Matthew 2

 

 1 When (*) (1) Jesus then was born at Bethlehem in (a) Judea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came (b) (♣) Wise men from the East to Jerusalem,

 

(*) Luke 2:6 .

(1) Christ a poor child, laid down in a crib, and nothing set by of his own people, receiveth notwithstanding a noble witness of his divinity from heaven, and of his kingly estate of strangers; which his own also unwittingly allow of, although they do not acknowledge him.
(a) For there was another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulun.
(b) Wise and learned men; It is a Persian word which they use in good part.

(♣) Wise men, or Magi, in the Persians and Chaldean’s tongue signify Philosophers, Priests, or astronomers, and here the firstfruits of the Gentiles that came to worship Christ.

 

 2 Saying, Where is the King of the Jews that is born? For we have seen his (*) star in the East, and are come (♣) to worship him.

 

(*) An extraordinary sign to set forth that Kings honor, whom the word did not esteem.

(♣) Which was a declaration of that reverence, which the Gentiles should bear unto Christ.

 

 3 When King Herod heard this, he was (c) troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

 

(c) Was much moved, for he was a stranger, and came to the kingdom by force; and the Jews were troubled; for wickedness is mad and raging.

 

 4 And gathering together all the (d) chief Priests and (e) Scribes of the people, he asked of them, where Christ should be born?

 

(d) The chief priests, that is, such as were of Aaron's family, which were divided into four and twenty orders. 1 Chronicles 14:5 and 2 Chronicles 36:14 .
(e) They that expound the Law to the people, for the Hebrews take this word of another, which signifieth as much as to expound and declare.

 

 5  (*) And they said unto him, At Bethlehem in Judea; for so it is written by the Prophet,

 

(*) They could well tell of Christ in general; but when they should profess his name, and give him his due honor, they wax cold, and shrink back.

 

 6  (*) And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the (f) least among the Princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come the governor that (g) shall feed my people Israel.

 

(*) Micah 5:2; John 7:42 .

(f) Though thou be a small town, yet shalt thou be very famous and notable through the birth of the Messiah, who shall be born in thee.
(g) That shall rule and govern; for Kings are fitly called feeders and shepherds of the people.

 

 7 Then Herod (*) privily called the wise men, and diligently inquired of them the time of the star that appeared.

 

(*) An evil conscience is a burning fire.

 

 8 And sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go, and search diligently for the babe; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come also, and worship him.

 

 9  ¶ So when they had heard the King, they departed; and lo, the (*) star which they had seen in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over the place where the babe was.

 

(*) The star vanished away before, to the intent they should tarry at Jerusalem, and there inquire of the thing, to the confusion of the Jews.

 

 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy.

 

 11 And went into the house, and (*) found the babe with Mary his mother, and (h) fell down, and worshipped him, and opened their (i) treasures, and presented unto him gifts, (♣) even gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

 

(*) Or, saw. 

(h) A kind of humble and lovely reverence.

(i) The rich and costly presents, which they brought him.

(♣) The Persian’s manner was not to salute Kings without a present, and therefore they brought of that which was most precious in their country, whereof every one of them offered.

 

 12 And after they were (k) warned of God in a dream, that they should (*) not go again to Herod, they returned into their country another way.

 

(k) God warned and told them of it, when as they asked it not.

(*) Promises ought not to be kept, where God’s honor and preaching of his truth is hindered; or else it ought not to be broken.

 

 13  ¶ (2) After their departure, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the babe and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there till I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the babe to destroy him.

 

(2) Christ being yet scarce born, beginneth to be crucified for us, both in himself, and also in his    members.

 

 14 So he arose and took the babe and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,

 

 15 And was there unto the death of Herod, (♣) that it might be fulfilled, which is spoken of the Lord by the (*) Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

 

(♣) That which was prefigured by the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, which were Christ’s Church and his body, is now verified, and accomplished in the head, Christ.

(*) Hosea 11:1 .

 

 16  ¶ (*) Then Herod, seeing that he was mocked of the Wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently searched out of the Wise men.

 

(*) Within a certain time after.

 

 17 Then was that fulfilled which is spoken (l) by the Prophet Jeremiah, saying,

 

 (l) For God speaketh by the mouth of the Prophets.

 

 18  (*) In (♣) Rhama was (m) a voice heard, mourning, and weeping, and great howling, (n) Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they (♠) were not.

 

(*) Jeremiah 32:25 .

(♣) Herod renewed the sorrow which the Benjamites had suffered long before; yet for all his cruelty, he could not bring to pass, that Christ should not reign.

(m) A voice of lamenting, weeping and howling.

(n) That is to say, All that compass about Bethlehem; for Rachel Jacob's wife, who died in childbed,  was buried in the way that leadeth to this town, which is also called Ephratah, because of the fruitfulness of the soil, and  plenty of corn.

(♠) That is, they were killed and dead.

 

 19  (3) And when Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

 

(3) Christ is brought up in Nazareth, after the death of the tyrant by God's providence; that by the very name of the place, it might plainly appear to the world that he is the Lord's true Nazarite.

 

 20 Saying, Arise, and take the babe and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are (*) dead which sought the babe’s life.

 

(*) Thus the faithful may see how God hath infinite means to preserve them from the rage of tyrants.

 

 21 Then he arose up, and took the babe and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

 

 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. (*) Yet after he was warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee,

 

(*) Or, therefore.

 

 23 And went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, which was, That he should be called (*) a (♣) Nazarite.

 

(*) Or, of Nazareth.

(♣) Which is holy and consecrated to God; alluding unto those that were Nazarites in the old Law, which were a figure of that holiness which should be manifested in Christ, as was Samson, Joseph, ect.

 

Steve

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