And he gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
This verse shows Herod’s conspiratorial interest: he pretended that he wished to know the birthplace of the Messiah, but in reality he did so with the intention of destroying Him. He appeals to the chief priests and scribes, who knew the prophecies well, yet they themselves also did not recognize the time of the Messiah’s coming. This scene also reveals the spiritual blindness of the ancient Jewish leadership: they knew the word of prophecy, but were unable to see its fulfillment in their days.