Why is not only Herod but also the entire city of Jerusalem troubled by the message of the wise men?
The inhabitants of Jerusalem were not troubled by the possibility of a new king, but by their fear of Herod’s reaction to the news. To protect his power, he had murdered his own sons Aristobulus, Alexander, and Antipater, as well as a number of Pharisees who had spread the rumour that a new dynasty would replace Herod’s royal house. The people of Jerusalem feared what else he might do, and he did indeed go on to murder all the male children in Bethlehem two years old or younger (Matthew 2:16).
The inhabitants of Jerusalem were troubled by the idea of the arrival of a possible contender to the throne. This is not to say that they feared a new king, but that they feared Herod and his reaction. They expected the worst from him. We know that Herod had, during the last years of his reign, murdered not only his own sons Aristobulus, Alexander, and Antipater, but also a number of suspicious Pharisees (see Matthew 2:16).1
Jerusalem has no desire for a new king, as this could only put them at odds with the Romans and with Herod, a man known for committing the gravest atrocities. The Pharisees had previously spread the rumour that the house of Herod would go extinct and that a new dynasty would arise to rule over all, leading Herod to kill a large number of them. Would this now happen again? It would be better if things remained as they are. Neither Herod nor Jerusalem manages to overcome the confusion. God allows Herod to reign over the people of God from which the Christ would be born, yet he, an Idumean, fails to realize what is going on and is only concerned with protecting his throne. He is conservative in the negative sense of the word—happy with the status quo, he wants things to remain as is.2
3 Le roi Hérode, ayant appris cela, fut troublé, et tout Jérusalem avec lui.