7 Bible Verses About the Magi

Our Biblical understanding of the Magi comes mostly from Matthew 2. We are aware that the Magi came from the east, and were questioned by King Herod, who, as a paranoid despot, was greatly troubled by the possibility of a rival claimant to his throne.

Here are some of our favorite bible verses about the Magi since we just celebrated the feast of Epiphany on January 6. The feast of the Epiphany is a Christian feast day that is also known as Theophany, the 12th day of Christmas, or Three Kings' Day.

Who Were the Magi in the Bible?

The Magi, often called the three wise men or the three kings, were scholars from the East who followed a star to Bethlehem to worship the newborn Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew tells their story in chapter 2. The biblical Magi were the first Gentiles to recognize Jesus as King, which is why the wise men hold such a beloved place in the Christmas story and in nativity scenes around the world.

What Were the Names of the Three Wise Men?

Scripture never names the Magi, and it never even says how many there were. Christian tradition settled on three wise men because of the three gifts, and by the sixth century tradition gave them the names Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Whatever their names, Matthew's account is clear about what mattered: they traveled far, they bowed low, and they gave their best.

Were the Magi Kings?

The beloved carol says We Three Kings, but Matthew calls them magi, a word for wise men and scholars of the stars from Persia or Babylon. The idea that they were kings grew from prophecies like Psalm 72:11, that all kings would fall down before Him. Kings or scholars, they knelt before the true King.

Matthew 2:1 to 12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet."

Matthew 2:11

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 2:16

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 14:12

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

Luke 2:39

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

Luke 2:22

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

We, the Bethlehem Handicrafts’ team, are so proud to put the Holy Land in your hand by giving you a variety of the best and the most outstanding original Bethlehem’s olive wood carvings with the best quality made in the Holy Land.

The Gifts of the Magi and What They Mean

The wise men opened their treasures and offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Christians have always seen meaning in each gift: gold for a king, frankincense for God, and myrrh for the sacrifice to come. Every Christmas gift given since traces back to that moment.

You can bring the wise men into your own home. Our hand carved nativity scenes from Bethlehem include the three wise men, carved in olive wood by Christian families just a short walk from where the Magi knelt. A nativity ornament makes a meaningful small gift for Christmas or Epiphany.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Magi

How many wise men were there?

The Bible does not say. Tradition counts three wise men in the Bible because they brought three gifts.

Where did the Magi come from?

Matthew says they came from the East. Most scholars point to Persia or Babylon, where magi studied the stars.

What happened to the Magi after they visited Jesus?

Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went home by another road, as Matthew 2:12 records.

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