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,
Bethlehem was a small but ancient town located only about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. It was near there that Rachel died and was buried (Gen 35:19; 1Sam 10:2), and it became the ancestral hometown of David (Luke 2:11) from at least the time of Boaz (1Sam 17:12; Ruth 1:2). It was also called Ephrath (Gen 48:7) and Bethlehemjudah (Judges 17:7; Mic 5:2).
Herod the king. This was Herod the Great, the first of a short line of rulers installed by the Romans (Augustus was the present Emperor) over the Jewish region upon the fall of the Hasmonean line. He is famous for the impressive re-construction of the Jerusalem Temple, but also for being one of the most cruel and wicked kings of all time (see note Dan 11:36). He was an Idumean, or Edomite (descendant of Esau), and thus a half-Jew, who killed his favorite wife and many of his own children. Using information from Josephus, Herod ruled about 37 years and died at about the time of the Passover, probably in 1 B.C. (see note Luke 3:23). The Israelite kingdom was then parceled into four regions, each with its own ruler (Luke 3:1). Three were sons of Herod the Great (Archelaus, Antipas and Philip). Two Agrippas who ruled in Palestine were also in the Herodian line, which ended with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Fixing unequivocally the year of Jesus’ birth is not possible with the information we have been given in the Scriptures. Luke gives the best indication, saying He was about 30 years of age when His public ministry began (Luke 3:23), and then linking that with the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1). That would put His birth about the year 2 B.C. Most present-day scholars date His birth in 6 B.C. However, their system hangs upon Josephus’ statement that Herod the Great died after a lunar eclipse, which they take to be the partial eclipse in 4 B.C. But a full lunar eclipse occurred in 1 B.C., and many historians put Herod’s death in that year. All agree that Jesus was born at the very end of Herod the Great’s reign. Given the above, I incline to believe that Jesus was born in 2 B.C. and died at age 34 in the year A.D. 33.
Wise men from east. The Greek word here is magos, which has been understood in various ways (philosopher, astronomer, scientist, priest). In Acts 13:6 the word is translated sorcerer. Who really were the Magi and how did they know the a certain star signified the King of the Jews? And why was this King so important that they would travel great distance to honor Him with gifts and worship? The answers remain mysterious, but various clues raise intriguing possibilities. First, although it is often said that the Magi were simply astrologers, or men who studied the heavens, the only support for that idea is inferred from the fact that they were following a star. The book of Daniel, which was written to the east of Jerusalem in Babylon, references a tribe or priesthood called the Chaldeans, who were known as the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers (Dan 2:27). Daniel, the ultimate wise man, became the Master of this elite group in the highest days of the Babylonian Kingdom (Dan 5:11).
I infer then, that these Magi were acquainted with the writings of one of their own ancients, a certain Daniel who had an astonishing career as a Wiseman in the courts of at least four eastern kings. Daniel described how an angel pinpointed the date of the coming of Messiah the Prince (Dan 9:24-25) and it seems likely that the Magi counted the years and knew that the time was near. They may have also used Balaam’s prophecy in Num 24:17 as a source of information regarding the star, for Balaam was an eastern prophet of God. While the above is entirely possible, all we know for certain is that the Magi were notable men from the east who somehow had learned that the Messiah was about to be born. David, in a Messianic prophecy, mentions eastern kings bearing gifts to the King in Jerusalem (Psa 72:10).
Some think the Magi were pagan idol-worshippers, but that is not at all certain. There were many Jews living in Babylon who had not returned from that captivity. They could also have been descendants of Jethro, Job or Rechab. I incline to believe that these were true seekers of God, perhaps not according to full knowledge, but sincere nonetheless. God had mercy on Saul of Tarsus when he went about erroneously seeking the Truth, why not these men too?
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.
What did this star look like, and how could the wisemen follow it? The Greek word, aster, normally means a star of the heavens, but how does a star lead the way and stand over the place where Jesus was (Mat 2:9)? Maybe it was a supernatural light that hovered and moved low to the ground, like the pillar of fire led the Israelites through the wilderness. That would explain how the star could have disappeared for a time and then reappeared (see Mat 2:9-10). Why then, was the star only visible to the Magi?
On the other hand, the Magi may have simply observed a new light in the heavens, perhaps a supernova or comet, which they associated with the King their ancient writings had foretold (see note v1). Jerusalem was the natural place to inquire where this Jewish king would be born and it appears that the Magi arrived there expecting to find the city rejoicing. But nobody seemed to know anything about a baby prince and all Jerusalem was stirred up by their tidings.
How striking that the Son of God was born un-noticed and undetected by the nation with every reason and means to have been expecting His birth! Daniel’s prophecy marking 490 years to Messiah the Prince (Dan 9:24-27) should have been on the lips of everyone, for that time was at hand. And yet, Christ’s birth was not totally unobserved by the Jewish nation. Simeon and Anna recognized Him (Luke 2:25). Nonetheless, it is striking that wisemen from a far-away land first brought attention of His birth to the Jewish leaders, who do not seem to have been seeking and waiting for Him at all. Herod, meanwhile, did seek Him, but only for the purpose of killing Him!
The Magi almost certainly had the book of Daniel in their possession. Adam Clarke cites the Roman historian Tacitus as mentioning that because of ancient books the eastern people all believed that Judea would “possess the dominion.” Josephus, Suetonius and Philo also speak of a general belief that a great ruler was to shortly appear in Judea.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Herod was by now an old man, and would shortly die of a horrible disease. Throughout his 37 year reign, he was paranoid of throne-usurpers and had killed most of his own sons because he suspected them of plotting to overthrow him. Upon hearing of a recently-born King of the Jews he was instantly alert to a new threat and seems to have immediately understood that this King was the Messiah foretold of old by the Prophets. The Greek word Christos means “anointed,” which is equivalent to the Hebrew word Messiah in Dan 9:25.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
This prophecy comes from Micah 5:2, where the word ruler corresponds to Governor in the present passage. “This One shall rule My people Israel.” The Greek word for rule is poimaino, which matches the Septuagint of Micah 5:4 that describes Christ shepherding His flock (see John 21:16; Act 20:28; 1Cor 9:7; 1Pet 5:2). That word does not fit the standard description of an earthly ruler or king, but it perfectly corresponds with the rule of Christ over His people. It is found four times in the book of Revelation in that same usage (Rev 2:27; 7:17; 12:5; 19:15). Many versions translate shepherd instead of rule, which conforms to the OT picture of the Messiah as a Shepherd (Ps 23:1-6; Isa 40:11; Eze 37:24).
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Herod the Great was one of the craftiest kings of all time. He was adept at flattery, intrigue and double-crossing (see note, Dan 11:36), but this time he was the one completely outsmarted. Although he carefully determined all the details and successfully deceived the Magi into thinking that he too wanted to worship this new King, the wisemen did not return to report the whereabouts of Christ.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
The Magi’s great joy at again seeing the star implies that it had disappeared for the entire time of their journey. They seem to have seen it at home in the east and knew by their prophecies that it was the star of the long-awaited King of the Jews who would set up a kingdom never to be destroyed (Dan 2:44). So they traveled to Judea to honor Him and naturally inquired in Jerusalem, where new information indicated they should depart for the little town of Bethlehem some six miles to the south. Restarting their journey, they were overjoyed to see that the star went before them and guided them directly to the house where Jesus was.
Even today there are many “stars” that will lead a sincere “wiseman” to the truth of the Gospel! Evidences for God are everywhere we look, in nature, in philosophy, in ancient literature, in logic, in ethics, etc.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Frankincense was a sweet-smelling incense used in sacrificial offerings, while myrrh was used in ointments and as a burial perfume. Gold, besides being very valuable, is a sign of purity and divinity. The three gifts seem to particularly foretell the mission of this King: His perfectly pure life (1Pet 1:18-19) ended in a sacrificial death (John 19:39) as an offering for sin which resulted in an alleviating, sweet-smelling odor of atonement to God for the sins of man. Frankincense was required to be added to most of the Old Testament sacrifices, but it was not allowed for the sin offering (Lev 5:11). See also Isaiah 60:6, Mark 15:23.
Although the Scriptures are entirely silent on the subject, a tradition has developed that there were three wisemen, kings of the orient, and they have even been given names. These verses strongly hint that the wisemen were sincere seekers of the truth and not wicked pagans. God was concerned enough for their safety that He warned them to not return to Herod. This detail seems to be predicted in Isaiah 52:15.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
The dream came to Joseph and not Mary, which indicates that he fully believed in Jesus’ identity by now. And since Joseph was the one who would be most involved in making the long trip to Egypt, it was important that he heard the command. The warning was so urgent that they left Bethlehem at night. Perhaps the very night of his dream, Joseph awakened his family and fled. Egypt had a large population of practicing Jews and it was not exceedingly far away. Herod had no jurisdiction there, but it was part of the greater Roman Empire.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
God could have protected the babe in some other way, but He chose to have Joseph flee into Egypt for a time. We could ask why He did not strike down Herod instead of uprooting Joseph and Mary. After all, Herod was going to die of a terrible disease in just a few months anyway. Pondering that question will help to understand many similar scenarios in history of very wicked men acting very wickedly against God’s people. Pharaoh’s behavior with Moses is another example. The lesson I take from these is that God’s method is not to remove evil men and circumstances from affecting His people, but to intervene by miracles of protection and ways of escape.
The quote comes from Hosea 11:1, When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt. Some have criticized Matthew for taking this to be a Messianic prophecy of Christ, when it appears to be a statement of fact remembering how Jacob was forced by famine to take refuge in Egypt and his later return to Israel. However, that it might be fulfilled refers to a fulfillment of an OT type, not an OT prophecy. There are many details and parallels contained in the Law that describe and predict the coming Messiah and every one was fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Mat 5:17-18). While some were singular Messianic prophecies, many more were events and actions that looked forward in types and shadows to the Christ. The OT sacrifices, for instance, typified the atonement of Christ, as did the ram which Abraham first killed as a burnt offering. The life of Joseph in Egypt has many parallels that were fulfilled by Jesus too, and the path that King David walked out of Jerusalem when he was betrayed by Absalom was the same road that Jesus walked to Gethsemane many years later (see my note 2Sam 15:1). There are hundreds of Old Testament events that were pre-designed by God as hidden parallels to be fulfilled by the life and work of Jesus Christ.
Here the typological parallel involves Israel leaving the promised land and being sustained in Egypt, to later return by the hand of God. Besides this obvious analogy, the word Israel has Messianic connotations and was first given by God as a new name for the patriarch Jacob (Gen 32:28). It means, “a prince of God who will prevail.” Another interesting play on the word is found in Exodus 4:22-23, where God says, Israel is My son, even My first born. Thus, the validity of Matthew noting this as a fulfillment of the OT prophets is clearly appropriate; not as a unique prophetic statement, but as a typological detail.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the 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 enquired of the wise men.
Herod was exceedingly angry when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men. Really though, it was He that sitteth in the heavens who laughed at Herod and made him look small. Read the highly Messianic second psalm to appreciate the full prediction of this very scene (especially Psa 2:2-4). Some secular historians doubt this event because Josephus does not mention it in his Jewish history of the Herodian period. Yet there is no reason to disbelieve, for it exactly fits Herod’s brutal and conniving character. Throughout his cruel reign, he had killed many of his family and friends who he suspected were wanting his throne, and at the very end he increased in wickedness. According to Josephus, just a few days before his death Herod ordered the murder of his son and heir, Antipater, and commanded his men to kill a bunch of notable Israelites so that there would be mourning throughout the land on the day of his death. Rather than doubt Matthew’s account, secular historians should more readily accept it upon recognizing its consistency with Herod’s actions. Likely, Josephus does not mention the slaughter of the innocents because it was simply one atrocity lost in a host of similar atrocities.
Two years old and younger. From this we can be relatively sure that the Magi had first seen the star about 2 years before. Probably however, it had appeared even less than a year earlier, for it seems unlikely that it would have taken the wisemen so long to arrive. Herod, not wanting to take any chances, widened his net to make sure that the baby Jesus was not somehow overlooked. Scholars generally understand the phrase to indicate any child from 24 months old and younger.
While Herod and the Magi apparently thought that the appearance of the star corresponded exactly with the date of Jesus’ birth, that may not have been the case. The star could have appeared earlier in order to give the Magi time to arrive shortly after His birth. Nevertheless, the best correlation of the Gospel accounts is that Jesus was indeed a little more than 1 year old at this time, which might make us wonder why Joseph and Mary were still in Bethlehem a year after Jesus’ birth. And yet that doesn’t seem so strange when we remember that both parents were descendants of David and probably had close relatives there. It is more likely however, that they had not been the whole year in Bethlehem, for according to Luke’s account, which probably follows Mary’s own testimony, the family returned to Nazareth about 40 days after His birth (see Luke 2:39). So the visit by the wisemen must have taken place after that time, since Matthew describes their night flight into Egypt as originating from Bethlehem and they would not have gone to Jerusalem for His dedication knowing that Herod was seeking to kill Him.
So the probable sequence of events is that the family remained in Bethlehem until the temple dedication (40 days after His birth) and then returned to Galilee. About a year later they returned to Bethlehem, probably after one of the yearly Passovers which they faithfully attended (Luke 2:41), and at that time the wisemen arrived seeking the newly born King.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
The quote is from Jeremiah 31:15, which is part of a two-chapter long prophecy I consider to be the centerpiece of the book of Jeremiah. The subject centers upon the future return of the children of Israel from their captivity in Babylon and their joy at having David for their eternal king. As with the OT quote given in v15, the present passage had an earlier intention, but is now shown to have a typological fulfillment in events in the life of Jesus. Initially, Jeremiah the prophet drew the literary figure of Rachel lamenting for her children to describe the impending fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, Rama being the gathering place from which the Jewish captives began their long journey to captivity in Babylon (Jer 40:1).
Rachel is the appropriate ancestral figure to mourn her children because she was the mother of Benjamin and Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh). Jerusalem and Rama were located in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:25). Bethlehem was in Judah, nevertheless, several times in the OT Rachel is associated with Bethlehem (Ruth 4:11; 1Sam 10:2; Jer 31:15), apparently because she died and was buried there (see note Mat 2:1).
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
The source for dating the death of Herod the Great is the Jewish historian Josephus, but his record is insufficient to fix the exact year. He says that Herod died after a lunar eclipse about the time of the Passover, but several years could fit that scenario. Many present-day historians think Josephus’ eclipse took place in 4 B.C., which would make Jesus’ birth about 5 B.C., but some scholars argue that Herod died in 1 B.C., which better fits Luke 3:23. See my note for Mat 2:1.
It is not certainly known how soon after Jesus’ birth that Herod died, but all agree it was not long. In the last 3-4 years of his life, Herod became increasingly paranoid of plots against his throne. His sons Alexander and Aristobulus, were executed on grounds of treason and a year or so later, he accused another son, Antipater, of plotting to kill him. He too was put to death.
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
After Herod’s death, his kingdom was divided among 3 of his sons (Philip, Antipas, and Archelaus) and a son-in-law. The cruel Archelaus ruled Jerusalem until his atrocities prompted Caesar to remove him just a few years later. The milder Antipas ruled in Galilee.
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Nazareth was a small town in the region of Galilee located in the tiny tribe of Zebulun (Mat 4:13) and about a day’s journey to the southeast of the sea of Galilee. It was an insignificant and lowly town with no OT history whatsoever, and its chief fame was a reputation for poverty and backwardness such that even the guileless Nathanael, when told that Jesus was a Nazarene remarked, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46). Jesus was often and derisively associated with his hometown. He is called Jesus of Nazareth no less than 19 times in the NT, including Pilate’s infamous title on the cross: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews (John 19:19). The Greek words are the same, and perhaps a clearer translation would be “Jesus the Nazarene.”
There is no OT passage which directly states that Jesus would be called a Nazarene, and there is a variety of interpretations. Note that in contrast to the previous 5 times that Matthew has quoted the Old Testament, he does not refer to a particular prophet, but that which was spoken by the prophets (plural form). For that reason, I believe he refers to several OT predictions that the Messiah would be a meek and lowly person (see Ps 22:6-8; 69:11; 69:19; Is 49:7; 53:2-4; Dan 9:26). Clearly the connection to Jesus being called a Nazarene is that He lived in Nazareth, and so the followers of Jesus are called in Acts 24:5. The negative associations of Nazareth have already been shown (see John 1:46; 7:52) and the idea of the Messiah coming from the menial town of Nazareth was deeply contrary to the Jewish concept of the Messiah. Matthew endeavors to show that the prophets had foretold the Messiah would be of poor and humble origins.
R.C.W. Lenski, a highly-respected Greek scholar, explains that the structure of the Greek requires both a plural origin and indirect quotation, just as we have given above. In other words, Jesus lived in Nazareth to fulfill the many prophesies that describe the Messiah as a lowly, despised, rejected and suffering servant. Jesus constantly bore this reproach by His enemies, that He was only a Nazarene from Galilee and everyone knows that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
Some have related the word Nazarene with the Nazarite vow of the OT (see Num 6), and another idea develops the close relation of the Hebrew words “Nazareth” and “Branch” (see Is 11:1). It is certainly true that the Nazarite vow has parallels with the dedication and sanctification of Jesus as the Son of God come to do the will of the Father on earth.