NOW WHEN JESUS WAS BORN,.... Several things are here related respecting the birth of Christ, as the place where he was born, IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA; so called to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zabulon, Joshua 19:15. Here Christ was to be born according to a prophecy hereafter... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, WHERE IS HE THAT IS BORN KING OF THE JEWS?.... These words were spoken to the Jews, or rather to Herod the king, or his ministers and courtiers, or to each of them, as the wise men had the opportunity of speaking to them; who make no scruple of his being born, of this they were fully assured... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HEROD THE KING HAD HEARD THESE THINGS,.... That is, the report made by the wise men of the appearance of an unusual star, and of the birth of the king of the Jews, which they affirmed with all certainty, without any hesitation, HE WAS TROUBLED, AND ALL JERUSALEM WITH HIM. Herod was troubled, h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD GATHERED ALL THE CHIEF PRIESTS,.... Here we have an account of Herod's conduct at this juncture; he calls a council, assembles the sanhedrim, gathers together the more learned persons in the city to consult with them upon this matter, THE CHIEF PRIESTS, all of which he gathered toge... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM,.... They answer without any hesitation, it being a generally received notion, and a thing well known among them, IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA; and give their reason for it; for THUS IT IS WRITTEN BY THE PROPHET, that is, the prophet Micah, in whose prophecy, Micah 5:2 it stands, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU BETHLEHEM IN THE LAND OF JUDA,.... This prophecy, which the chief priests and scribes produced, as pointing at the place of Christ's birth, is owned by both ancient and later Jews y to be a prophecy of the Messiah. The difference between Micah and Matthew is easily reconciled. Bethlehem is... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HEROD, WHEN HE HAD PRIVATELY CALLED THE WISE MEN,.... As soon as he had got the intelligence of the place of the Messiah's birth, he called, or ordered the wise men to be brought into his presence, and that in a very private manner; lest the Jews, who knew his hypocrisy and deceit, should perce... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SENT THEM TO BETHLEHEM,.... Having got out of them all that he could, and was for his purpose, he informs them of the place where they might find the person they came to inquire after, according to the account of it which the chief priests and scribes had given him; and then sends them away t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY HAD HEARD THE KING,.... With great care and attention, what he had told them of the birth place of the young child; the strict charge he had given them to search diligently for him, and then return to him with an account of the whole affair; and his expressions of respect to the new born p... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY SAW THE STAR,.... Which by its appearance, size, brightness, c. they knew to be the same with that which they had seen, when in their own country THEY REJOICED WITH EXCEEDING GREAT JOY; a "pleonasm" or a redundancy of expression frequently used by the Hebrews, see John 4:6 and the Septuag... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE COME INTO THE HOUSE,.... Which they entered without making any inquiry, being fully assured by the star's standing right over it, that this was the house, and here was the king of the Jews, whom they were come to worship; and having entered in "they saw" some copies read ευρον, T... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING WARNED OF GOD IN A DREAM,.... It is likely they made a short stay at Bethlehem, might lodge there a night; at least laid themselves down a while to take some refreshment in sleep, after they had paid their respects to him that was born king of the Jews, and performed the whole business they ca... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE DEPARTED,.... That is immediately, or as soon as they were gone, or in a very little time after, probably the same night, BEHOLD, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARETH TO JOSEPH IN A DREAM; it is very likely the same angel who appeared to him in such sort, Matthew 1:20 "saying arise",... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE AROSE, HE TOOK THE YOUNG CHILD AND HIS MOTHER,.... That is, as soon as he awoke out of sleep, and rose from his bed, he did as he was commanded, he prepared for his journey; and very opportunely had the wise men presented their gifts; the gold they brought served to defray the expense of thi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WAS THERE UNTIL THE DEATH OF HEROD,.... Which was in a very short time; for Eusebius i says, that immediately, in a very little time after the slaughter of the children at Bethlehem, the divine vengeance inflicted diseases on him, which quickly brought him to his end; so that, according to the l... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HEROD, WHEN HE SAW THAT HE WAS MOCKED,.... Herod, having waited a proper time for the return of the wise men, and they not coming, concluded he was tricked by them; though, no doubt, when they promised to return, and bring him word how things were, they seriously meant and designed a performanc... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 17, 18. THEN WAS FULFILLED THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN,.... By the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem was literally accomplished what had been predicted by JEREMY THE PROPHET, in Jeremiah 31:15. IN RAMA WAS THERE A VOICE HEARD, c. That this prophecy belongs not to the Babylonish captivity, but t... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 2:17... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN HEROD WAS DEAD,.... Who died, as before observed, a few months after this tragedy was acted; and, according to the w Jewish writers, on the seventh day of the month Cisleu, and which answers to the twenty fifth of our November: and was afterwards observed as a day of rejoicing by the Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, ARISE, AND TAKE THE YOUNG CHILD AND HIS MOTHER,.... Joseph strictly observed and obeyed the divine command of the angel, who had ordered him to continue in Egypt, till he brought him word what he should do, and where he should go: here he was with Mary and Jesus, when the angel bid him arise... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE AROSE AND TOOK THE YOUNG CHILD AND HIS MOTHER,.... He exactly conformed in every circumstance to the orders given him, with respect to the persons he took, the place he went to, and the expeditiousness of doing it; and is an example of ready and cheerful obedience to the commands of God, wort... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN HE HEARD THAT ARCHELAUS,.... This Archelaus was a son of Herod the great by Malthace Samaritan, and was appointed by him for his successor a little before his death, and was upon it declared king by the populace, the soldiers, and those that were in power; all which is affirmed by Josephus... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CAME AND DWELT IN A CITY CALLED NAZARETH,.... Which was a city of Galilee, and where Joseph and Mary had both dwelt before, Luke 1:26 here they came and fixed their habitation, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET. This affair of going into Galilee, and settling at Naza... [ Continue Reading ]