Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Verse 1. BEthlehem] signifies domus panis, the house of bread, so called from its fertility, the bread of Life is found in Bethlehem the house of bread. of Iudea,] that is which is in the tribe … of Judah. Judg. 19.18. To distinguish it from the other Bethlehm in the tribe of Zebulon. Josh. 19.15.
Herod] the Great, King of Judea. Luke 1.5. called Ascalonita from his Country, sonne of Antipater. Herod which killed Iohn Baptist in the 14. Chap. was called Antipas and was his Sonne. Herod the killer of James Acts 12. was named Agrippa, he was the grand-child of this Herod the Great by his sonne Aristobulus.
Ascalonita necat pueros, Antipa Johannem,
Agrippa Jacobum, Claudens in carcere Petrum.
Wise men from the aTerra unde venerant Magi, non Coeli regio hac voce denotatur, inquit Grotius. Quot fuerint nūero, quia non exprimit evangelista, nescire praestat quam temere pro certo asserere quod dubium est. Calvin. Magus vox non Latina, à magis, nec Graeca, aut Hebraea, sed Persica, ut volunt, fig. sapientem: Quos enim Graeci Philosophos, Assyrij Chaldaeos, Indi Gymnosophistas, eos Persae magos proprie vocabant. Pareus. Non parva quaestio est, quales fuerunt hi magi. Quidam n. maleficos fuisse autumant, alij sapientes, plerique etiam reges, Evangelista eos reges non vocat, vocaturus ut apparet, si tales fuissent, cùm id ad gloriam Christi non parum pertinuisset. Sed nec veterum interpretum quisquam hos magos reges vocat. Iansen. Comment, in Concord. Evang.East] Three say the Papists, because they offered gold, frankincense and myrrhe, but they were commonly offered by them all, not every one severally his proper gift. Some make gold a symbole of Christs kingdome, frankincense of his Priesthood, myrrh of his buriall, but that is not solid; it was solemne with the Persians to have some present in their hand when they saluted their Kings, and they chose those three as being the principall commodities of the East, Gen. 43.12.
Vers. 2. Where is he that is borne King of the Jewes] Some thinke a King borne here is secretly opposed against a King made or created, but that is too subtill, they meane that this King was lately borne and remaineth yet an infant, to distinguish him from the King that was at his full growth and then governed.
Which words may be understood two wayes; first simply, that the sense should bee, Where is that King of the Iewes who is now borne. Secondly, they may shew that that King which they seeke for is a King borne; that is, not chosen by men for a King and annointed in his fit time, but who was at his Birth the King of the Iewes, to distinguish him from other Kings of the Iewes. Jansen.
His Starre] aVide Spanhen. Dub. Evang. parte 2. Dub. 27. & 28.Origen saith it was a comet, Chrysostome and Theophil. an Angell,Hoc est certam illam & infignem Stellam. Al…rdi. Pathologia N. T. others say it was a wonderfull meteor, some say it was an extraordinary starre, wonderfully made by God. For other starres in their daily motion move from East to West, this moved from North to South, from Ierusalem to Bethlehem. It was seene in the day, other starres are then obscured by the Sunnes splendor. These Astrologers (saith Chrysostome) are taught here the truth by this new starre, which had abused the old starres to all impiety.
And are come to worship him] The Greeke verbe foreign is either derived à moto galero, vel ab osculando, vel à canibus, from a hat moved, from kissing, or dogges, foreign is a hat, foreign is to kisse, foreign are dogges, by it is signified the gesture of low veneration when one casts himselfe at anothers feete, as fawning dogges doe. Lucas Brugensis.
Vers. 6. And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah] That is part of Iudah. Propheta Bethleemam minimam appellans indicat, illam quantitate & angustijs, opibus & splendore minimam. Matthaeus verò non minimam appellans intelligit illam honore & existimatione non esse minimam. Matth. 6. Cartw. historia Christi in 4. Evagel. foreign) Nihil hic Contra mentem prophetae, si verba ejus legas per interrogationem, parva es ut sis in Chiliadibus Juda? Nam quid hoc aliud est, quam quod Evangelista posuit, nequaquam minima es. Sic Apostolus expressit locum Davidis, An est intelligens? foreign. Rom. 3.11. Alij aliter haec conciliant, nec in ullo loco laboratum magis, mihi simplicissinam videtur quod posui. Atque haud scio an hic locum habere debeat illa quorundam excusatio quod, quae prius minima fuerat, postea ex eventu haud minima evaserit, quum Matthaeus ipsum prophetam adducat suis verbis loquentem. Sic enim inquit, scriptum est per prophetam. Aut si haec dicantur in persona Pharisaeorum, ne sic quidem, vereor, curiosis ingenijs fiet satis. Nam non legimus usquam notatos Pharisaeos, quod Prophetarum verba immutarint aut corruperint. Drusij not, in paral. sacra.Art nor the least] Object. The Prophet Micah saith that Bethlehem is little, that it should be accounted amongst the Governours in Judah, Matthew on the other side extols its dignity, as if, it should be one of the chiefe, not the least, that is by a miosis, the most excellent. Answer. The Prophet (Christ being not yet borne) called it least in respect of outward splendour, and earthly riches, yet he seemes to signifie, that this towne otherwise but little, obscure and base, should be honoured and made famous by the birth of the Messias, now Matthew looked to the event of the prophesie, so it is not little in esteeme.
Vers. 10. They rejoyced with exceeding great joy] There is a three fold emphasis. 1. An Attick elegancie to rejoyce with joy foreign, as foreign. Iliad. …. the Latines say, servire servitutem, 2. Great joy. 3. Exceeding great joy.
Vers. 12. *Vide Canin. loc. novi Testamenti & Appendicem de Dieu.Being warned] having beene warned foreign.
They departed another way] Greeke, They passed secretly by another way, as v. 14. and departed, Greeke passed secretly.
Vers. 18. In Rama was there a voyce heard] bVid. Spanhem, Dub. Evang. partem secundā Dub. 82.83.84. Dr. Clerke.Rama was farre from Bethlehem, which made St. Ierome make Rama an Appellative, In excelso vox audita est. The voyce of the dying children and the crying parents was heard on high, reacht round about throughout all Ephrata. cThree Synonima, as with the Prophet, lamentation, weeping, bitternesses.Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning] If we observe this place, we shall confesse with Ierome that Matthew in relating this testimony, neither exactly followed the Hebrew nor the Septuagint. Drus. not. in parallel. Sac.
dPer Rachel. foreign intelligit matres Bethlehemiticas in vicinia sepulchri Rachelis habitantes. Piscat. foreign & noluit consolari. Quo loco consolari accipit vulgatus pro consolationem accipere sive admittere, quo sensu. Gen. chap. 37. v. 35. extat de Iacobe vicem Iosephi dolente. Noluit consolationem accipere, ut ibidem vulgata versio habet. Passive hoc dicitur Ier. cap. 31. v. 15. Comprobant haec Scriptorum Testimoniis. Dieter. Antiquit. Bibl. parte. 1.Rachel weeping for her children] That is, the mothers which inhabited those parts where the sepulcher of Rachel was.
Vers. 22. He turned aside] Greeke he passed secretly.
Si ullus locus in toto novo Testamento Calumniae & cavillis hostium Evangelii opportunus videtur, & Lectori attento crucem figere potest, fatendum hunc prae omnibus alijs & majori specie urgeri, & difficilem pati solutionem, Span. dub. Evang. Part. 2 Dub. 87. Vide plura apud Spanhem. loco citato & Dub. 88.89.90.91.92.93.94. et de Dien. Append. Sculter. Exercit. Evang. l. 1. c. 60.23. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets] By which of the Prophets was this name given to Christ, for we find no such testimony? Chrysostom and Theophylact, because they cannot undoe this knot, cut it thus, saying that many of the bookes of the Prophets are lost. Bucer thinketh that that place, Judges 13.5. is here noted. Sampson was a most excellent figure of Christ as he was a Redeemer, and did most notably represent him in his death wherein he killed more than in his life, and the booke of Judges was composed by divers Prophets. Calvin, Beza, and Mr. Perkins, doe incline to this opinion, Causabon in his exercitat. Iunius in his paralells and analys. in Num. Piscator, Dr. Tailor, Mr. Dod say, that Matthew hath respect to those places, Esay 11.1. and Zach. 6.12. a branch, in Hebrew Netzer, therefore Weemes in his Christian Synagogue saith, these words in Matthew, should bee interpreted, he shall be called a flower or branch.
He shall be called a Nazarene] The Papists are of opinion, that our Saviour wore long haire, and so picture him, because, we read here he was a Nazarite, or rather a Nazarene, as with Beza our best Translators read it, by education, not by profession and institution, in regard of the place where he was educated and conversed, not any vow whereunto hee was bound, Numb. 6.4. He dranke wine and touched the dead. He observed not the rites and orders of the Nazarites, but he was the truth and substance of that order, for in him was fully accomplished that holinesse which was figured by that order, he was perfectly severed from all sin and pollution.