Matthew 2:9

Matthew 2:9. They went their way. The interview seems to have taken place in the evening, and they set out immediately afterwards, but night travelling is customary in the east.

Lo, the star, etc. The theory of a miraculous star easily explains the statement of this verse, and if we were told that the star stood over the house, then no other explanation will suffice. The expression, where the young child was, may, however, refer to Bethlehem. The astronomical theory thus explains the passage: The most remarkable conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn took place in May, and would be visible before sunrise (i.e., in the east), five months afterwards, a sufficient time to perform the journey; another conjunction took place which would be visible near the meridian shortly after sunset. If then they set out in the early night this phenomenon would be apparent in the direction of Bethlehem. Being near the zenith it would seem to go before them on their way. Supposing, then, the standing of the star to mean its reaching its zenith, there would be about sufficient time to reach Bethlehem, for the calculations show that the planets were at the zenith one and a half hours after sunset. The time of year, according to this view, was December 5.