Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. Matthew 2:7

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“Then Herod, having called the magicians secretly, exacted of them the time of the appearing star” (CG).

In the previous verse, those before Herod cited the words of Micah concerning the birthplace and ruling status of the Messiah. Now, with that information, it next says, “Then Herod, having called the magicians secretly.”

The word is lathra. It is an adverb signifying secretly or privately. It is the same word used in Matthew 1:19 when Joseph thought to put away Mary once he found that she was pregnant. Herod pulled the magicians aside to discern something from them that he wanted to keep from the religious leaders. Having called them secretly, he “exacted of them.”

The word translated as “exacted” is akriboo. It is found only here and in Matthew 2:16. It signifies to learn carefully or inquire with exactness. He was careful to ascertain a particular bit of information that he did not want to become public, which was “the time of the appearing star.”

The verb is a present participle. The star was there. In other words, this wasn’t a star that only appeared in the past, as some translations could be interpreted. It was a star that had appeared and remained in appearance. This will be evident in verse 9. As such, this would dispel several of the “Bethlehem star” theories, which point to an astrological event that took place and then was over.

This lasted long enough for the magicians to see the star, prepare for the journey, travel, seek out the king, and so forth. It appears to be an extended event that took place.

Life application: Ultimately, the Star of Bethlehem is Jesus. That was seen in a previous commentary which cited Numbers 24 –

“I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.” Numbers 24:17

However, there is also something that directs the magicians to know where to go. This will be seen in verses 9 and 10. Despite this, the magicians needed to ascertain from the chief religious authorities in Jerusalem where the Messiah would be born. If the star guided them all the way, this step would not have been necessary.

Further, as noted above, the star had appeared and continued to appear as indicated in the present participle. Thus, this was not a single, short-term, astronomical event that happened. In the Bible, stars have various connotations, both literal and figurative. Stars can refer to literal stars, people (even bad people, such as in Jude 1:13), messengers (whether human or angelic), and so forth.

The star noted in Matthew is not defined, but it is separate from Jesus. This will become evident in the verses ahead. Suffice it to say that the coming of Jesus was prophesied. The magicians perceived His coming (whether literally or through sacred writings) from their home in the East. Also, the magicians had then traveled to pay homage to the Messiah.

From there, they had to ask where He was to be born. The enigmatic nature of the star calls out for us to know that God is in control of the process, and He alerted these magicians to confirm the words of Scripture and to bring about other events which were necessary to fulfill typology concerning the Messiah and His work.

Therefore, getting overly bogged down in past celestial events that may or may not point to the coming of the Messiah is not something necessary. Matthew has compiled an account of what occurred, it is detailed enough to ensure that we are aware of the coming of the Messiah and that we have our eggs in the right basket.

Beyond that, becoming argumentative over things that are uncertain is unprofitable and divisive. Let us instead focus on what God has done in Christ and rejoice that it leads to our salvation when we put our faith in Him.

O God, we stand in awe of You and what You have done. Your word tells us of the coming of Jesus and of the marvelous work He has accomplished for us. Help us to always consider Him in our daily walk. We are free from condemnation because of our Lord. Praise to You, O God, for Jesus Christ! Amen.