Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 2:10-11

"And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." — Matthew 2:10-11 (ASV)

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

1. ord.
2. Serm. in Epiph., 4. 3
3. Anselm
4. Hom. in Evan., 1, 106
5. Anselm