Matthew 2:1 - Exposition

Now when Jesus ; who has just been identified with Christ. But in this chapter the narrative employs only those terms ("Jesus," "young Child") which bystanders might have used. They are purely annalistic, not interpretative. Contrast Matthew 1:18 and Herod's statement of a thee-logical problem ( Matthew 1:4 ). Was born in Bethlehem. The First Gospel, if taken alone would give the impression that Joseph had had no previous connexion with Nazareth. But about the place where Joseph and Mary lived before the birth of Jesus the evangelist did not concern himself (cf Matthew 1:23 , note). Of Judaea . For the evangelist's purpose it was most important so to define it as to exclude Bethlehem of Zebulun ( Joshua 19:15 ). The inhabitants of Bethlehem of Judaea, a market town of a fruitful (Ephratah) district, live chiefly by agriculture, but also for several centuries have manufactured images of saints, rosaries, and fancy articles. Since 1834: it has been almost exclusively occupied by Christians. From "the House of Bread" came forth" the true Bread." In the days of Herod the king . Herod the Great and Herod Agrippa II . ( Acts 25:13 ) alone held the legal title of "king" for any time (but cf. Matthew 14:1 , note)—the former as King of the Jews (Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' Matthew 1:14 .4), or King "of the Idumaeans and Samaritans'', by a decree of an express meeting of the Roman senate, b.c. 40; the latter by Claudius's appointment, as king first of Chalcis (a.d. 48-53) and afterwards (a.d. 53-100) of the tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias (Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' Matthew 2:12 . 8; 13. 2), although Herod Antipas was so spoken of by courtesy ( infra , Matthew 14:9 ). As the date of Agrippa II . is quite out of the question, we are almost compelled by this phrase alone to recognize the date of Christ's birth as falling in the lifetime of Herod the Great. Herod the Great died in the spring of A.U.C. 750, our b.c. 4, and as our Lord was born at least forty days earlier, for the purification in the temple must have taken place before Herod's massacre of the innocents, he cannot have been born later than the very beginning of b.c. 4, or the end of b.c. 5. Indeed, upon the most natural deduction from Matthew 1:16 , he must have been born some months earlier. The Church, from the days of Justin Martyr ('Ap.,' 1:32), has loved to see in the abolition by Rome of the kingdom of the Jews at the death of Herod, of its native dynasty by Herod's usurnation (Origen, 'Genesis Hom.,' Genesis 17:6 ), the fulfilment of Jacob's prophecy ( Genesis 49:10 ). Behold, there came Wise Men from the East . The true order, as given in the Revised Version, lays the emphasis on the office, and in a subordinate degree on the home of the strangers —Wise Men from the East came. This translation also hints at the full meaning of the verb ( παρεγένοντο ) , of which the connotation is not of the place a quo, but of the publicity of their appearance at the place in quo (cf. Matthew 3:1 ). Wise Men ( ΄άγοι ); "astromyens" (Wickliffe); " rages " (Rheims). On this word see especially Schrader ('Cuneitbrm Inscriptions and the Old Testament') on Jeremiah 39:3 . He considers it to be in origin not Iranian (Medo-Persian), but Babylonian, and to have primarily meant either " one who is deep whether in power and reputation or in insight," or one who has fulness of power. It was, perhaps, at first used with special reference to astrologers and interpreters of dreams, and, passing from Babylonia to Media, it became the name of the Median priestly order. In the latter sense it is probably used here. In Acts 1:1-26 , Acts 3:6-8 it, apparently by reversion, is used in its wider meaning. Of the number and rank of those who now came absolutely nothing is known. Of greater importance is Cicero's statement ('De Div.,' 1:41), " Nee quisquam rex Persarum potest esse, qui non ante magorum disciplinam scientiamque perceperit ." These Magi spontaneously submit to the Babe. From the East. The proper home of the Magi would thus be Media, and, from the length of time employed on their journey ( Acts 3:16 ), it is probable that by "the East" we must here understand Media or some other part of the kingdom, of Parthia, into which Media had been mostly absorbed, and in which, in fact, the Magi were now greatly honoured. Many , however ( e.g. Lightfoot, 'Her. Hebr.'; and Edersheim, 'Life,' etc., 1.203, who points out that a Jewish kingdom of Yemen then existed), think that these Magi came from Arabia; and with this the tradition, evidently received by Justin Martyr and frequently referred to by him, perhaps agrees. But Justin's own opinion was that they came from Damascus, which "was and is a part of the land of Arabia" (§ 78). It is noticeable that Justin's tradition is confirmed by the Jerusalem Talmud ('Ber.,' 2.4), which makes an "Arabian" tell a Jew that Messiah is born. The whole passage is worth quoting for its illustration of several details in this chapter. "After this the children of Israel shall be converted, and shall inquire after the Lord their God, and David their king ( Hosea 3:5 ). Our rabbins say, 'That is King Messias, if he be among the living, his name is David, or if dead, David is his name.' Rabbi Tanchum said, 'Thus I prove it: He sheweth mercy to David his Messiah' ( Psalms 18:50 ). Rabbi Josua ben Levi saith, 'His name is חמץ , a Branch ( Zechariah 3:8 ).' Rabbi Judah bar Aibu saith, ' His name is Menahem (that is, παράκλητος , the Comforter).' And that which happened to a certain Jew, as he was ploughing, agreeth with this business. A certain Arabian travelling, and hearing the ox bellow, said to the Jew at plough, 'O Jew, loose thy oxen, and loose thy ploughs, for, behold, the temple is laid waste!' The ox bellowed the second time; the Arabian saith to him, 'O Jew, Jew, yoke thy oxen, and fit thy ploughs: for, behold, King Messiah is born!' But saith the Jew, 'What is his name?' 'Menahem,'saith he. 'And what is the name of his father?' 'Hezekiah,'saith the Arabian. To whom the Jew, 'But whence is he?' The other answered, ' From the palace of the King of Bethlehem-Judah.' Away he went, and sold his oxen, and his ploughs, and became a seller of infants'swaddling-clothes, going about from town to town. When he came to that city (Bethlehem) all the women bought of him, but the mother of Menahem bought nothing. He heard the voice of the women saying, 'O thou mother of Menahem, thou mother of Menahem, carry thy son the things that are here sold.' But she replied, 'May the enemies of Israel be strandded, because on the day that he was born the temple was laid waste.' To whom he said, 'But we hoped, that as it was laid waste at his feet, so at his feet it would be built again.' She saith, 'I have no money.' To whom he replied, 'But why should this be prejudicial to him? Carry him what you buy here, and if you have no money to-day, after some days I will come back and receive it.' After some days he returns to that city, and saith to her, 'How does the little infant?' And she said, 'From the time you saw me last, spirits [winds] and tempests came, and snatched him away out of my hands.' Rabbi Bon saith, 'What need have we to learn from an Arabian? Is it not plainly written, "And Lebanon shall fall before the Powerful One?" ( Isaiah 10:34 ). And what follows after? "A Branch shall come out of the root of Jesse" ( Isaiah 11:1 )'" ('Hor. Hebr.,' in loc. ) To Jerusalem. The capital, where this King would reign, and where information about his birth would most naturally be obtained.