Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 2

St. Augustine of Hippo: After the miraculous Virgin Birth, a God-man proceeded by divine power from a virgin's womb. In the humble shelter of such a cradle, a narrow stall, lay Infinite Majesty in an even narrower body. A God was suckled and endured being wrapped in lowly rags. Amidst all this, a new star suddenly shone in the sky upon the earth, driving away the darkness of the world and changing night into day, so that the Day-Star would not be hidden by the night.

Hence it is that the Evangelist says, "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem."

Remigius of Auxerre: In the beginning of this Gospel passage, he presents three distinct things: the person, "When Jesus was born"; the place, "in Bethlehem of Judea"; and the time, "in the days of Herod the king." These three circumstances verify his account.

St. Jerome: We think the Evangelist first wrote, as we read in the Hebrew, "Judah," not "Judea." For in what other country is there a Bethlehem that would require this one to be distinguished as being in "Judea"? But "Judah" is written because there is another Bethlehem in Galilee.

Glossa Ordinaria: There are two Bethlehems (Joshua 19:15): one in the tribe of Zebulun, the other in the tribe of Judah, which was previously called Ephratah. ¹

St. Augustine of Hippo: Concerning the place, Bethlehem, Matthew and Luke agree; but Luke relates the cause and manner of their being there, which Matthew omits. Luke, in turn, omits the account of the Magi, which Matthew gives. ²

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Let us see what purpose this designation of time serves: "In the days of Herod the king." It shows the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy, in which he said that Christ would be born after seventy weeks of years. For from the time of the prophecy to the reign of Herod, the years of the seventy weeks were completed.

Alternatively, as long as Judea was ruled by Jewish princes, even though they were sinners, prophets were sent for its correction. But now that God's law was held under the power of an unrighteous king and the righteousness of God was enslaved by Roman rule, Christ is born. The most desperate sickness required the greater physician.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, he mentions the foreign king to show the fulfillment of the prophecy: The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come (Genesis 49:10).

St. Ambrose of Milan: It is said that some Idumean robbers, coming to Ascalon, brought Antipater with them among other prisoners.ⁱ He was instructed in the law and customs of the Jews and acquired the friendship of Hyrcanus, king of Judea, who sent him as his deputy to Pompey. He succeeded so well in his mission that he laid claim to a share of the throne. He was put to death, but his son Herod was appointed king of Judea by a decree of the Senate under Antony; so it is clear that Herod sought the throne of Judea without any connection or claim of birth. ³

St. John Chrysostom: He mentions "Herod the king," specifying his dignity, because there was another Herod who put John to death.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: "When He was born... behold, wise men"—that is, immediately on His birth—shows that a great God existed in a small human child.

Rabanus Maurus: The Magi are men who inquire into the nature of things philosophically, but common speech uses the term "Magi" for sorcerers. In their own country, however, they are held in different esteem, being the philosophers of the Chaldeans. Kings and princes of that nation are taught in their learning, and it was by this knowledge that the Magi themselves knew of the Lord's birth.

St. Augustine of Hippo: What were these Magi but the firstfruits of the Gentiles? Israelite shepherds and Gentile Magi, one from far and the other from near, hastened to the one Cornerstone. ⁴

Jesus then was manifested neither to the learned nor the righteous, for ignorance belonged to the shepherds and impiety to the idolatrous Magi. Yet that Cornerstone attracts them both to Himself, since He came to choose the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and not to call the righteous, but sinners, so that no one great should exalt himself, and no one weak should despair. ⁵

Glossa Ordinaria: These Magi were kings, and though their gifts were three, it is not to be inferred from this that they were only three in number. Rather, they prefigured the coming to the faith of the nations that descended from the three sons of Noah.

Alternatively, there were only three princes, but each brought a large company with him. They did not come after a year had passed, for then He would have been found in Egypt, not in the manger, but on the thirteenth day. To show where they came from, it is said, "from the East."

Remigius of Auxerre: It should be known that opinions vary regarding the Magi. Some say they were Chaldeans, who are known to have worshiped a star as a god; thus, their false deity showed them the way to the true God. Others think they were Persians; still others, that they came from the farthest ends of the earth. Another, more probable opinion is that they were descendants of Balaam. Having his prophecy, There shall rise a Star out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17), they would have known that a King was born as soon as they saw the star.

St. Jerome: They knew that such a star would rise from the prophecy of Balaam, whose successors they were. But whether they were Chaldeans, Persians, or from the farthest ends of the earth, how could they arrive in Jerusalem in such a short time?

Remigius of Auxerre: Some used to answer, "It is no marvel if that boy who was born could draw them so quickly, even if it were from the ends of the earth."

Glossa Ordinaria: Alternatively, they had dromedaries and Arabian horses, whose great speed brought them to Bethlehem in thirteen days.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, they had set out two years before the Savior's birth, and though they traveled all that time, neither food nor drink failed in their bags.

Remigius of Auxerre: Or, if they were the descendants of Balaam, their kingdoms are not far from the promised land, and they could have easily come to Jerusalem in such a short time.

But why does he write "from the East"? Surely because they came from a country east of Judea. But there is also great beauty in this: they "came out of the East," since all who come to the Lord come from Him and through Him, as it is said in Zechariah, Behold the Man whose name is the East (Zechariah 6:12).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, from where the day springs, from there came the firstfruits of the faith, for faith is the light of the soul. Therefore, they came from the East, but to Jerusalem.

Remigius of Auxerre: Yet the Lord was not born there; thus, they knew the time but not the place of His birth. Since Jerusalem was the royal city, they believed that such a child could not be born in any other.

Alternatively, it was to fulfill that Scripture, The Law shall go out of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3). And Christ was first preached there. Or it was to condemn the slowness of the Jews.

Pseudo-Augustine: Many kings of Judea had been born and died before, yet had Magi ever sought out any of them for adoration? No, because they had not been taught that any of these spoke from heaven. These men, who were foreigners to the land of Judea, had never thought such honor was due to any ordinary king of Judea.

But they had been taught that this Child was one whom, in worshiping, they would certainly secure the salvation that is from God. His age was not such as to attract human flattery. His limbs were not robed in purple, His brow was not crowned with a diamond, and no pompous entourage, no fearsome army, no glorious fame from battles attracted these men to Him from the most remote countries with such earnest supplication.

A Boy lay in a manger, newly born, of infantile size and in pitiable poverty. But in that small Infant lay hidden something great, which these men, the firstfruits of the Gentiles, had learned not from earth but from heaven. As it follows, "We have seen His star in the east." They announce the vision and ask; they believe and inquire, signifying those who walk by faith and desire to see. ⁶

St. Gregory the Great: It should be known that the Priscillianists—heretics who believe every person is born under the influence of some planet—cite this text in support of their error. They consider the new star that appeared at the Lord's birth to have been His fate. ⁷

St. Augustine of Hippo: And, according to Faustus, this introduction of the account of the star would lead us to call this part of the history "The Nativity" rather than "The Gospel." ⁸

St. Gregory the Great: But far be it from the hearts of the faithful to call anything "fate."

St. Augustine of Hippo: For by the word "fate," in its common meaning, is meant the disposition of the stars at the moment of a person's birth or conception, to which some assign a power independent of the will of God. Such ideas must be kept far from the ears of all who desire to be worshipers of God in any way.

Others, however, think the stars have this power committed to them by the great God. In this they greatly wrong the heavens, by imputing to their splendid host the decreeing of crimes—crimes so great that if any earthly people were to decree them, their city would, in the judgment of humanity, deserve to be utterly destroyed. ⁹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: If, then, anyone were to become an adulterer or a murderer by means of the planets, how great is the evil and wickedness of those stars—or rather, of Him who made them? For since God knows things to come and what evils will spring from those stars, if He would not hinder it, He is not good; if He would but could not, He is weak.

Furthermore, if it is because of a star that we are either good or bad, we have neither merit nor demerit, since we are involuntary agents. Why should I be punished for a sin I have committed not willfully, but by necessity? The very commands of God against sin and His exhortations to righteousness overthrow such foolishness. For if a person has no power to act, or no power to refrain from acting, who would command him either to do or to forbear?

Gregory of Nyssa: Moreover, how vain is prayer for those who live by fate? Divine Providence is banished from the world along with piety, and humanity is made a mere instrument of the stars' motions, for they say these motions compel not only the body's limbs but also the mind's thoughts. In a word, those who teach this take away everything that is within us and the very nature of contingency, which is nothing less than to overturn everything. For where, then, will there be free will? But that which is in us must be free.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It cannot be said to be utterly absurd to suppose that stellar influence affects the state of the body. We see that the seasons of the year are varied by the sun's approach and departure, and that many things, like shells and the wondrous tides of the ocean, increase or decrease as the moon waxes and wanes. But it is not so to say that the dispositions of the mind are subject to the impulse of the stars.

Do they say that the stars merely foretell rather than cause these results? How then do they explain the great diversity often found in the lives of twins—in their actions, successes, professions, honors, and all other circumstances? People from different countries are often more alike in their lives than twins, between whose births there was only a moment's interval, and between whose conceptions in the womb there was no interval at all.

The small interval between their births is not enough to account for the great difference between their fates. Some give the name "fate" not only to the configuration of the stars but to the entire series of causes, while at the same time subjecting everything to the will and power of God.

This kind of subjection of human affairs to fate is a confusion of language that should be corrected, for "fate" strictly refers to the configuration of the stars. We do not call the will of God "fate," unless perhaps we derive the word from "speaking" (Latin: fari), as in the Psalms: God has spoken once; twice have I heard this (Psalm 62:11). There is no need, then, for much contention over what is merely a verbal controversy. ¹⁰

But if we refuse to subject the birth of any person to the influence of the stars, in order to vindicate the freedom of the will from any chain of necessity, how much less must we suppose that stellar influences ruled at the temporal birth of Him who is the eternal Creator and Lord of the universe?

The star that the Magi saw at Christ's birth in the flesh did not rule His fate but served as a testimony to Him. Furthermore, this was not one of those stars that, from the beginning of creation, follow their paths of motion according to their Maker's law. Instead, it was a star that first appeared at the birth, serving the Magi who sought Christ by going before them until it brought them to the place where the infant God, the Word, was. ¹¹

According to some astrologers, the connection of human fate with the stars is such that at the birth of certain men, stars have been known to leave their courses and go directly to the newborn. Indeed, they suppose the fortune of the one who is born is bound up with the course of the stars, not that the course of the stars is changed after the day of any person's birth.

If, then, this star was one of those that follow their courses in the heavens, how could it determine what Christ would do, when it was commanded at His birth to leave its own course? If, as is more probable, it was first created at His birth, then Christ was not born because the star arose, but the star arose because Christ was born. Therefore, if we must connect fate with the stars, this star did not rule Christ's fate; rather, Christ ruled the star's fate.

St. John Chrysostom: The purpose of astrology is not to learn the fact of someone's birth from the stars, but to forecast the fate of those who are born from the hour of their birth. But these men did not know the time of the nativity in order to forecast the future from it; they did the opposite.

Glossa Ordinaria: "His star"—that is, the star He created as a witness to Himself. ¹²

To the shepherds, angels announced Christ, and to the Magi, a star pointed Him out. To both, the tongue of Heaven spoke, since the tongue of the prophets was silent. The angels dwell in the heavens and the stars adorn it; therefore, through both, "the heavens declare the glory of God." ¹³

St. Gregory the Great: To the Jews, who used their reason, a rational creature—that is, an angel—was sent to preach. But the Gentiles, who did not know how to use their reason, were brought to the knowledge of the Lord not by words, but by signs. To the one group, prophecy was given, as to the faithful; to the other, signs were given, as to unbelievers.

One and the same Christ is preached. When He is of a mature age, He is preached by the Apostles; when He is an infant and not yet able to speak, He is announced by a star to the Gentiles. For the order of reason required this: speaking preachers proclaimed a speaking Lord, while silent signs proclaimed a silent infant. ¹⁴

St. Leo the Great: Christ Himself is the expectation of the nations. He is that innumerable posterity once promised to the most blessed patriarch Abraham—a posterity to be born not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. This posterity was therefore compared to the stars in multitude, so that from the father of all nations, not an earthly but a heavenly progeny might be expected. ¹⁵

Thus the heirs of that promised posterity, prefigured in the stars, are roused to the faith by the rising of a new star. And where the heavens had been first called to bear witness, the aid of Heaven is continued.

St. John Chrysostom: This was clearly not one of the common stars of heaven. First, because no star moves in this way, from east to south, which is the position of Palestine relative to Persia. Second, because of the time of its appearance—it was visible not only at night, but also during the day. Third, because it was visible and then invisible again; when they entered Jerusalem it hid itself, and then reappeared when they left Herod. Furthermore, it had no fixed motion; when the Magi were to go on, it went before them, and when they were to stop, it stopped, like the pillar of cloud in the desert. Fourth, it signified the Virgin's delivery not by being fixed high above, but by descending to earth, showing itself to be like an invisible power that had taken on the visible appearance of a star.

Remigius of Auxerre: Some affirm this star to have been the Holy Spirit; He who descended on the baptized Lord as a dove appeared to the Magi as a star. Others say it was an angel, the same one who appeared to the shepherds.

Glossa Ordinaria: "In the east." It is uncertain whether this refers to the location of the star or of those who saw it. It might have risen in the east and then gone before them to Jerusalem. ¹⁶

St. Augustine of Hippo: Do you ask from whom they had learned that the appearance of a star was to signify the birth of Christ? I answer: from angels, by the warning of some revelation. Do you ask if it was from good or evil angels? Truly, even wicked spirits—namely, the demons—confessed Christ to be the Son of God. But why should they not have heard it from good angels, since in their adoration of Christ their salvation was sought, not their wickedness condemned? The angels might have said to them, "The star which you have seen is the Christ. Go, worship Him where He is now born, and see how great is He who is born." ¹⁷

St. Leo the Great: Besides that star seen with the physical eye, an even brighter ray of truth pierced their hearts; they were enlightened by the illumination of the true faith. ¹⁸

Pseudo-Augustine: They might have thought that a king of Judea was born, since the birth of temporal princes is sometimes attended by a star. These Chaldean Magi inspected the stars not with malicious intent, but with a true desire for knowledge, following, it may be supposed, the tradition from Balaam. Thus, when they saw this new and unique star, they understood it to be the one of which Balaam had prophesied, marking the birth of a King of Judea. ¹⁹

St. Leo the Great: What they knew and believed might have been sufficient for themselves, so that they did not need to seek to see with the physical eye what they saw so clearly with the spiritual eye. But their earnestness and perseverance to see the Babe was for our benefit. It benefited us that Thomas, after the Lord's resurrection, touched and felt the marks of His wounds; and so for our benefit, the Magi's eyes looked on the Lord in His cradle.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Were they then ignorant that Herod reigned in Jerusalem? Or that it is high treason to proclaim another king while one is still alive? But while they thought of the King to come, they did not fear the king who was. While they had not yet seen Christ, they were ready to die for Him. O blessed Magi! who, before the face of a most cruel king and before having beheld Christ, were made His confessors.

St. Augustine of Hippo: As the Magi seek a Redeemer, so Herod fears a successor.

Glossa Ordinaria: "The King," he is called, though in comparison with Him whom they are seeking he is an alien and a foreigner.¹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Herod "was troubled" when he heard that a King was born of Jewish lineage, fearing that, since he was an Idumaean, the kingdom would return to native princes, and he and his descendants would be expelled.

Great station is always subject to great fears. Just as the boughs of trees on high ground move when even the slightest wind blows, so men in high positions are troubled by small rumors, while the lowly, like trees in the valley, remain at peace.

St. Augustine of Hippo: If His birth as an infant makes proud kings tremble, what will His tribunal as a Judge do? Let princes fear Him who is sitting at the right hand of His Father, whom this impious king feared while He still rested at His mother's breast.²

St. Leo the Great: You are troubled, Herod, without cause. Your nature cannot contain Christ, nor is the Lord of the world content with the narrow bounds of your dominion. He, whom you did not want to reign in Judea, reigns everywhere.

Glossa Ordinaria: Perhaps he was troubled not on his own account, but for fear of the displeasure of the Romans. They would not allow the title of King or of God to anyone without their permission.³

St. Gregory the Great: At the birth of a King of Heaven, a king of earth is troubled. Surely, earthly greatness is confounded when heavenly greatness shows itself.⁴

St. Leo the Great: Herod represents the Devil, who instigated him then and now tirelessly imitates him. For the Devil is grieved by the calling of the Gentiles and by the daily ruin of his power.⁵

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Both have their own causes for jealousy and both fear a successor to their kingdom: Herod fears an earthly successor, the Devil a spiritual one. Even Jerusalem is troubled, though it should have rejoiced at the news that a Jewish King was said to have risen.

But they were troubled, because the wicked cannot rejoice at the coming of the good. Or perhaps they were afraid that Herod would unleash his wrath against the Jewish people on account of a new Jewish King.

Glossa Ordinaria: "Jerusalem was troubled with him," as if willing to favor the one it feared; the common people always pay undue honor to a tyrant. Observe the diligence of his inquiry. If he found him, he would do to him what his later actions revealed; if he did not, he would at least have an excuse for the Romans.⁶

Remigius of Auxerre: They are called Scribes, not from the employment of writing, but from their interpretation of the Scriptures, for they were doctors of the law. Observe, he does not inquire where Christ is born, but where He should be born. The subtle purpose of this was to see if they would show pleasure at the birth of their King. He calls Him Christ because he knew that the King of the Jews was the Anointed One.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Why does Herod make this inquiry, since he did not believe the Scriptures? Or if he did believe, how could he hope to kill Him whom the Scriptures declared would be King? The Devil instigated Herod, who believed that Scripture does not lie.

Such is the faith of demons, who are not permitted to have perfect belief, even in what they do believe. That they believe is because the force of truth constrains them; that they do not fully believe is because they are blinded by the enemy. If they had perfect faith, they would live as if they were about to depart from this world soon, not as if they would possess it forever.

St. Leo the Great: The Magi, judging as men, sought in the royal city for Him whom they had been told was born a King. But He who took the form of a servant, and came not to judge but to be judged, chose Bethlehem for His birth and Jerusalem for His death.⁷

Theodotus of Ancyra: Had He chosen the mighty city of Rome, it might have been thought that this change in the world was brought about by the might of its citizens. Had He been the son of the emperor, his power might have aided Him.

But what was His choice? Everything that was lowly and held in low esteem, so that in this transformation of the world, His divinity might be recognized at once. Therefore, He chose a poor woman for His mother and a poor country for His homeland. He had no money, and a stable was His cradle.⁸

St. Gregory the Great: Rightly is He born in Bethlehem, which means "house of bread," for He is the one who said, "I am the living bread who came down from heaven."⁹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: When they should have kept the mystery of the King appointed by God secret, especially from a foreign king, they immediately became not preachers of God's word, but revealers of His mystery. And they not only revealed the mystery, but also cited the passage from the prophet, namely, Micah.

Glossa Ordinaria: He quotes this prophecy like those who give the sense and not the exact words.¹⁰

St. Jerome: The Jews are blamed here for ignorance, because while the prophecy says, "Thou Bethlehem Ephrata," they said, "Bethlehem in the land of Judah."¹¹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: By cutting the prophecy short, they became the cause of the murder of the Innocents. For the prophecy continues, "From thee shall go forth a King who shall feed My people Israel, and His day shall be from everlasting." Had they cited the whole prophecy, Herod would not have raged so madly, since he would have considered that it could not be an earthly King whose days were spoken of as "from everlasting."

St. Jerome: The following is the sense of the prophecy: You, Bethlehem, of the land of Judah, or Ephrata (which is added to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in Galilee), though you are a small village among the thousand cities of Judah, yet out of you shall be born Christ, who will be the Ruler of Israel.

According to the flesh, He is of the seed of David, but He was born of the Father before all worlds; and therefore it is written, "His goings forth are of old." And, "In the beginning was the Word."¹²

Glossa Ordinaria: The Jews dropped this latter half of the prophecy. They altered other parts, either through ignorance (as was said above) or for clarity, so that Herod, who was a foreigner, might better understand it. Thus, for "Ephrata," they said, "land of Judah."

And for "little among the thousands of Judah," which expresses its smallness compared to the multitude of the people, they said, "not the least among the princes." They did this, wishing to show the high dignity that would come from the birth of the Prince, as if they had said, "You are great among the cities from which princes have come."

Remigius of Auxerre: Or the sense is: though little among cities that have dominion, yet you are not the least, for "out of you shall come the Ruler, who shall rule My people Israel." This Ruler is Christ, who rules and guides His faithful people.

St. John Chrysostom: Observe the exactness of the prophecy: it is not that He will be in Bethlehem, but that He will come out of Bethlehem, showing that He would only be born there. What reason is there for applying this to Zerubbabel, as some do? For his goings forth were not from everlasting, nor did he come from Bethlehem; he was born in Babylonia. The expression, "art not the least," is further proof, for no one but Christ could make the town where He was born so illustrious.

After that birth, men came from the farthest ends of the earth to see the stable and the manger. The prophet does not call Him "the Son of God," but "the Ruler who shall govern My people Israel." For this is how He needed to condescend at first, so that they would not be scandalized, but would preach such things as related more to salvation, so that they might be won over.

The phrase, "Who shall rule My people Israel," is said mystically, referring to those of the Jews who believed; for if Christ did not rule all the Jews, the blame is theirs. Meanwhile, the prophet is silent about the Gentiles, so that the Jews might not be scandalized.

Mark this wonderful arrangement: Jews and Magi mutually instruct each other. The Jews learn from the Magi that a star had proclaimed Christ in the east; the Magi learn from the Jews that the Prophets had spoken of Him long ago. Thus confirmed by a twofold testimony, they would look with more ardent faith for the One whom the brightness of the star and the voice of the Prophets equally proclaimed.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The star that guided the Magi to the spot where the infant God was with His Virgin Mother could have led them straight to the town. But it vanished and did not show itself to them again until the Jews themselves had told them "the place where Christ should be born": Bethlehem of Judea.¹³

In this, they are like those who built the ark for Noah, providing others with a refuge while they themselves perished in the flood. Or they are like the stones by the road that mark the miles but cannot move themselves.

The inquirers heard and departed; the teachers spoke and remained still. Even now, the Jews show us something similar. For some pagans, when clear passages of Scripture that prophesy of Christ are shown to them, suspect them of being forged by Christians and so consult Jewish copies. Thus they leave the Jews to read unprofitably, while they themselves go on to believe faithfully.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: As soon as Herod heard the answer, though it was doubly authenticated by both the authority of the priests and the passage from the prophets, he still did not turn to worship the King who was to be born, but sought how he could put Him to death with subtlety. He saw that the Magi could be neither won by flattery, nor awed by threats, nor bribed by gifts to consent to this murder; he therefore sought to deceive them. He secretly called the wise men, so that the Jews, whom he suspected, might not know of it, for he thought they would be more inclined to a King of their own nation.

Remigius of Auxerre: He diligently enquired craftily, because he feared they would not return to him, and he needed to know how he could put the young Child to death.

Pseudo-Augustine: The star had been seen, with great wonder, nearly two years before. We are to understand that it was revealed to them whose star it was, and it remained visible all that time until He, whom it signified, was born. Then, as soon as Christ was made known to them, they set out and came and worshipped Him in thirteen days from the east.^{i 1}

St. John Chrysostom: Or, the star appeared to them a long time before, because the journey would take some time, and they were to stand before Him immediately on His birth, so that seeing Him in swaddling clothes might make Him seem all the more wonderful.

Glossa Ordinaria: According to others, the star was first seen on the day of the Nativity, and having accomplished its purpose, it ceased to exist. Thus Fulgentiusⁱ says that the Boy at His birth created a new star. Though they now knew both the time and place, Herod still did not want them to be ignorant of the Child's identity, saying, Go and enquire diligently concerning the young Child; this was a commission they would have executed even if he had not commanded it.

St. John Chrysostom: He says, concerning the young Child, not the King; he envied Him the royal title.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: To induce them to do this, he assumed an appearance of devotion, beneath which he sharpened the sword, hiding the malice of his heart under the guise of humility. Such is the way of the malicious: when they wish to hurt someone secretly, they feign meekness and affection.

St. Gregory the Great: He feigned a desire to worship Him only so that he might discover Him and put Him to death.²

Remigius of Auxerre: The Magi obeyed the king enough to seek the Lord, but not enough to return to Herod. In this, they are like good hearers, who do the good they hear from wicked preachers but do not imitate their evil lives.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: This passage shows that when the star had brought the Magi near Jerusalem, it was hidden from them. Consequently, they were compelled to ask in Jerusalem where Christ was to be born, and in this way, He was revealed to the Jews.

This was for two reasons. First, to put the Jews to shame, since the Gentiles, instructed only by the sight of a star, sought Christ through foreign lands, while the Jews, who had read the Prophets from their youth, did not receive Him, though He was born in their own country.

Second, so that the priests, when asked where Christ was to be born, would answer in a way that led to their own condemnation; for while they instructed Herod, they themselves were ignorant of Him.

The star went before them, to show them the greatness of the King.

St. Augustine of Hippo: To perform its proper service to the Lord, it advanced slowly, leading them to the exact spot. It was ministering to Him, not ruling His fate. Its light revealed the worshipers, filled the inn, and shone over the walls and roof that covered the place of His birth; and then it disappeared.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: What wonder is it that a divine star should minister to the Sun of Righteousness who was about to rise? It stood over the Child's head, as if to say, "This is He," proving by its position what it had no voice to declare.

Glossa Ordinaria: It is evident that the star must have been in the air and close above the house where the Child was; otherwise, it would not have been able to point out the exact house.¹

St. Ambrose of Milan: The star is the way, and the way is Christ. According to the mystery of the incarnation, Christ is a star. He is a blazing and a morning star. Thus, where Herod is, the star is not seen; but where Christ is, there it is seen again, and it points out the way.²

Remigius of Auxerre: Alternatively, the star represents the grace of God, and Herod represents the devil. Whoever, by sinning, places himself in the devil's power, loses that grace. But if he returns through repentance, he soon finds that grace again, which does not leave him until it has brought him to the young Child's house—that is, the Church.

Glossa Ordinaria: Alternatively, the star is the illumination of faith, which leads a person to the nearest source of help. When the Magi turn aside to the Jews, they lose it. In the same way, those who seek counsel from the wicked lose the true light.³

Glossa Ordinaria: This service of the star is followed by the rejoicing of the Magi.

Remigius of Auxerre: And it was not enough to say, "They rejoiced," but "they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: They rejoiced because their hopes were not proven false but were confirmed, and because the toil of such a great journey had not been undertaken in vain.

Glossa Ordinaria: A person truly rejoices who rejoices on account of God, who is true joy. "With great joy," he says, for they had great cause.¹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: By the mystery of this star they understood that the dignity of the King then born exceeded the measure of all worldly kings.

Remigius of Auxerre: He adds "exceeding," showing that people rejoice more over recovering what they had lost than over what they have always possessed.

St. Leo the Great: Though a babe in stature, needing the help of others, unable to speak, and in no way different from other infants, these faithful witnesses, by showing the unseen Divine Majesty within Him, should have proven with absolute certainty that it was the Eternal Essence of the Son of God who had taken on true human nature.²

Pseudo-Chrysostom: "Mary His mother" was not crowned with a diadem or lying on a golden couch, but had barely one garment—not for ornament but for covering—and one such as the wife of a carpenter might have while traveling. Therefore, if they had come seeking an earthly king, they would have been more confounded than overjoyed, considering their efforts wasted.

But they were looking for a heavenly King. Therefore, even though they saw nothing of royal splendor, the testimony of the star was enough for them. Their eyes rejoiced to see a humble child, and the Spirit revealed Him to their hearts in all His wonderful power. They fell down and worshiped; seeing the man, they acknowledged the God.

Rabanus Maurus: Joseph was absent by divine command, so that no wrong suspicions might arise among the Gentiles.

Glossa Ordinaria: In these offerings, we observe their national customs, as gold, frankincense, and various spices are abundant among the Arabians. Yet, they also intended these gifts to signify something mysterious.³

St. Gregory the Great: Gold, as for a King; frankincense, as a sacrifice to God; myrrh, as for embalming the body of the dead.⁴

St. Augustine of Hippo: Gold, as paid to a mighty King; frankincense, as offered to God; myrrh, as for one who is to die for the sins of all.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: And even if it was not understood at the time what these individual gifts mystically signified, that presents no difficulty. The same grace that prompted them to the act also ordained the entire event.

Remigius of Auxerre: And it should be understood that they did not each offer a different gift. Rather, each of the Magi offered all three gifts, thereby proclaiming Him as King, God, and man.

St. John Chrysostom: Let Marcion and Paul of Samosata then be ashamed, who will not see what the Magi saw—those forerunners of the Church adoring God in the flesh. That He was truly in the flesh is proven by the swaddling clothes and the manger. Yet the gifts, which were fitting to offer to a God, prove that they did not worship Him as a mere man, but as God. Let the Jews also be ashamed, seeing the Magi come before them, while they themselves are not even eager to follow in their path.

St. Gregory the Great: Something more may be meant here. Wisdom is typified by gold, as Solomon says in the Proverbs, A treasure to be desired is in the mouth of the wise.

By frankincense, which is burned before God, the power of prayer is signified, as in the Psalms: Let my speech come before you as incense (Psalm 141:2). Myrrh, in turn, represents the mortification of the flesh. Therefore, we offer gold to a king at his birth if we shine in his sight with the light of wisdom. We offer frankincense if we have influence before God through the sweet aroma of our prayers. And we offer myrrh when we mortify the lusts of the flesh through abstinence.

Glossa Ordinaria: The three men who make the offering signify the nations who come from the three corners of the earth. They open their treasures—that is, they manifest the faith of their hearts through confession. It is rightly said they did this "in the house," teaching us that we should not boastfully display the treasure of a good conscience. They bring "three" gifts, signifying faith in the Holy Trinity. Alternatively, by opening the storehouses of Scripture, they offer its threefold meaning: historical, moral, and allegorical; or Logic, Physics, and Ethics, making them all serve the faith.⁵