En bref
Herod pretends to want to worship Jesus, so that the wise men will bring him information about Christ’s birth, without them realizing that he really wants to kill Jesus.
Herod sends the wise men to Bethlehem as his private agents with a dual command: firstly to diligently (akribos) search for and locate the child, and then secondly to report back to him with their findings. And with a distinctly diabolical hypocrisy he adds, that I too may come and worship him.
1 Herod had learned from the Magi that their purpose with the visit was to worship the Child, and as such he hypocritically pretends to want to do the same in an attempt to convince them to help him.2
7 Alors Hérode fit appeler en secret les mages, et s'enquit soigneusement auprès d'eux depuis combien de temps l'étoile brillait.