Matthew 2:1
BETHLEHEM] or Ephrathah, the city of David, Isaiah 5 m. S. of Jerusalem: see Genesis 35:16; Genesis 35:19; Genesis 48:7; 1 Samuel 16:4; 2 Samuel 2:32; 2 Samuel 23:14; 1 Chronicles 11:16; 1 Chronicles [ Continue Reading ]
BETHLEHEM] or Ephrathah, the city of David, Isaiah 5 m. S. of Jerusalem: see Genesis 35:16; Genesis 35:19; Genesis 48:7; 1 Samuel 16:4; 2 Samuel 2:32; 2 Samuel 23:14; 1 Chronicles 11:16; 1 Chronicles [ Continue Reading ]
THE WISE MEN 1-12. The star in the east and the visit of the Magi (peculiar to St. Matthew). The incident fits well into secular history. About the time when the star appeared (7 or 6 b.c.), Herod the Great, being alarmed by a prophecy that the royal power was about to pass away from him and his li... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE EAST] better, 'at its rising.' WORSHIP] see on Jeremiah 39:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL JERUSALEM] They had good reason to be troubled. Only two years before, in a similar fit of jealous fear, Herod had slaughtered all the leading Pharisees (Jos. 'Antiq.' 17. 2). the Second Missionary Journey. Joining the Apostle at Troas (Acts 16:10), he accompanied him to Philippi, where he... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A DREAM] As the Magi were interpreters of dreams, this method of divine revelation was especially appropriate. It is part of God's loving condescension to mankind to make His revelations to different ages, races, and individuals by those channels through which they are accustomed to expect them.... [ Continue Reading ]
FLIGHT INTO EGYPT (peculiar to St. Matthew). Egypt was the only place of refuge easily reached from Bethlehem. It was outside the dominions of Herod, under Roman government, and contained a population of at least a million Jews, who were more wealthy and enlightened than those of Palestine. It was n... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL THE DEATH OF HEROD] Herod died probably 4 b.c., possibly 3 b.c., so that the sojourn in Egypt was short, perhaps only a few months. OUT OF EGYPT] Hosea 11:1. It is impossible that the flight into Egypt was invented to fulfil this prophecy, which in Hosea is simply an historical allusion to th... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE MALE (RV) CHILDREN] 'Considering the population of Bethlehem, their number could only have been small—probably twenty at most.' The massacre is not mentioned by Josephus, but 'the murder of a few infants in an insignificant village might appear scarcely worth notice in a reign stained by so... [ Continue Reading ]
MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS (peculiar to St. Matthew). The incident is fully in accordance with what is known of Herod's character, and could not have been suggested by the prophecy in Matthew 2:18, which really refers to the Babylonian captivity. It is a true instinct, born of the new significance wh... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS.. A VOICE HEARD] Jeremiah 31:15. Rachel was buried at Ramah (cp. Genesis 35:19; 1 Samuel 10:2), and when Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar, trains of Jewish captives were led by her tomb on their way to exile. Jeremiah poetically represents Rachel as coming out of her tomb, and weeping pi... [ Continue Reading ]
RETURN TO PALESTINE. SETTLEMENT AT NAZARETH. It is implied that Joseph had settled at Bethlehem and intended to remain there as the most suitable place for bringing up the future Messiah. But God judged that the despised Galilee was a better training school for the future Saviour of the world.... [ Continue Reading ]
ARCHELAUS] see art. 'The Dynasty of the Herods.' DID REIGN] RV 'was reigning.' Properly speaking Archelaus was only an 'éthnarch,' but ethnarchs and tetrarchs were popularly called 'kings'. Augustus had promised Archelaus the title of king, if he should deserve it by ruling well. Joseph feared to go... [ Continue Reading ]
NAZARETH] or Nazara, was a town of lower Galilee, in the tribe of Zebulon. It lay in a lofty valley among the limestone hills to the N. of the plain of Esdraelon, or Megiddo. It was quite unimportant (John 1:46), and is not mentioned in OT. or Josephus. A NAZARENE] A thoroughly Jewish play upon wor... [ Continue Reading ]