Psalm 72 · a question people ask
Kings bringing gifts, and Sheba’s gold (72:10, 72:15): is Psalm 72 about the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus?
The psalm says, "The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts" (72:10), and "Sheba’s gold will be given to him" (72:15). Matthew tells of "wise men from the east" (Matthew 2:1), who "fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11). Matthew calls them wise men, not kings, and doesn't name the place in the east they came from. In his account of them (Matthew 2:1-12) the one Scripture quoted is given by the chief priests and scribes (Matthew 2:4), "for this is written through the prophet" (Matthew 2:5), with words about Bethlehem (Matthew 2:6); Matthew doesn't quote or name Psalm 72. Isaiah also names Sheba, gold and frankincense: "All from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of the LORD" (Isaiah 60:6), and Matthew doesn't name that either. The New Testament doesn't say whether Matthew had either passage in mind, and these notes don't say it for it.
The verses
“The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.”
“He will live; and Sheba’s gold will be given to him. Men will pray for him continually. They will bless him all day long.”
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,”
“Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet, ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come a governor who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’””