (eipan) means "they said," and Βηθλέεμ (Bēthleem) identifies the specific town. The pronoun αὐτῷ (autō) shows the response is directed to him.
The thread — This location is repeatedly tied to messianic expectation in John 7:42, while Ruth 1:1 and 1 Samuel 16:1 establish Bethlehem’s earlier significance in Israel’s history.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that prophetic fulfillment operates through specific, verifiable geography rather than abstract claims. Readers must verify spiritual promises against concrete historical and textual markers.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Cross-references
- John 7:42 Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
- Ruth 1:1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
- 1 Samuel 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
- Ruth 2:4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.
- Joshua 19:15 It also included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve cities, along with their villages.
- Ruth 1:19 So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
- Ruth 4:11 “We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.
- Genesis 35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).