Matthew 2:14

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: WHEN HE AROSE, HE TOOK THE YOUNG CHILD AND HIS MOTHER BY NIGHT - doubtless the same night - "and departed into Egypt;...

13-15 Egypt had been a house of bondage to Israel, and particularly cruel to the infants of Israel; yet it is to be a place of refuge to the holy Child Jesus. God, when he pleases, can make the worst of places serve the best of purposes. This was a trial of the faith of Joseph and Mary. But their faith, being tried, was found firm. If we and our infants are at any time in trouble, let us remember the straits in which Christ was when an infant. Matthew 2:16 Herod killed all the male children, not only in Bethlehem, but in all the villages of that city. Unbridled wrath, armed with an unlawful power, often carries men to absurd cruelties. It was no unrighteous thing with God to permit this; every life is forfeited to his justice as soon as it begins. The diseases and deaths of little children are proofs of original sin. But the murder of these infants was their martyrdom. How early did per...

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 pursuit....

EXPOSITION JESUS THE CHRIST BY HIS EARLY HISTORY answering to the word of God by the prophets. This is shown by four particulars, for each of which a corresponding prophecy is adduced. (1) The place of his birth; where, further, he receives homage of Gentiles, though neglected by his own people (Matthew 2:1). (2) His stay in Egypt (Matthew 2:13). (3) The slaughter of the innocents (Matthew 2:16). (4) His dwelling at Nazareth, and consequent appellation ...

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 this journey, and which no doubt was so ordered by divine providence for this purpose. Joseph was very punctual and expeditious in obeying the command of God; he took the young child and his mother, BY NIGHT, the very selfsame night in which he had this notice; and which season was the most fitting to depart in for secrecy, and most commodious and agreeable to travel in, in those hot countries: hence it appears very manifest, that the coming of the wise men, and the departure of Joseph with Mary and Jesus into Egypt, could not be within a fortnight after the birth of Christ, nor any time before...

Matthew 2:1. _Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,_ Probably from that Assyria which is joined with Israel and Egypt in the remarkable prophecy in Isaiah 19:24: «In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. «Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,» Matthew 2:2. Saying, 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. When Herod the

2. THE KING WORSHIPPED BY GENTILES; Jerusalem in Ignorance of Him; the Child Persecuted. _ 1. The Visit of the Wise Men.(Matthew 2:1 .) 2. The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13 .) 3. The Return from Egypt. (Matthew 2:19 .)_ CHAPTER 2 The second chapter in Matthew relates events which are nowhere else recorded in the Gospels. For this reason, and this is the only reason, the authenticity of the chapter has been doubted more than once. All that which the second chapter contains belongs properly into the Jewish, dispensational Gospel, and would indeed be entirely out of place in the other three Gospels, therefore the Holy Spirit has seen fit to put it only in the first Gospel. The chapter

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT AND THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS. While Mt. says Jesus was born before Herod's death (how long before he does not say), Lk. suggests, by his reference to Quirinius, that it was after. But see Luke 2:1 *. MATTHEW 2:15. Hosea 11:1 *. It looks as though Mt. made the incident fit the quotation, _cf._ Abbott, _op. cit.,_ p. 413. A second-century Jewish tradition speaks of Jesus working as a labourer in Egypt, and practising magic ere he returned to Palestine and proclaimed Himself a God. There were a million Jews in Egypt in the first century A.D. In place of the slaughter of the Bethlehem children Lk. gives the story of the presentation in the Temple. The massacre is not narrated by Josep

WHEN HE AROSE, HE TOOK THE YOUNG CHILD. The message came while he was sleeping; as soon as he arose from his bed he took the Child and his mother and departed at once. There was prompt obedience, as there should always be, to the divine commands. It was also important that he should flee at once to escape the impending danger, and that he should flee under the concealment of the night that his route should be unknown, lest he should be pursued. The residence in Egypt was to continue until he was divinely directed to return, and those directions would not be given until after Herod's death....

THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE KING (Matthew 2:1-2)...