The magi bowed down and WORSHIPPED the child

[TonyChanYT]

English Standard Version, Matthew 2:

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [magi] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 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.”

The magi came to 'worship' the infant king of the Jews.

11 going into the house, they [magi] saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped [G4352] him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon:

1 aorist προσεκύνησα; from Aeschylus and Herodotus down; the Sept. very often for הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (to prostrate oneself); properly, to kiss the hand to (toward) one, in token of reverence. among the Orientals, especially the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence ("to make a 'salam'") in the N. T. by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.
It is used
a. of homage shown to men of superior rank ...

Particularly outside of the Bible the word "worship" was used often as meaning paying homage to someone superior.

b. of homage rendered to God and the ascended Christ, to heavenly beings, and to demons

The word is ambiguous.

Pulpit's argument is rather convincing:

To Worship him. Not as God, but as Lord and King (Matthew 4:9, note). The prostration of themselves bodily before him was not a Greek or Roman, but an Eastern, and it is said especially a Persian, form of homage.

New Revised Standard Version:

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The magi may not have seen the infant Jesus as God.

See also Is Jesus God?.

 

[Randy Kluth]

English Standard Version, Matthew 2:


The magi came to 'worship' the infant king of the Jews.


Thayer's Greek Lexicon:


Particularly outside of the Bible the word "worship" was used often as meaning paying homage to someone superior.


The word is ambiguous.

Pulpit's argument is rather convincing:


New Revised Standard Version:


The magi may not have seen the infant Jesus as God.

See also Is Jesus God?.

I agree. "Worship" does not necessarily imply recognition of Deity. Good point.

 

[Aunty Jane]

The magi may not have seen the infant Jesus as God.

Since they were Babylonian astrologers, my guess is that they did not need another god to worship,as they had plenty of their own....but it was apparently their custom to bring gifts to royal children. Since the news about Christ's birth was announced only to Jewish shepherds out in their fields at night, how we might wonder, did the news spread all the way to Babylon?

The magi were practicers of magical arts (hence their name, magi) which was against God's law, so these would have had no instruction from Jehovah to bring gifts to his son.....

They were not directed to Jesus in Bethlehem, but straight to a jealous king in Jerusalem who did not want anyone but his own son to succeed him. Herod lied to the magi and told them that he also wanted to honor the new king, and to report back when they found him, but he was plotting to kill the child. To save his life, God directed the magi to go home via another route, (proving that they had been unwitting dupes in satan's plot).....and when Herod found out, he sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to destroy all the male infants in Bethlehem under 2 years of age. Could God ever be responsible for something like that?

What did the magi say on arriving in Jerusalem?
"Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when we were in the East, and we have come to do obeisance to him.”
This is indicating the source of their information...."his star" led them to Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem, indicating that astrology had brought them by following, not just any star, but one that behaved in a strange way. It moved ahead of them. Only after Herod had plotted the child's death did the star lead them directly to the house where Jesus and his parents now lived. Who sent the star? Not God but his adversary intent on making sure that the Messiah wouldn't make it past childhood.

Just think of all those nativity scenes picturing the magi bringing gifts to the child Jesus at the stable with the star in the background sky.....when they were never there. Jesus was living in a "house" and was no longer an infant, but a young child.
Judging by Herod's order, Jesus could have been two years old by the time of their visit. Joseph was warned to take the child to Egypt for his safety.

This distorted story has been sanitized by Christendom to mean something other than what the Bible tells us. That star that has pride of place on the Christmas tree is not something to cherish. The whole Christmas story is a lie.