Matthew 2:7

“Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, etc.] As soon as he had got the intelligence of the place of the Messiah’s birth, he called, or ordered the wise men to be brought into his presence, and that in a very private manner; lest the Jews, who knew his hypocrisy and deceit, should perceive his views, and enter into his designs, and so give the wise men some instructions, which would be prejudicial to the scheme he was forming in his own mind to destroy the young king; and having called them to him, he inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. He took a good deal of pains in examining them, he sifted them, and inquired of them with much accuracy, and exactness,…”

“Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men--Herod has so far succeeded in his murderous design: he has tracked the spot where lies his victim, an unconscious babe. But he has another point to fix--the date of His birth--without which he might still miss his mark. The one he had got from the Sanhedrim; the other he will have from the sages; but secretly, lest his object should be suspected and defeated. So he inquired of them diligently--rather, "precisely." what time the star appeared--presuming that this would be the best clue to the age of the child. The unsuspecting strangers tell him all. And now he thinks he is succeeding to a wish, and shall speedily clutch his victim; for at…”

“Privily - Secretly, privately. He did this to ascertain the time when Jesus was born. Diligently - Accurately, exactly. He took pains to learn the precise time when the star appeared. He did this because he naturally concluded that the star appeared just at the time of his birth, and he wished to know precisely how old the child was. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Mat 26:3-5; Exo 1:10; Sa1 18:21; Psa 10:9, Psa 10:10, Psa 55:21, Psa 64:4-6, Psa 83:3, Psa 83:4; Isa 7:5-7; Eze 38:10, Eze 38:11; Rev 12:1-5, Rev 12:15 Matthew 2:8”