John Calvin Commentary Matthew 2:9

"And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." — Matthew 2:9 (ASV)

But they, having heard the King, departed. It is truly an instance of shameful laziness that not one of the Jews offers to be an escort to these foreigners, to go and see the King who had been promised to their own nation. The scribes show them the way and point out the place where He was born, but they allow them to depart alone; not one moves a step.

They were afraid, perhaps, of Herod’s cruelty. However, it displayed wicked ingratitude that, for the sake of the salvation offered to them, they were unwilling to undergo any risk and cared less about the grace of God than about the frown of a tyrant. The whole nation, as I have recently shown, was so degenerate that they preferred to be oppressed by the yoke of tyranny rather than submit to any inconvenience resulting from a change.

If God had not fortified the minds of the Magi by His Spirit, they might have been discouraged by this state of affairs. But the ardor of their zeal remained undiminished; they set out without a guide. And yet, the means of confirming their faith were not lacking, for they heard that the King, who had been pointed out to them by a star, had long ago been described in glowing language by divine predictions.

It would seem that the star, which until then had guided them on their way, had recently disappeared. The reason may easily be conjectured. It was so that they might inquire in Jerusalem about the new King, and might thus take away all excuse from the Jews, who, after having been instructed about the Redeemer who was sent to them, knowingly and willingly despise Him.