What were the names of the three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus?

Answer 1

The three wise men (kings, or Magi) are known in the West as as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

Their gifts were gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Answer:

The Bible neither states the names of the "wise men"... nor how many of them there were.

Over time... their number became generally assumed and accepted as three because only three gifts were mentioned.

Answer 2

This account is found in the Gospel according to Matthew 2:1-12. Who were these wise men? The text says they came from the East. Likely they came from Babylon. While many returned from the Babylonian captivity under Ezra and Nehemiah's leadership, many also stayed behind. As a result, a large Jewish community developed in the east to the extent that by the time of Jesus' birth, Babylon was as much a center of Jewish learning as was Jerusalem. The Babylonian Talmud still stands today as an impressive reminder of the extent of Jewish influence in that region. While we cannot speak for certainly on who these individuals were, the likelihood is that they were Jewish.

They came to Jerusalem to meet with Herod in order to locate Jesus' precise whereabouts, hence their question. Evidently they were people of repute, for Herod seems to roll out the red carpet for them. One has to wonder, however, if he did not do such merely under pretense of seeking Jesus' destruction.

They refer to Jesus as "King of the Jews." Matthew, having established Jesus royal lineage, now seeks to establish the fact of Jesus Kingship. Matthew makes reference to this fact several times in his narrative (Matthew 5:35, 21:5, 25:34, 40, 27:11, 29, 37, 42). Matthew is concerned about presenting Jesus as King and preaching the gospel of the King's kingdom (Matthew 4:23). This was very appealing to the Jewish mind.

The wise men saw Jesus star and followed it. The star was not some heavenly body, nor some mere phantasm only in the mind of the viewers, but an actual miraculous work performed by God to lead the wise men to the precise location of Jesus. Verse 9 says that it lead them precisely to Jesus location and "came to rest" over where He was. No mere heavenly body could so perform. No mere phenomenon could be so precise.

The wise men came for the purpose of worship. The word worship literally means to fall before another prostrate. It has as much reference to the position of the worshipper as to the attitude. When one worships he displays deep through his actions deep honor, homage, and respect toward his object through peculiarly devoted actions. This is precisely what the wise men did when they finally met Jesus.

The star reappears to guide them to the appropriate location. This Greek text is somewhat ambiguous here and so are some English translations. Upon casual glance it may appear that the star is now in the east. That's not the case. It is now almost due south of the wise men. Neither is it the case that they saw the star initially in the east or when it rose as some translations and commentators suggest. Rather, it is the case that they, while being in the east themselves, saw the star. Hence, it is the same star that they saw while they were in the east.

Why did it not guide them there to begin with? First, it was necessary for the wise men to make their presence known in Jerusalem. The arrival of dignitaries in Jerusalem would have been a significant local event and a matter of public record. It is an event that many would remember. This is corroboratory evidence that Jesus was born in Bethlehem according to the prophecies. The Jews who read Matthew's account would either remember this event themselves or would know someone to ask who would remember it, thus confirming Matthew's story. Second, Herod's pause for the sake of the wise men allowed Joseph and Mary enough time to depart Bethlehem for Egypt when they heard of Herod's plans. Had Herod heard that the wise men went directly to Bethlehem, he may have captured Jesus and his family. No doubt God could have prevented this in some other way, but that may have cancelled the wise men's visit. Third, this was done to fulfill the prophecy regarding Jesus coming out of Egypt. Again, had Herod known in some other way, he might have prevented them from going to Egypt. God's wisdom in the entire affair is greatly shown.

Jesus was no longer in a manger, but a "house." He is again described as a "young child" indicating that he was no longer an infant. Here they "fall down" to do so. This posture is implied in the Greek word for worship itself. We need not necessarily think that gold, frankincense, and myrrh, were the only gifts that were offered. Perhaps these were the most costly and thus the most notable. The text, however, says that they opened their "treasures" and offered "gifts."

Most also assume from this passage that because three gifts are mentioned that there were only three wise men, however, the Bible never says such a thing. We have no record as to the number of wise men that came.

One need not explain the value of gold for it is still prized today. It was used to adorn and decorate the Temple of GOD and the Holy Vessels (Exodus 25:39) and represented the Kingly Role of CHRIST. Frankincense was a resin with a fragrant smell. When ground up to powder it could be burned as incense. It was also used in Divine service and represented the Anointing of the SPIRIT. Compare Isaiah 61:1. Myrrh was a Holy ingredient used in anointing oil (Exodus 30:23), yet another item of Divine service. It was also fragrant and was used as perfume and represented the Sufferings of the Cross and Burial. Each of these three gifts were somehow related to the worship of God under the Old Economy and were thus appropriate for the occasion. Today, under the New Covenant, worship is directed to be in "spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

Additional Answer:

It is important to note here that the Scripture only mentions 3 kinds of gifts for the child Jesus. No mention is given to the number of Magi visiting Him. As Jesus was prophecized to come to the House of Israel first and was born in Israel where the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi descendants lived, it would not be a stretch to think the number of Magi were from the Lost Tribes of Israel (10 Magi - Joseph consisting of 2 tribes via sons). This would also fit well with safety in numbers while travelling the distance they did. Below are the 3 kinds of gifts and meaning:

Gold was a gift for royalty-in this case the chosen King of the Jews and ultimately the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" who will rule over the entire earth (Revelation:19:16).

Frankincense was an incense intimately connected with the priesthood and temple sacrifices, foreshadowing the fact that Jesus Christ would serve as our High Priest and give Himself as the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind (Hebrews:4:14-15; 9:11-14; 1 Peter:1:18-19).

Myrrh had a much more sobering symbolism. When a person died, this perfuming agent was wrapped with the body to help cover up the stench of death. Jesus' own body would be wrapped in linen with myrrh and aloes (John:19:39-40).

Answer 3

The wise men's names are not mentioned in the Bible or how many wise men there were. It could have been 5 or 10. It only mentions the 3 gifts and that is why it is believed there was only 3 wise men.

Answer 4

gold and frankincense and myrrh- but number of wise men is not actually specified in the Bible. It is assumed 3, because of the 3 gifts and different sets of names, even racial origins developed for the wise men from different sources over the years. It is assumed they were Kings from another Biblical passage-kings kneel before him. See below

Answer 5

Two things, there were not Three wise men,but three gifts brought by wise men.

Their names are not written in scripture.

Answer 6

traditionally, they were gasphar, melchor, and balthazar. the gifts are gold, frankincense, and myrhh.

Answer 7

The Scripture does not mention the names or the number of Wise Men (Magi) in Matthew 2. This is solely the traditions of mankind.

Answer 8

The story in Matthew 2 neither names nor numbers the visiting Wise Men (Magi). This is solely the tradition of mankind.