Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Matthew 第2章

Matthew 2:1. Bethlehem of Judea—wise men, &c.— Bethlehem was a small town in the tribe of Judah, which lay on the southof Jerusalem; there was a city of the same name in Galilee, which belonged to the tribe of Zebulun, Jos 19:15 andthis is the reason why the former is here called Bethlehem of Judea. In the days of Herod the king, is an Hebraism for the time of king Herod the Great; who was at first tetrarch or governor of Judaea, and afterwards declared king of the same country. See Joseph. Hist. Jude 1:1. xiv. c. 3. and 1. xvii. c. 10. . The evangelical and apostolical history begins with Herod the Great, and ends with Agrippa, the last king of the Jews. Concerning these wise men, four things are pretty generally agreed; that they were Persians, or Parthians; that they were priests, or ministers of religion; that they frequently travelled into different countries; and that they applied themselves very much to the contemplation of the stars. As to the title here given them, it is certain that the word Μαγοι, Magi, was not appropriated in ancient times to such as practised wicked arts, but frequently was used to express philosophers or men of learning; and those particularly who were curious in examining the works of nature, and in observing the motions of the heavenly bodies. Compare Daniel 2:2; Dan 2:27 and Dan 5:11 and the Septuagint; and see Wetstein and Doddridge.

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Matthew 2:2. Saying, &c.— Saying, Where is this new-born king of the Jews? Campbell. There does not seem to be any need of supposing, with some of the fathers, that the wise men knew the signification of this star which they saw while they were in the east, by comparing it with Balaam's prophesy, Num 24:17 or Daniel's, Daniel 2:44; Daniel 9:25. Nor can we think, as Grotius seems to intimate, that they discovered it by the rules of their art. It is much more probable that they learned it by a divine revelation, by which it is plain they were guided in their return. See Matthew 2:12. It was a common observation among the ancients, that the appearance of a new star denoted either the birth or death of great men. Chalcidius, in his comment upon Plato, mentions the appearance of this star in a very remarkable manner; "as foretelling the descent of a god upon earth, for the preservation of mankind; and as occasioning some wise men among the Chaldeans to go in search of him, and pay him adoration." Dr. Doddridge and others render the latter clause of the verse, And are come to prostrate ourselves before him.

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Matthew 2:3. He was troubled— Alarmed. Our translation suits well to Herod, jealous for his crown, but not to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were oppressed by him; and (according to their notions of a Messiah) would conceive hopes of their deliverance from the news of his death. The original word ταρασσω signifies only a great emotion, whatever the cause be, whether of joy, or fear, or admiration, Jdt 14:7. See Heylin and Mintert on the word.

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Matthew 2:4. And when he had gathered &c.— And having assembled. Campbell. All the chief priests, must comprehend here not only the high-priest for the time being, and his deputy, with those who formerly had borne that office; but also the heads of the twenty-four courses, as well as any other persons of peculiar eminence in the priesthood. See 1 Chronicles 24:6. 2 Chronicles 36:14. The scribes of the people, mean the rabbies or doctors, who explained the law to the people. See Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament.

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Matthew 2:5. In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus, &c.— For a full explanation of this passage we refer to the notes on Micah 5:2; Micah 5:15.; just observing, with Dr. Doddridge, that when this and several other quotations from the Old Testament, which we find in the New, come to be compared with the original, and even with the Septuagint, it will plainly appear that the apostles did nor think it necessary always to transcribe exactlythe passages they quoted, but sometimes contented themselves with giving the general sense, in some little diversity of language.

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Matthew 2:8. Search diligently for, &c.— Make exact inquiry about, &c. It is an amazing thing that so suspicious and artful a prince as Herod should put such an important affair on so precarious a footing; when, if he had notgone himself, it would have been so easy, under pretence of doing honour to these learned strangers, to have sent a guard of soldiers with them, who might, humanly speaking, without any difficulty, have slaughtered the child and his parents on the spot. Perhaps he might have been unwilling to commit such an act of cruelty in the presence of these sages, lest their report of it might have rendered him infamous abroad: or rather, we must refer it to a secret infatuation with which God, whenever he pleases, canconfound the most sagacious of mankind. See Doddridge and Calmet.

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Matthew 2:10. When they saw the star— Dr. Doddridge reads a star or meteor; because, says he, no star could point out not only a town, but a particular house. The original, in the conclusion of this verse, is remarkably emphatical, They rejoiced with a joy which was exceeding great.

Matthew 2:11. And fell down and worshipped him— Prostrating themselves they adored him. Heylin. The original word for treasures signifies not only a collection of rarities and precious things, but also whatever serves to hold them. Here it signifies the vessels or boxes wherein these sages had put the presents they designed for the King of the Jews. It was the custom of their country to offer presents to the illustrious personages whom they came to visit, as appears from many passages of the Old Testament; (see Genesis 11:25. 1 Samuel 9:7-8; 1 Samuel 10:27. Psa 72:10 and Proverbs 18:16.) and Maundrell, Chardin, and many other writers of the best credit, assure us, that the custom is yet retained. We cannot help noting how seasonable and providential an assistance this was to furnish Joseph and Mary for so long and expensivea journey as that into Egypt; a country where they were intirely strangers, and yet were to abide there for some considerable time. Several commentators have observed a significancy and propriety in these gifts; which, whether true or not, is at least ingenious. They offered him, say they, gold as a king, paying him tribute; frankincense as a god, for they honoured God with the smoke of incense; and myrrh, as a man who should die; for myrrh was used in embalming dead bodies. See Doddridge, Beausobre and Lenfant, and Henry.

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Matthew 2:13. Into Egypt— There were great numbers of Jews in Egypt: some fled thither in the time of Jeremiah; and great numbers were broughtthere afterwards, on account of the temple of Onias. We may just observe, once for all, that the particle ιδου, behold, is a frequent Hebraism in the evangelists, which commonly is but an expletive, though sometimes it is emphatical. The angel, would be rendered more properly an angel.

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Matthew 2:15. That it might be fulfilled, &c.— So that what the Lord had spoken by the prophet was verified. Campbell. The reader will remember the general observation which has been made on Mat 1:22 respecting the phrase, that it might be fulfilled, and will refer to Hos 11:1 concerning this text; which Grotius, Heinsius, and many of the best critics, both ancient and modern, understand asa mere allusion. SeeCalmet on the verse. The editors of the Prussian Testament observe, that the words out of Egypt, &c. belong, in their proper and literal sense, to the people of Israel, as appears from the beginning of the verse in Hosea. Compare Exodus 4:22-23.Numbers 24:8; Numbers 24:8. St. Matthew applies them to the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the method of the Jewish doctors, who considered several particulars in the Old Testament as relating to the Messiah typically, though, in a literal sense, they referred to other matters.

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Matthew 2:16. Then Herod, when he saw, &c.— Perceiving that he was mocked by the Magi—slew all the children—entering on the second year and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned, &c. Knatchbull. The word ενεπαιχθη , in the original, rendered mocked, signifies properly to be played with, and well expresses the view in which the pride of Herod taught him to regard this action, as if it were intended to expose him to the derision of his subjects, and to treat him as a child, rather than as a prince of so great experience and renown. Haman's rage against Mordecai is expressed by the LXX in the same terms as Herod's anger is here. See Esther 3:5; Esther 5:9. It is probable that Herod in his passion ordered the slaughter of the infants, as soon as he perceived that he was disappointed in his expectation of the return of the wise men; lest otherwise the child, of whom he was so jealous, might be removed: and, as his cruelty extended even to those who had entered on the second year, which is expressly said to be according to the time of which he had got exact information from the sages; it must be natural hence to conclude, that it was not till some considerable time after the birth of Christ that he was visited by the wise men; even though we should allow the first appearance of the star to have been, as some suppose, about the time of Christ's conception. The truth is, it is very difficult to determine the exact period of time when the wise men paid their visit to Christ; though it appears to me most probable from the 11th verse that it was at the time of his nativity. See Sir Norton Knatchbull, and Bedford's Chronology, p. 740. The reader willfind, at the end of Bishop Chandler's Vindication of his Defence, a piece which well deserves his perusal, intitled, The Slaughter of the Children in Bethlehem, as an historical Fact in St. Matthew's Gospel, vindicated, &c.

Dr. Campbell reads, all the children, all the male children, τους παιδας . I do not deny, says he, that there may be instances wherein the Greek term οι παιδες, like the other οι υιοι, may mean children in general .The phrase, both in Hebrew and in Greek, is, the sons of Israel, which our translators render the children of Israel, as nobody doubts that the whole posterity is meant. We address an audience of men and women by the title brethren; and under the denomination all men, the whole species is included. But in such examples, the universality of the application is either previously known from common usage, or is manifest from the subject or occasion. Where this cannot be said, the words ought to be strictly interpreted. Add to this, 1st, That the historian seems here purposely to have changed the term παιδιον, which is used for child no less than nine times in this chapter; as that word, being neuter, and admitting only the neuter article, was not fit for marking the distinction of sexes; and to have adopted a term which he nowhere else employs for infants, though frequently for men-servants, and once for youths or boys: 2nd, That the reason of the thing points to the interpretation that I have given. It made no more for Herod's purpose to destroy female children, than to massacre grown men and women; and, tyrant though he was, that he meant to go no farther than, in his way of judging, his own securityrendered expedient, is evident from the instructions which he gave to his emissaries, in regard to the age of the infants to be sacrificed to his jealousy, that they might not exceed such an age, nor be under such another.

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Matthew 2:19. But when Herod was dead— It will be worth the reader's while to peruse the particular and affecting account which Josephus has given of the dreadful death of this inhuman tyrant, whom God so remarkably made a terror to himself, as well as to all about him. See Antiq. l. xvii. c. 6. Jewish War, l. i. c. 33. and Univ. History, vol. x. p. 638.

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Matthew 2:20. Who sought the young child's life— Greek. Who sought the soul; a Hebraism, of which our version gives the sense. See 1 Kings 10:14. Exo 4:19 to which last passage the angel seems to allude. It is an ingenious conjecture of Mr. Manne, that Antipater, the son of Herod, who, at the time when Christ was born, was heir apparent to his crown, and was a prince so cruel and ambitious, that he had procured the death of his two elder brothers to clear his way to the succession, would very probably be anactive counsellor and instrument in seeking the destruction of the new-born Jesus, and in advisingthe slaughter of the infants; and as this Antipater died but five days before Herod, both might be referred to in these words of the angel, they are dead. See Manne's Dissert. p. 74. Doddridge, and Wetstein.

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Matthew 2:22. Archelaus— He was the sixth son of Herod, and the most cruel of all those who survived him. He caused three thousand citizens to be murdered at one time in the temple. Herod in his will appointed him his successor, and bestowed upon him the regal authority; but Augustus gave him only the title of Ethnarch, or prince of the nation; of which, however, he deprived him afterwards, and sent him into banishment for his tyranny and cruelty. Galilee belonged to the jurisdiction of Antipas, another of the sons of Herod, and who was himself afterwards called Herod. See ch. Matthew 14:1. He was of a much milder disposition than Archelaus, and was then upon such hostile terms with him, that there was no danger of his giving up Joseph and Mary into his power. The reader, the better to understand this part of the sacred history, will do well to read Josephus, or the Universal History as above referred to.

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