Christmas Myths SERIES: 2: Three Kings Visited Baby Jesus on the Night of His Birth

"One of the most beloved Christmas hymns is titled “We Three Kings.” At least three common errors arise from the singing of this song at Christmas time.

First, the Bible does not identify these men as kings. They were magi, from the Greek μαγοι, a term better translated as wise men.

Originally, the magi belonged to a priestly class, and they would have been known for studying the night sky for signs or omens. Since they were from the east, they were probably from the Parthian empire.

Second, the Bible never tells us that there were three magi. The Greek μαγοι is plural, so we know there were at least two of them. The tradition that there were three magi is almost certainly based on the three gifts that they presented before Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Finally, the wise men definitely did not arrive on the night Jesus was born. The hymn does not specifically make this claim, but since we often sing this song at Christmastime, it has contributed to the belief that the wise men were at the nativity. This is shown in movies like Ben-Hur (1959), The Nativity Story (2006), and Son of God (2014). Many nativity scenes also include the wise men. These are just some of the reasons why many people believe the wise men arrived on the night Jesus was born, but the Bible clearly teaches otherwise.

If a person only read Matthew’s Gospel, then it is not hard to see why they might think the wise men were at the nativity. 

Consider the words from the end of Matthew 1 and beginning of Matthew 2.

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. 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.” 

(Matthew 1:24–2:2)

If you are not paying close attention, you might think that the events in Matthew 2 follow immediately after Jesus’ birth. However, did you notice that Matthew 2:1 opens with the words, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem . . .”? While Matthew does not tell us how much time has passed, we can learn from Luke that there were more than 40 days between Jesus’ birth and the appearance of the wise men in Jerusalem." 

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