# Herod secretly called the learned men

This means that Herod talked to the learned men without other people knowing.

# men to ask them exactly what time the star had appeared.

This can be translated as a direct quotation. Alternate translation: "men, and he asked them, 'When exactly did this star appear?'" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-quotations]])

# what time the star had appeared

It is implied that the learned men told him when the star appeared. Alternate translation: "what time the star had appeared. The learned men told Herod when the star first appeared" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])