Matthew 2 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The Magi arrive — Herod, the priests, and the Micah oracle 2:1–6

vv. 1–2 — the genitive-absolute opening and the Magi's question

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning; the scene set: David's town, the tyrant's days

behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,independent — ἰδού springs the action — Gentile sages, the first seekers of the King

saying:participial — the speech-participle framing the question

'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?content — the chapter's theme in a question — born king against the appointed one; the title returns at 27:37

For we saw his star at its risingcause — the empirical ground of the search — ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ 'at its rising,' not 'in the east'; cf. Num 24:17

and have come to worship him.'cause — coordinate with εἴδομεν — προσκυνέω threads the chapter (vv. 2, 8, 11)

vv. 3–6 — Herod troubled; the priests answer from Micah

But when Herod the king heard this,participial — preposed participle with its subject — leans on ἐταράχθη

he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him,independent — ἐταράχθη — the throne shaken; the capital's alarm foreshadows 21:10

and gathering all the chief priests and scribes of the people,participial — preposed — the ad hoc council convened

he inquired of themindependent — iterative imperfect — the sustained interrogation

where the Messiah was to be born.content — indirect question — the Magi's 'king' become Herod's 'the Christ'; gnomic present of scriptural certainty

They said to him:independent — the scholars answer at once

'In Bethlehem of Judea,content — the verbless answer — the place named without hesitation

for so it is written through the prophet:cause — γέγραπται — the standing written warrant; διά of intermediate agency, Matthew's formula idiom

'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;content — Mic 5:1[2] adapted — οὐδαμῶς reverses Micah's 'small'; ἡγεμόσιν 'rulers' for the Hebrew 'clans'

for from you shall come a rulercause — the ground of the honor — the ruler's origin from the little town

who will shepherd my people Israel.'relative — 2 Sam 5:2 grafted on — the Davidic shepherd-king

Herod's secret charge — the star, the worship, the dream 2:7–12

vv. 7–8 — the secret summons and the feigned commission

Then Herod, secretly summoning the Magi,participial — preposed — λάθρᾳ, the stealth that betrays the intent

ascertained from them the exact time the star had appeared,independent — ἠκρίβωσεν — precision with murderous purpose; the basis of v. 16's age-limit

and sending them to Bethlehem,participial — preposed — the Magi made his unwitting scouts

he said:independent — the speech-frame for the commission

'Go and search carefully for the child,content — ἐξετάσατε ἀκριβῶς — echoing ἠκρίβωσεν; the commission of careful search

and when you have found him,conditional — temporal ἐπάν + subjunctive (typed cnd) — leaning forward on ἀπαγγείλατε

report to me,content — the report Herod actually wants

that I too may come and worship him.'purpose — the feigned purpose — κἀγώ 'I too,' dramatic irony: his 'worship' would be murder

vv. 9–12 — the star halts; the treasures opened; the dream

And they, having listened to the king,participial — preposed — leans on ἐπορεύθησαν

went on their way,independent — the journey resumes

and behold, the star they had seen at its rising went before them,independent — ἰδού again — the star now actively leading; imperfect προῆγεν, it kept going before

until it came and stood over the placeconditional — temporal ἕως (typed cnd) — the guidance reaches its terminus; ἐστάθη, the purposeful halt

where the child was.relative — the goal named — παιδίον, the chapter's refrain-word

And seeing the star,participial — preposed — leans on ἐχάρησαν

they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.independent — cognate accusative piled with μεγάλην and σφόδρα — triple intensification

And going into the house,participial — preposed — a house, not Luke's manger

they saw the child with Mary his mother,independent — 'the child with his mother' — the refrain (vv. 11, 13, 14, 20, 21); Joseph absent from the scene

and falling downparticipial — preposed — prostration, the posture of homage

they worshiped him;independent — the purpose of v. 2 fulfilled — the true worship Herod only feigned

and opening their treasuresparticipial — preposed — the chests opened

they offered him gifts:independent — προσφέρω, the verb of cultic offering — the nations' tribute (Isa 60:6; Ps 72:10–11)

gold and frankincense and myrrh.phrase modifier — apposition — the king's gold, God's incense, and myrrh the embalming spice (cf. 27:59)

And warned in a dream not to return to Herod,participial — preposed — the first dream-oracle; χρηματίζω, the verb of divine instruction

they withdrew to their own country by another way.independent — ἀνεχώρησαν — the chapter's keyword of evasive retreat begins (vv. 12, 13, 14, 22)

The flight to Egypt — Hosea fulfilled 2:13–15

vv. 13–14 — the angel's commission and the night departure

Now when they had withdrawn,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning; the Magi exit, Joseph's story resumes

behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph,independent — historic present φαίνεται — the dream-pattern of 1:20 recurs

saying:participial — the speech-frame for the commission

'Rise, take the child and his mothercontent — imperatival Ἐγερθείς + παράλαβε — child before mother; the command Joseph will echo verbatim (v. 14)

and flee to Egypt,content — present imperative — urgent, sustained flight; Egypt the classic refuge (Gen 46; 1 Kgs 11:40)

and remain therecontent — the third command — stay put

until I tell you;conditional — temporal ἕως ἄν (typed cnd) — fulfilled at v. 19

for Herod is about to seek the child,cause — the γάρ grounding the whole commission — μέλλει, the imminent threat

to destroy him.'purpose — τοῦ + infinitive of purpose — ἀπολέσαι, the verb the leaders will take up (27:20)

And he, rising,participial — preposed — obedience begins in the angel's own verb

took the child and his mother by nightindependent — the command repeated as deed — νυκτός, the urgency of darkness

and withdrew to Egypt,independent — ἀνεχώρησεν again — the family in flight

v. 15 — the sojourn and the Hosea formula

and remained there until the death of Herod,independent — durative imperfect — the stay outlasts the tyrant

that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:purpose — the fulfillment frame — ὑπὸ κυρίου: God the speaker, the prophet only the channel

'Out of Egypt I called my son.'content — Hos 11:1 from the Hebrew ('my son,' against LXX 'his children') — Israel's exodus recapitulated in the true Son

The slaughter of the innocents — Jeremiah fulfilled 2:16–18

v. 16 — Herod's fury and the massacre

Then Herod, seeingparticipial — preposed — leans on ἐθυμώθη

that he had been tricked by the Magi,content — ἐμπαίζω, 'mocked' — the verb of Jesus' own mocking (27:29, 31)

became exceedingly furious,independent — ingressive aorist — the thwarted tyrant's rage

and sending his men,participial — preposed — the order dispatched; leans on ἀνεῖλεν

he killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all its region,independent — ἀνεῖλεν — the massacre; πάντας, the total sweep of town and territory

from two years old and under,phrase modifier — the grim age-specification — a margin of safety over the star's timing

according to the timephrase modifier — the standard of the slaughter — his own reckoning

that he had ascertained from the Magi.relative — ἠκρίβωσεν (v. 7) — precision turned to atrocity

vv. 17–18 — the Jeremiah formula: Rachel weeping

Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:independent — τότε ἐπληρώθη, indicative — not ἵνα: Matthew declines to make the atrocity a divine purpose

'A voice was heard in Ramah,content — Jer 31[38]:15 — Ramah, the exiles' staging-post (Jer 40:1), near Rachel's tomb tradition

weeping and great mourning,phrase modifier — apposition — the cry specified; the shorter text, without the Byzantine 'lamentation and'

Rachel weeping for her children;content — verbless — the matriarch (Gen 35:19) personifies the bereaved mothers

and she refused to be comforted,content — imperfect of obstinate grief — yet in Jeremiah consolation follows (31:16–17)

because they are no more.'cause — the stark ground — οὐκ εἰσίν, they are not

The return — Nazareth and the Nazarene 2:19–23

vv. 19–21 — Herod dead; the return commission

But when Herod had died,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning; the threat lifted

behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,independent — historic present — the dream-pattern of v. 13 returns to bring the family home

saying:participial — the speech-frame

'Rise, take the child and his mothercontent — the flight-command of v. 13 in reverse — word for word

and go to the land of Israel,content — γῆ Ἰσραήλ — the promised land re-entered

for those who sought the child's life are dead.'cause — Exod 4:19 echoed ('all who sought your life are dead') — the Moses typology; perfect τεθνήκασιν, the threat gone for good

And he, rising,participial — preposed — obedience again in the command's own verbs

took the child and his motherindependent — the refrain a final time — child and mother in Joseph's charge

and entered the land of Israel.independent — the return accomplished

vv. 22–23 — Archelaus feared; Nazareth and the final formula

But hearingparticipial — preposed — leans on ἐφοβήθη

that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod,content — Archelaus (4 BC–AD 6), notorious for brutality — βασιλεύει loosely: he ruled as ethnarch

he was afraid to go there;independent — the complication — Judea still unsafe

and warned in a dream,participial — preposed — the chapter's last dream redirects the route

he withdrew to the district of Galilee,independent — ἀνεχώρησεν a last time — providence steers toward Galilee (cf. 4:12–16)

and coming,participial — preposed — leans on κατῴκησεν

he settled in a town called Nazareth,independent — κατῴκησεν — the settling that makes the Messiah 'of Nazareth' (cf. John 1:46)

that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled:purpose — ὅπως for the usual ἵνα — and 'the prophets' plural, no book named

'He shall be called a Nazarene.'content — the source-less citation — recitative ὅτι; a prophetic theme (נֵצֶר 'branch' Isa 11:1? Nazirite? despised origin?) rather than a verse — left open

Analysis. Matthew 2 alternates two shapes. The narrative spine is Matthew's, not Mark's: instead of flat καί-parataxis, nearly every main verb is approached through a preposed aorist participle or genitive absolute leaning forward, anchor-less, on the event below it — the chapter opens on one (Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος) and closes on one (καὶ ἐλθών), with the pattern repeated a dozen times between (ἀκούσας, συναγαγών, καλέσας, πέμψας, ἰδόντες, πεσόντες, ἀνοίξαντες, χρηματισθέντες, Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου). Speech hangs blue beneath its verb of saying: the Magi's ποῦ ἐστιν question with its γάρ-ground under λέγοντες, Herod's feigned commission under εἶπεν (with the chapter's one forward-leaning protasis, temporal ἐπάν, above ἀπαγγείλατε, and the ὅπως of pretended worship beneath it), and the two angelic commissions under λέγων — each with its γάρ-ground (μέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης…, τεθνήκασιν γάρ…, the latter echoing Exod 4:19 and its Moses typology), and each answered by narrative that repeats the command's verbs word for word (Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε → ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβεν), the shape of Joseph's exact obedience. Against this spine the four formula-quotations indent each by its own syntax: the Micah oracle sits deepest because it stands inside the priests' spoken answer (verbless Ἐν Βηθλέεμ under εἶπαν, the γάρ-grounded γέγραπται beneath it, the citation under that — Matthew's οὐδαμῶς reversing Micah's 'small,' ἡγεμόσιν for the Hebrew 'clans,' and 2 Sam 5:2's shepherd grafted on); Hos 11:1 hangs under an ἵνα πληρωθῇ purpose-line; Jer 31:15 under the indicative τότε ἐπληρώθη — the tag notes that Matthew alone here avoids the telic conjunction, declining to make the massacre a divine purpose; and the Nazarene word under ὅπως πληρωθῇ. Cruxes are named, not resolved: the v. 23 citation 'he shall be called a Nazarene' matches no extant text — the plural 'the prophets' and the recitative ὅτι suggest a prophetic theme rather than a verse (the נֵצֶר 'branch' of Isa 11:1, the Nazirite, or simply despised provenance), and the layout can only report the options; Hos 11:1 is in Hosea a statement about Israel's exodus, quoted from the Hebrew ('my son,' against LXX 'his children'), so the fulfillment is typological — Jesus recapitulating Israel — not predictive; ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ is glossed 'at its rising' (the astronomical sense) rather than 'in the east'; and the Magi themselves — their land, number, and rank — are left exactly as open as Matthew leaves them.