Matthew 2:13

τὸ παιδίον. Named first as the most precious charge and the most exposed to danger.

εἰς Αἴγυπτον. Egypt was at all times the readiest place of refuge for the Israelites, whether from famine or from political oppression. It had sheltered many thousands of Jews from the tyranny of the Syrian kings. Consequently large settlements of Jews were to be found in various cities of Egypt and Africa. In Alexandria the Jews numbered a fifth of the population. Wherever therefore the infant Saviour’s home was in Egypt, it would be in the midst of his brethren according to the flesh.

At this time Egypt was a Roman province. This incident of Christ’s stay in Egypt would be regarded as a precious memory by the African Church—the church of Cyprian, Origen and Augustine.

τοῦ�, ‘in order to slay it.’ A classical idiom which became frequent in the N.T. especially with St Paul and St Luke; it is still more frequent in the LXX.

(1) Denoting purpose, as here. Cp. εἰσῆλθεν τοῦ μεῖναι σὺν αὐτοῖς, Luke 24:29. τοῦ μηκέτι δουλεύειν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, Romans 6:6. These instances are best referred to the use of the partitive genitive with verbs signifying aim or striving for, or to the genitive of cause denoting that from which the action springs. Comp. the final use of the genitive of the gerund and gerundive in Latin.

(2) Result—a usage closely connected with the last, as the ideas of purpose and result are nearly related, particularly according to the Hebraic modes of thought. (See note ch. Matthew 1:22 on ἵνα.) Cp. ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν�, Romans 7:2. Possibly ἐκρίθη τοῦ� (Acts 27:1) belongs to this head,—the decision resulted in sailing—cp. πέρας … τοῦ�, ‘an end that consisted or resulted in escape.’ See also Gossrau’s note on aram sepulchri, Verg. Æn. VI. 177.

(3) In many cases τοῦ with the infinitive is regularly used after words requiring a genitive, as ἐὰν ᾖ ἄξιον τοῦ κἀμὲ πορεύεσθαι, 1 Corinthians 16:4.

(4) In some passages it appears (α) as the object of verbs where the accusative would be required in Classical Greek, as οὐ γὰρ ἔκρινα τοῦ εἰδέναι τι ἐν ὑμῖν, 1 Corinthians 2:2. Or (β) as the subject of the verb: ὡς δὲ ἐγένετο τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν τὸν Πέτρον, Acts 10:25. These and similar expressions may indeed be explained as extensions of recognised genitival uses, but it is better to regard them as illustrating the gradual forgetfulness in language of the origin of idioms. In illustration of this, comp. the use in French of the infinitive with de either as subject or as object; e.g. il est triste de vous voir,—on craint d’y aller; the adoption of the (Latin) accusative in the same language as the sole representative of the Latin cases; and the extension of ἵνα (νὰ) with the subjunctive in modern Greek to the various uses of the infinitive.

Hebrew scholars also note the widely-extended use of לְ as influencing this formula. See Winer 407–412. Jelf 492. 678. 3. Arnold’s Thuc. VIII. 14.