1Wise men from the east come to Jerusalem to enquire after Christ. 3Herod is alarmed. 9The wise men are directed by a star to Christ, and worship him, offering gifts. 11Joseph, warned by an angel, fleeth with the young child and his mother into Egypt. 16Herod's massacre of the children in Bethlehem and round about. 19Upon the death of Herod Christ is brought out of Egypt, and dwelleth at Nazareth.
1NOW when Jesus was borna in Bethlehem of 1Judæa in the days of 2Herod the king, behold, there came 3wise men from the 4east to Jerusalem,
a Luke 2:4.
1 This is added, because there was yet another Bethlehem, situated in the tribe of Zebulon, or lower Galilee. See Joshua 19:15.
2 This was Herod the Great, surnamed the Askelonite, an Idumæan, the first king who was a foreigner.
3 Gr. magi. Such called the Persians and Medes all those who were learned in all manners of sciences and especially of the course of the heavens, and who were indeed in great esteem among them. But that they were kings, is not credible, as do make manifest their names given them and all the circumstances.
4 These are said to have come from the east, because those lands were situated eastwards from Judea.
2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And when he had gathered all the 5chief priests and 6scribes of the people together, he 7demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 These were the heads of the orders of the priests, of the race of Eleazar and Ithamar, and were twenty-four in number, 1 Chron. 24:4; 2 Chron. 36:14, all of whom the High Priest was the supreme.
6 Other, lawyers, as appears by comparing Mat. 22:35 with Mark 12:28. This office belonged to them to expound the writings of Moses and the Prophets to the people. See Ezra 7:6 and Mat. 13:52. Of these and the chief priests together consisted the supreme ecclesiastical assembly of the Jews.
7 That is, understood.
5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6Andb thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art 8not the least among the 9princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule 10my people Israel.
b Micah 5:1; John 7:42.
8 The words not the least are not in Micah 5:2, but is added thereto from the sense. For, though Bethlehem was the least amongst cities in respect of size, notwithstanding it was not the least in worth and esteem, because David sprung from there, John 7:42, and Christ was to come out of it. And therefore, some read in the original text of Micah, be thou little? But concerning this, see more in detail the annotation on Micah 5 on verse 2.
9 That is, rulers over thousands, Micah 5:2.
10 That is, the company of the faithful, which He shall rule with His Word and Spirit, as an heavenly King. See Rom. 9:6; Gal. 6:16.
7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, 11went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
11 From this appears that it was no ordinary star of the heaven, but a light created peculiarly, as was the fiery pillar which led the children of Israel through the wilderness.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11¶And when they were come into the house, they 12saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; 13gold, and frankincense,c and myrrh.
12 Or, found.
13 These were the most precious things that were found in their country.
c aromatic gum resin burned as a fragrant incense*
12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,d saying, 14Out of Egypt have I called my son.
d Hosea 11:1.
14 Although this place, Hosea 11:1, is also understood of the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt, yet must the same be likewise fulfilled in Christ as the Head of this people.
16¶Then Herod, when he saw that he was 15mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and 16slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coastse thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
15 Gr. deluded, namely, according to his thinking. For, the wise men really neither deceived nor mocked him.
16 This terrible massacre of infants is also related by Macrobius, a pagan writer in Saturnalia lib. 2, cap. 4.
e borders, region, country*
17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken 17by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
17 Some Greek copies have here also these words: of the Lord.
1818In Rama was there af voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, 19Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
18 See the exposition hereof, Jer. 31 on verse 15.
f Jer. 31:15.
19 Seeing Rachel was buried thereabouts, Gen. 35:19, therefore by her are understood here the mothers of Bethlehem, and thereabouts.
19¶But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s 20life.
20 See Exod. 4:19. That is, who attempted to take away His life. Otherwise this manner of speaking is also taken in a good sense, Prov. 29:10.
21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets,g He shall be called a 21Nazarene.
g Isa. 11:1; 60:21; Zech. 6:12.
21 This has respect either to the place, Judges 13:5, 7, where it is said of Samson as a type of Christ, (he) shall be a Nazarite, that is, betrothed unto God. Or, which is most likely, to Isa. 11:1; 60:21, where Christ is called Netzer, that is, a Branch, from which word the city Nazareth has its name. It was God’s will that, by occasion of this His dwelling place, Christ would be called a Nazarene, as a Branch that grows up before His Father out of His place, Isa. 53:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 6:12.