WHEN JESUS WAS BORN - See the full account of his birth in Luke 2:1. IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA - Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, was a small town about six miles south of Jerusalem. The word “Bethlehem” denotes “house of bread” - perhaps given to the place on account of its great fertility. It was... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE IS HE ... - There was at that time a prevalent expectation that some remarkable personage was about to appear in Judea. The Jews were anxiously looking for the coming of the Messiah. By computing the time mentioned by Daniel Daniel 9:25, they knew that the period was approaching when he would... [ Continue Reading ]
HAD HEARD THESE THINGS - Had heard of their coming, and of the star, and of the design of their coming. HE WAS TROUBLED - Herod had obtained the kingdom by great crimes, and by shedding much blood. He was therefore easily alarmed by any remarkable appearances; and the fact that this star appeared,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHIEF PRIESTS - By the chief priests here are meant not only the high priest and his deputy, but. also the heads or chiefs of the 24 classes into which David had divided the sacerdotal families, 1 Chronicles 23:6; 1 Chronicles 24; 2 Chronicles 8:14; Ezra 8:24. SCRIBES - By the scribes, in the Ne... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE PROPHET - The Sanhedrin answered without hesitation. The question where he would be born had been settled by prophecy. This prophecy is found in Micah 5:2. In that prophecy both the place of his birth and the character of the Messiah are so clearly set forth that there was no room to doubt. I... [ Continue Reading ]
PRIVILY - Secretly, privately. He did this to ascertain the time when Jesus was born. DILIGENTLY - Accurately, exactly. He took pains to learn the precise time when the star appeared. He did this because he naturally concluded that the star appeared just at the time of his birth, and he wished to k... [ Continue Reading ]
GO, AND SEARCH DILIGENTLY ... - Herod took all possible means to obtain accurate information respecting the child, that he might be sure of destroying him. He not only ascertained the probable time of his birth, and the place where he would be born, but he sent the wise men that they might actually... [ Continue Reading ]
THE STAR ... WENT BEFORE THEM - From this it appears that the star was a luminous meteor, perhaps at no great distance from the ground. It is not unlikely that they lost sight of it after they had commenced their journey from the East. It is probable that it appeared to them first in the direction o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOUSE - The place where he was born, or the place where they lived at that time. FELL DOWN - This was the usual way of showing respect or homage among the Jews, Esther 8:3; Job 1:20; Daniel 3:7; Psalms 72:11; Isaiah 46:6. WORSHIPPED HIM - Did him homage as King of the Jews. See the notes at Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
WARNED OF GOD - This was done, doubtless, because, if they had given Herod precise information where he was, it would have been easy for him to send forth and kill him. And from this we learn that God will watch over those whom He loves; that He knows how to foil the purposes of the wicked, and to d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL APPEARETH TO JOSEPH IN A DREAM - See Matthew 1:20. FLEE INTO EGYPT - Egypt is situated to the southwest of Judea, and is distant from Bethlehem perhaps about 60 miles. It was at this time a Roman province. There were many Jews there, who had a temple and synagogues (see the notes at Isaiah... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE AROSE - Having arisen; that is, he arose immediately after awaking from his dream, and prepared at once to obey the command, BY NIGHT - Thus he showed his prompt obedience to the command, and at the same time so concealed his departure as to render himself and Mary and the child safe from p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DEATH OF HEROD - Herod died in the thirty-seventh year of his reign. It is not certainly known in what year he began his reign, and hence it is impossible to determine the time that Joseph remained in Egypt. The best chronologers have supposed that he died somewhere between two and four years af... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HEROD, WHEN HE SAW THAT HE WAS MOCKED OF THE WISE MEN - When he saw that he had been deceived by them; that is, that they did not return as he had expected. It does not mean that they did it for the purpose of mocking or deriding him, but that he was disappointed in their not returning, or that... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WAS FULFILLED - The word “fulfilled,” here. is used evidently in the sense that the words in Jeremiah aptly express the event which Matthew was recording. Compare the notes at Matthew 1:22. THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY JEREMY THE PROPHET - Jeremiah. This quotation is taken from Jeremiah 31:15. The... [ Continue Reading ]
IN RAMA WAS THERE A VOICE HEARD - Rama was a small town in the tribe of Benjamin. Rachel was the mother of Benjamin, and was buried near to Bethlehem, Genesis 35:16. Rama was about 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem, near Bethel, and was some 10 or 12 miles from Bethlehem. The name Rama signifies an emi... [ Continue Reading ]
HEROD WAS DEAD - See the notes at Matthew 2:15. Herod left three sons, and the kingdom was at his death divided between them. To Archelaus was given Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; to Philip, Batanea and Trachonitis; to Antipas, Galilee and Perea. Each of these was also called Herod, and these are the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE DEAD WHO SOUGHT ... - This either refers to Herod alone, as is not uncommon, using the plural number for the singular; or it may refer to Herod and his son Antipater. He was of the same cruel disposition as his father, and was put to death by his father about five days before his own death.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HEARD THAT ARCHELAUS DID REIGN - Archelaus possessed a cruel and tyrannical disposition similar to his father. At one of the Passovers he caused 3,000 of the people to be put to death in the temple and city. For his crimes, after he had reigned 9 years, he was banished by Augustus, the Roman empe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CAME AND DWELT - That is, he made it his permanent residence. The Lord Jesus, in fact, resided there until he entered on the work of his ministry until he was about 30 years of age. IN A CITY CALLED NAZARETH - This was a small town, situated in Galilee, west of Capernaum, and not far from Can... [ Continue Reading ]