The Wise Men: How Many, What, and When?

When we think about the birth of Jesus and the story of the wise men (as detailed in Matthew 2:1-12 ¹⁾), many of us conjure up that classic scene in our minds: baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph nearby, and three wise men bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It's a beautiful image, but how accurate is it? Let's dive into the Scriptures and see!

First off, let's address the number. Nowhere in the Bible does it explicitly state there were three wise men. You might be thinking, “But what about the three gifts?” True, the Bible does mention three gifts. But does that necessarily mean three gift bearers?

Here's what the Scripture says:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Note how it refers to them as “wise men” — plural. It could be two, three, ten, fifty — we just don't know. We assume three wise men based on three gifts, but that is a bit like assuming a birthday party had three guests because there were three presents. It could be, but it's not necessarily the case.

Just as we've rethought the number of wise men, let's challenge our assumptions about the gifts too. Sure, the Bible mentions gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But does that mean those were the only gifts presented?

Imagine you went to a birthday party and later told a friend about it. You mention gifts like diamonds, rubies, and emeralds being given. Now, those are undeniably special and would catch anyone's attention. But does that mean those were the only presents? Not necessarily. You could have received other gifts too, but you might highlight the ones that stood out the most or had the most value.

In the same way, it's possible that the wise men brought other gifts along with the three that are specifically mentioned. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were highly valued in ancient times, so they're the ones highlighted in the Biblical account. But we can't say for sure that there weren't other offerings, perhaps ones that were considered common or less significant in that era.

Another common misconception is that these wise men visited Jesus right on the night he was born. Here's what the text says:

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

The Bible says they came to a “house” not a stable. This implies that Mary and Joseph had by then moved from the place of Jesus' birth.

Moreover, King Herod, after inquiring from the wise men about the time the star appeared, ordered the death of all boys in Bethlehem two years old and under. This suggests that Jesus could have been up to two years old by the time the wise men visited:

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)

From this, we gather that the visit from the wise men was not immediate but sometime after Jesus’ birth, possibly months or even a year or two later.

You might ask, “Why all the fuss about details? Does it really matter?” In a sense, no, whether there were three or thirty wise men, three gifts or a dozen, doesn’t change the core message of the gospel. But it's a reminder to all of us — when it comes to understanding our faith, we need to look closely at the Scriptures, and not just rely on traditions or popular interpretations.

Because it's easy to get lost in the game of filling in the blanks. But when we begin to base our faith on assumptions and not the clear Word of God, we start on a shaky foundation. It's always best to stick with what we know for sure and leave the speculations aside.

So next time you see a nativity scene or hear the story, remember: the Bible doesn't specify how many wise men there were. They could have offered more than three gifts. And they didn't necessarily visit baby Jesus on the night of his birth. It's all about perspective, and sometimes, the narrative focuses on the highlights, the important parts, of the story. We can appreciate the traditions, but also let's be clear on what the Scriptures really say. After all, the Bible is the bedrock of our faith, and it's best to keep our feet firmly planted there.

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