“Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.”
King James Version (KJV)
2:6 Thou art in nowise the least among the princes of Judah - That is, among the cities belonging to the princes or heads of thousands in Judah. When this and several other quotations from the Old Testament are compared with the original, it plainly appears, the apostles did not always think it necessary exactly to transcribe the passages they cited, but contented themselves with giving the general sense, though with some diversity of language. The words of Micah, which we render, Though thou be little, may be rendered, Art thou little? And then the difference which seems to be here between the prophet and the evangelist vanishes away. #Micah 5:2|.
2:8 And if ye find him, bring me word - Probably Herod did not believe he was born; otherwise would not so suspicious a prince have tried to make sure work at once?
Mt 2:7 Herod, when he had privily called the wise men. The crafty and cruel king had gained one point--he now knew where the Christ was to be born. He therefore asks another question of the wise men, by which he hopes to ascertain the age of the royal child. What time the star appeared. The fact that, as stated below, he slew the children of two years and under, denotes that the star had been seen first about two years before.