4 And G2532 when he had gathered G4863 all G3956 the chief priests G749 and G2532 scribes G1122 of the people G2992 together, G4863 he demanded G4441 of G3844 them G846 where G4226 Christ G5547 should be born. G1080
And G1161 there arose G1096 a great G3173 cry: G2906 and G2532 the scribes G1122 that were of the Pharisees' G5330 part G3313 arose, G450 and strove, G1264 saying, G3004 We find G2147 no G3762 evil G2556 in G1722 this G5129 man: G444 but G1161 if G1487 a spirit G4151 or G2228 an angel G32 hath spoken G2980 to him, G846 let us G2313 not G3361 fight G2313 against God.
And G2532 when he G846 was come G2064 into G1519 the temple, G2411 the chief priests G749 and G2532 the elders G4245 of the people G2992 came G4334 unto him G846 as he was teaching, G1321 and said, G3004 By G1722 what G4169 authority G1849 doest thou G4160 these things? G5023 and G2532 who G5101 gave G1325 thee G4671 this G5026 authority? G1849
And G1161 it came to pass G1096 on G1909 the morrow, G839 that their G846 rulers, G758 and G2532 elders, G4245 and G2532 scribes, G1122
The Pharisees G5330 heard G191 that the people G3793 murmured G1111 such things G5023 concerning G4012 him; G846 and G2532 the Pharisees G5330 and G2532 the chief priests G749 sent G649 officers G5257 to G2443 take G4084 him. G846
And G2532 the chief priests G749 and G2532 the scribes G1122 the same G1722 G846 hour G5610 sought G2212 to lay G1911 hands G5495 on G1909 him; G846 and G2532 they feared G5399 the people: G2992 for G1063 they perceived G1097 that G3754 he had spoken G2036 this G5026 parable G3850 against G4314 them. G846
And G2532 he began G756 to teach G1321 them, G846 that G3754 the Son G5207 of man G444 must G1163 suffer G3958 many things, G4183 and G2532 be rejected G593 of G575 the elders, G4245 and G2532 of the chief priests, G749 and G2532 scribes, G1122 and G2532 be killed, G615 and G2532 after G3326 three G5140 days G2250 rise again. G450
And G2532 while G2089 he G846 yet G2089 spake, G2980 lo, G2400 Judas, G2455 one G1520 of the twelve, G1427 came, G2064 and G2532 with G3326 him G846 a great G4183 multitude G3793 with G3326 swords G3162 and G2532 staves, G3586 from G575 the chief priests G749 and G2532 elders G4245 of the people. G2992
Then G5119 assembled together G4863 the chief priests, G749 and G2532 the scribes, G1122 and G2532 the elders G4245 of the people, G2992 unto G1519 the palace G833 of the high priest, G749 who G3588 was called G3004 Caiaphas, G2533
And there were more H7227 chief H7218 men H1397 found H4672 of the sons H1121 of Eleazar H499 than of the sons H1121 of Ithamar; H385 and thus were they divided. H2505 Among the sons H1121 of Eleazar H499 there were sixteen H8337 H6240 chief men H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 and eight H8083 among the sons H1121 of Ithamar H385 according to the house H1004 of their fathers. H1 Thus were they divided H2505 by lot, H1486 one sort H428 with another; H428 for the governors H8269 of the sanctuary, H6944 and governors H8269 of the house of God, H430 were of the sons H1121 of Eleazar, H499 and of the sons H1121 of Ithamar. H385 And Shemaiah H8098 the son H1121 of Nethaneel H5417 the scribe, H5608 one of the Levites, H3881 wrote H3789 them before H6440 the king, H4428 and the princes, H8269 and Zadok H6659 the priest, H3548 and Ahimelech H288 the son H1121 of Abiathar, H54 and before the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of the priests H3548 and Levites: H3881 one H259 principal H1 household H1004 being taken H270 for Eleazar, H499 and one taken H270 for Ithamar. H385 Now the first H7223 lot H1486 came forth H3318 to Jehoiarib, H3080 the second H8145 to Jedaiah, H3048 The third H7992 to Harim, H2766 the fourth H7243 to Seorim, H8188 The fifth H2549 to Malchijah, H4441 the sixth H8345 to Mijamin, H4326 The seventh H7637 to Hakkoz, H6976 the eighth H8066 to Abijah, H29 The ninth H8671 to Jeshua, H3442 the tenth H6224 to Shecaniah, H7935 The eleventh H6249 H6240 to Eliashib, H475 the twelfth H8147 H6240 to Jakim, H3356 The thirteenth H7969 H6240 to Huppah, H2647 the fourteenth H702 H6240 to Jeshebeab, H3428 The fifteenth H2568 H6240 to Bilgah, H1083 the sixteenth H8337 H6240 to Immer, H564 The seventeenth H7651 H6240 to Hezir, H2387 the eighteenth H8083 H6240 to Aphses, H6483 The nineteenth H8672 H6240 to Pethahiah, H6611 the twentieth H6242 to Jehezekel, H3168 The one H259 and twentieth H6242 to Jachin, H3199 the two H8147 and twentieth H6242 to Gamul, H1577 The three H7969 and twentieth H6242 to Delaiah, H1806 the four H702 and twentieth H6242 to Maaziah. H4590 These were the orderings H6486 of them in their service H5656 to come H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 according to their manner, H4941 under H3027 Aaron H175 their father, H1 as the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 had commanded H6680 him.
And G1161 when the chief priests G749 and G2532 scribes G1122 saw G1492 the wonderful things G2297 that G3739 he did, G4160 and G2532 the children G3816 crying G2896 in G1722 the temple, G2411 and G2532 saying, G3004 Hosanna G5614 to the Son G5207 of David; G1138 they were sore displeased, G23
Then G1161 said G2036 he unto them, G846 Therefore G1223 G5124 every G3956 scribe G1122 which is instructed G3100 unto G1519 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 is G2076 like G3664 unto a man G444 that is an householder, G3617 which G3748 bringeth forth G1544 out of G1537 his G846 treasure G2344 things new G2537 and G2532 old. G3820
For the priest's H3548 lips H8193 should keep H8104 knowledge, H1847 and they should seek H1245 the law H8451 at his mouth: H6310 for he is the messenger H4397 of the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635
Sallu, H5543 Amok, H5987 Hilkiah, H2518 Jedaiah. H3048 These were the chief H7218 of the priests H3548 and of their brethren H251 in the days H3117 of Jeshua. H3442
Then arose H6965 Ezra, H5830 and made the chief H8269 priests, H3548 the Levites, H3881 and all Israel, H3478 to swear H7650 that they should do H6213 according to this word. H1697 And they sware. H7650
Now this is the copy H6572 of the letter H5406 that the king H4428 Artaxerxes H783 gave H5414 unto Ezra H5830 the priest, H3548 the scribe, H5608 even a scribe H5608 of the words H1697 of the commandments H4687 of the LORD, H3068 and of his statutes H2706 to Israel. H3478 Artaxerxes, H783 king H4430 of kings, H4430 unto Ezra H5831 the priest, H3549 a scribe H5613 of the law H1882 of the God H426 of heaven, H8065 perfect H1585 peace, and at such a time. H3706
This Ezra H5830 went up H5927 from Babylon; H894 and he was a ready H4106 scribe H5608 in the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 which the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 had given: H5414 and the king H4428 granted H5414 him all his request, H1246 according to the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 his God H430 upon him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Matthew 2
Commentary on Matthew 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
In this chapter, we have the history of our Saviour's infancy, where we find how early he began to suffer, and that in him the word of righteousness was fulfilled, before he himself began to fulfil all righteousness. Here is,
Mat 2:1-8
It was a mark of humiliation put upon the Lord Jesus that, though he was the Desire of all nations, yet his coming into the world was little observed and taken notice of, his birth was obscure and unregarded: herein he emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation. If the Son of God must be brought into the world, one might justly expect that he should be received with all the ceremony possible, that crowns and sceptres should immediately have been laid at his feet, and that the high and mighty princes of the world should have been his humble servants; such a Messiah as this the Jews expected, but we see none of all this; he came into the world, and the world knew him not; nay, he came to his own, and his own received him not; for having undertaken to make satisfaction to his Father for the wrong done him in his honour by the sin of man, he did it by denying himself in, and despoiling himself of, the honours undoubtedly due to an incarnate Deity; yet, as afterward, so in his birth, some rays of glory darted forth in the midst of the greatest instances of his abasement. Though there was the hiding of his power, yet he had horns coming out of his hand (Hab. 3:4) enough to condemn the world, and the Jews especially, for their stupidity.
The first who took notice of Christ after his birth were the shepherds (Lu. 2:15, etc.), who saw and heard glorious things concerning him, and made them known abroad, to the amazement of all that heard them, v. 17, 18. After that, Simeon and Anna spoke of him, by the Spirit, to all that were disposed to heed what they said, Lu. 2:38. Now, one would think, these hints should have been taken by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and they should with both arms have embraced the long-looked-for Messiah; but, for aught that appears, he continued nearly two years after at Bethlehem, and no further notice was taken of him till these wise men came. Note, Nothing will awaken those that are resolved to be regardless. Oh the amazing stupidity of these Jews! And no less that of many who are called Christians! Observe,
This we are sure of,
Their question is, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? They do not ask, whether there were such a one born? (they are sure of that, and speak of it with assurance, so strongly was it set home upon their hearts); but, Where is he born? Note, Those who know something of Christ cannot but covet to know more of him. They call Christ the King of the Jews, for so the Messiah was expected to be: and he is Protector and Ruler of all the spiritual Israel, he is born a King.
To this question they doubted not but to have a ready answer, and to find all Jerusalem worshipping at the feet of this new king; but they come from door to door with this question, and no man can give them any information. Note, There is more gross ignorance in the world, and in the church too, than we are aware of. Many that we think should direct us to Christ are themselves strangers to him. They ask, as the spouse of the daughters of Jerusalem, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? But they are never the wiser. However, like the spouse, they pursue the enquiry, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? Are they asked, "Why do ye make this enquiry?' It is because they have seen his star in the east. Are they asked, "What business have ye with him? What have the men of the east to do with the King of the Jews?' They have their answer ready, We are come to worship him. They conclude he will, in process of time, be their king, and therefore they will betimes ingratiate themselves with him and with those about him. Note, Those in whose hearts the day-star is risen, to give them any thing of the knowledge of Christ, must make it their business to worship him. Have we seen Christ's star? Let us study to give him honour.
But though Herod, an Edomite, was troubled, one would have thought Jerusalem should rejoice greatly to hear that her King comes; yet, it seems, all Jerusalem, except the few there that waited for the consolation of Israel, were troubled with Herod, and were apprehensive of I know not what ill consequences of the birth of this new king, that it would involve them in war, or restrain their lusts; they, for their parts, desired no king but Herod; no, not the Messiah himself. Note, The slavery of sin is foolishly preferred by many to the glorious liberty of the children of God, only because they apprehend some present difficulties attending that necessary revolution of the government in the soul. Herod and Jerusalem were thus troubled, from a mistaken notion that the kingdom of the Messiah would clash and interfere with the secular powers; whereas the star that proclaimed him king plainly intimated that his kingdom was heavenly, and not of this lower world. Note, The reason why the kings of the earth, and the people, oppose the kingdom of Christ, is because they do not know it, but err concerning it.
The priests and scribes need not take any long time to give an answer to this query; nor do they differ in their opinion, but all agree that the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, here called Bethlehem of Judea, to distinguish it from another city of the same name in the land of Zebulun, Jos. 19:15. Bethlehem signifies the house of bread; the fittest place for him to be born in who is the true manna, the bread which came down from heaven, which was given for the life of the world. The proof they produce is taken from Mic. 5:2, where it is foretold that though Bethlehem be little among the thousands of Judah (so it is in Micah), no very populous place, yet it shall be found not the least among the princes of Judah (so it is here); for Bethlehem's honour lay not, as that of other cities, in the multitude of the people, but in the magnificence of the princes it produced. Though, upon some accounts, Bethlehem was little, yet herein it had the pre-eminence above all the cities of Israel, that the Lord shall count, when he writes up the people, that this man, even the man Christ Jesus, was born there, Ps. 87:6. Out of thee shall come a Governor, the King of the Jews. Note, Christ will be a Saviour to those only who are willing to take him for their Governor. Bethlehem was the city of David, and David the glory of Bethlehem; there, therefore, must David's son and successor be born. There was a famous well at Bethlehem, by the gate, which David longed to drink of (2 Sa. 23:15); in Christ we have not only bread enough and to spare, but may come and take also of the water of life freely. Observe here how Jews and Gentiles compare notes about Jesus Christ. The Gentiles know the time of his birth by a star; the Jews know the place of it by the scriptures; and so they are capable of informing one another. Note, It would contribute much to the increase of knowledge, if we did thus mutually communicate what we know. Men grow rich by bartering and exchanging; so, if we have knowledge to communicate to others, they will be ready to communicate to us; thus many shall discourse, shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Now,
Mat 2:9-12
We have here the wise men's humble attendance upon this new-born King of the Jews, and the honours they paid him. From Jerusalem they went to Bethlehem, resolving to seek till they should find; but it is very strange that they went alone; that not one person of the court, church, or city, should accompany them, if not in conscience, yet in civility to them, or touched with a curiosity to see this young prince. As the queen of the south, so the wise men of the east, will rise up in judgment against the men of that generation, and of this too, and will condemn them; for they came from a far country, to worship Christ; while the Jews, his kinsmen, would not stir a step, would not go to the next town to bid him welcome. It might have been a discouragement to these wise men to find him whom they sought thus neglected at home. Are we come so far to honour the King of the Jews, and do the Jews themselves put such a slight upon him and us? Yet they persist in their resolution. Note, We must continue our attendance upon Christ, though we be alone in it; whatever others do, we must serve the Lord; if they will not go to heaven with us, yet we must not go to hell with them. Now,
Mat 2:13-15
We have here Christ's flight into Egypt to avoid the cruelty of Herod, and this was the effect of the wise men's enquiry after him; for, before that, the obscurity he lay in was his protection. It was but little respect (compared with what should have been) that was paid to Christ in his infancy: yet even that, instead of honouring him among his people, did but expose him.
Now here observe,
Joseph took the young child and his mother. Some observe, that the young child is put first, as the principal person, and Mary is called, not the wife of Joseph, but, which was her great dignity, the mother of the young child. This was not the first Joseph that was driven from Canaan to Egypt for a shelter from the anger of his brethren; this Joseph ought to be welcome there for the sake of that.
If we may credit tradition, at their entrance into Egypt, happening to go into a temple, all the images of their gods were overthrown by an invisible power, and fell, like Dagon before the ark, according to that prophecy, The Lord shall come into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, Isa. 19:1. They continued in Egypt till the death of Herod, which, some think, was seven years, others think, not so many months. There they were at a distance from the temple and the service of it, and in the midst of idolaters; but God sent them thither, and will have mercy, and not sacrifice. Though they were far from the temple of the Lord, they had with them the Lord of the temple. A forced absence from God's ordinances, and a forced presence with wicked people, may be the lot, are not the sin, yet cannot but be the grief, of good people.
Mat 2:16-18
Here is,
Observe, What large measures he took,
Some observe another design of Providence in the murder of the infants. By all the prophecies of the Old Testament it appears that Bethlehem was the place, and this the time, of the Messiah's nativity; now all the children of Bethlehem, born at this time, being murdered, and Jesus only escaping, none but Jesus could pretend to be the Messiah. Herod now thought he had baffled all the Old Testament prophecies, had defeated the indications of the star, and the devotions of the wise men, by ridding the country of this new King; having burnt the hive, he concludes he had killed the master bee; but God in heaven laughs at him, and has him in derision. Whatever crafty cruel devices are in men's hearts, the counsel of the Lord shall stand.
The quoting of this prophecy might serve to obviate an objection which some would make against Christ, upon this sad providence. "Can the Messiah, who is to be the Consolation of Israel, be introduced with all this lamentation?' Yes, for so it was foretold, and the scripture must be accomplished. And besides, if we look further into this prophecy, we shall find that the bitter weeping in Ramah was but a prologue to the greatest joy, for it follows, Thy work shall be rewarded, and there is hope in thy end. The worse things are, the sooner they will mend. Unto them a child was born, sufficient to repair their losses.
Mat 2:19-23
We have here Christ's return out of Egypt into the land of Israel again. Egypt may serve to sojourn in, or take shelter in, for a while, but not to abide in. Christ was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and therefore to them he must return. Observe,
Now the direction given this holy, royal family, is,