John Gill Commentary Matthew 2

Now when Jesus was born
Several things are here related respecting the birth of Christ, as the place where he was born,

in Bethlehem of Judea ;
so called to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zabulon, (Joshua 19:15) . Here Christ was to be born according to a prophecy hereafter mentioned, and accordingly the Jews expected he would be born here, (Matthew 2:4–6) (John 7:41John 7:42) and so Jesus was born here, (2:4-7) and this the Jews themselves acknowledge;

``Such a year, says a noted ^F12 chronologer of theirs, Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem Juda, which is a "parsa" and a half, i.e. six miles, from Jerusalem.'' Benjamin ^F13 Tudelensis says it is two parsas, i.e. eight miles, from it; and according to Justin Martyr ^F14 it was thirty five furlongs distant from it. Yes, even they own this, that Jesus was born there, in that vile and blasphemous book ^F15 of theirs, written on purpose to defame him;

nay, even the ancient Jews have owned that the Messiah is already born, and that he was born at Bethlehem; as appears from their Talmud ^F16 , where we meet with such a passage. ``It happened to a certain Jew, that as he was ploughing, one of his oxen bellowed; a certain Arabian passed by and heard it, who said, O Jew, Jew, loose your oxen, and loose your ploughshare, for lo, the house of the sanctuary is destroyed: it bellowed a second time; he said to him, O Jew, Jew, bind your oxen, and bind your ploughshare, for lo (axyvm aklm dyly) "the king Messiah is born". He said to him, what is his name? Menachem (the comforter); he asked again, what is his father's name? Hezekiah; once more he says, from where is he? He replies (hdwhy Mxltyb aklm tryb Nm) "from the palace of the king of Bethlehem Judah"; he went and sold his oxen and his ploughshares, and became a seller of swaddling clothes for infants; and he went from city to city till he came to that city, (Bethlehem,) and all the women bought of him, but the mother of Menachem bought nothing.'' Afterwards they tell you, he was snatched away by winds and tempests. This story is told in much the same manner in another ^F17 of their writings.

Bethlehem signifies "the house of bread", and in it was born, as an ancient writer ^F18 observes, the bread which comes down from heaven: and it may also signify "the house of flesh", and to it the allusion may be in (1 Timothy 3:16) "God manifest in the flesh".

The time of Christ's birth is here expressed,

in the days of Herod the king .
This was Herod the great, the first of that name: the Jewish chronologer ^F19 gives an account of him in the following manner.

``Herod the first, called Herod the Ascalonite, was the son of Antipater, a friend of king Hyrcanus and his deputy; him the senate of Rome made king in the room of Hyrcanus his master. This Herod whilst he was a servant of king Hyrcanus (so in the ^F20 Talmud Herod is said to be ( anwmvx tybd adbe) a servant of the family of the Asmonaeans) king Hyrcanus saved from death, to which he was sentenced by the sanhedrim of Shammai; that they might not slay him for the murder of one Hezekiah, as is related by Josephus, l. 6. c. 44. and Herod took to him for wife Miriam, the daughter of Alexander the son of Aristobulus, who was the daughter's daughter of king Hyrcanus.''

This writer tacitly owns afterwards ^F21 that Jesus was born in the days of this king; for he says, that in the days of Hillell and Shammai (who lived in those times) there was one of their disciples, who was called R. Joshua ben Perachiah, and he was, adds he, (yruwnh) (wbr) "the master of the Nazarene", or of Jesus of Nazareth.

Herod reigned, as this same author observes, thirty seven years; and according to Dr. Lightfoot's calculation, Christ was born in the thirty fifth year of his reign, and in the thirty first of Augustus Caesar, and in the year of the world three thousand nine hundred and twenty eight, and the month Tisri, which answers to part of our September, about the feast of tabernacles; which indeed was typical of Christ's incarnation, and then it may reasonably be thought that "the word was made flesh", and (eskhnwsen) "tabernacled among us", (John 1:14) .

Another circumstance relating to the birth of Christ is, that

when Jesus was born--behold, there came wise men from the East to
Jerusalem ;
these wise men in the Greek text are called (magoi) , "Magi", a word which is always used in a bad sense in the sacred writings; hence they are thought by some to be magicians, sorcerers, wizards, such as Simon Magus, (Acts 8:9) and Elymas, (Acts 13:8) and so the Jewish writers ^F23 interpret the word (vwgm) a wizard, an enchanter, a blasphemer of God, and one that entices others to idolatry; and in the Hebrew Gospel of Munster these men are called (Mypvkm) "wizards". Some have thought this to be their national name. Epiphanius ^F24 supposes that these men were of the posterity of Abraham by Keturah, who inhabited a country in some part of Arabia, called Magodia: but could this be thought to be the name of their country, one might rather be induced to suppose that they were of the (magoi) , "Magi", a nation of the Medes mentioned by Herodotus ^F25 ; since both the name and country better agree with these persons; but the word seems to be rather a name of character and office, and to design the wise men, and priests of the Persians.

An Eastern ^F26 writer says the word is of Persic original, and is compounded of two words, "Mije Gush", which signifies "a man with short ears"; for such was the first founder of the sect, and from whom they were so called. But in the Arabic Persic Nomenclator ^F1 it is rendered "a worshipper of fire", and such the Persian priests were; and to this agrees what Apuleius ^F2 says, that "Magus", in the Persian language, is the same as "priest" with us: and Xenophon ^F3 says, that the Magi were first appointed by Cyrus, to sing hymns to the gods, as soon as it was day, and to sacrifice to them.

The account given of them by Porphyry ^F4 is, that

``among the Persians they that were wise concerning God, and worshipped him, were called (magoi) , "Magi", for so "Magus" signifies in their country dialect; and so august and venerable were this sort of men accounted with the Persians, that Darius, the son of Hystaspis, ordered this, among other things, to be inscribed on his monument, that he was the master of the Magi.''

From where we may learn in some measure who these men were, and why the word is by our translators rendered "wise men"; since the Magi, as Cicero ^F5 says, were reckoned a sort of wise men, and doctors among the Persians: who further observes, that no man could be a king of the Persians before he understood the discipline and knowledge of the Magi:

and the wisdom of the Persian Magi, as Aelianus ^F6 writes, among other things, lay in foretelling things to come. These came

from the east ,
not from Chaldea, as some have thought, led hereunto by the multitude of astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers, which were among that people; see (Daniel 2:2Daniel 2:10Daniel 2:27) (4:7) for Chaldea was not east, but north of Judea, as appears from (Jeremiah 1:14Jeremiah 1:15) (4:6) (Jeremiah 6:22) (10:22) (25:9) . Others have thought they came from Arabia, and particularly Sheba, induced hereunto by (Psalms 72:10Psalms 72:15) . But though some part of Arabia lay east, yet Sheba was south of the land of Israel, as is evident from the queen of that place being called the "queen of the south", (Matthew 12:42) . The more generally received opinion seems to be most right, that they came from Persia, which as it lies east of Judea, so was famous for this sort of men, and besides the name, as has been seen, is of Persic original.

The place where they came was Jerusalem, the "metropolis" of Judea, where they might suppose the king of the Jews was born, or where, at least, they might persuade themselves they should hear of him; since here Herod the king lived, to whom it seems they applied themselves to in the first place. The time of their coming was, "when Jesus was born"; not as soon as he was born, or on the "thirteenth" day after his birth, the sixth of January, as it stands in our Calendar; or within the forty days before Mary's Purification; since this space of time does not seem to be sufficient for so long a journey, and which must require a considerable preparation for it; nor is it probable if they came so soon as this, that after such a stir at Jerusalem, after Herod's diligent search and inquiry concerning this matter, and his wrath and anger at being disappointed and deluded by the wise men, that Joseph and Mary should so soon bring the child into the temple, where, it was declared to be the Messiah by Simeon and Anna. Besides, immediately after the departure of the wise men, Joseph with his wife and child were ordered into Egypt, which could not be done before Mary's Purification. But rather this their coming was near upon two years after the birth of Christ; since it is afterwards observed, that "Herod sent 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 inquired of the wise men", (Matthew 2:16) . This was the opinion of Epiphanius ^F7 formerly, and is embraced by Dr. Lightfoot ^F8 , to whom I refer the reader for further proof of this matter.

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: R. David Ganz. Zemach David, pars 2. fol. 14. 2.
• F13: Itinerarium, p. 48.
• F14: Apolog. 2. p. 75.
• F15: Toldos, p. 7.
• F16: Hieros. Beracot. fol. 5. 1.
• F17: Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 1.
• F18: Hieron. Epitaph. Paulae. fol. 59. E. Tom. 1.
• F19: R. David Ganz. Zemach David, pars 1. fol. 24. 1.
• F20: T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 3. 2. Juchasin. fol. 17. 1. & 18. 1. & Seder Olam Zuta, p. 111.
• F21: Ib. col. 2.
• F23: T. Bab. Sabbat. fol. 75. 1. Gloss. in ib. & Sota, fol. 22. 1. & Sanhedrim, fol. 39. 1.
• F24: Contr. Haeres. l. 3. Haeres. 30.
• F25: Clio sive l. 1. c. 101.
• F26: Alfiranzabadius in Pocock. Specim. Hist. Arab. p. 146.
• F1: In Ibid.
• F2: Apolog. p. 204.
• F3: Cyropaedia, l. 8. sect. 6.
• F4: De Abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 16.
• F5: De Divinatione, l. i.
• F6: Hist. Var. l. 2. c. 17.
• F7: Contr. Haeres. l. 1. Haeres. 30. and l. 2. Haeres. 51.
• F8: Harmony, Vol. I. p. 205, 432

Saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews?
&c.] These words were spoken to the Jews, or rather to Herod the king, or his ministers and courtiers, or to each of them, as the wise men had the opportunity of speaking to them; who make no scruple of his being born, of this they were fully assured; nor did they in the least hesitate about his being king of the Jews, who was born; but only inquire where he was, in what city, town, village, house, or family. The reason of their asking this question is,

for we have seen his star in the east .
By the star they saw, some understand an angel, which is not likely. The learned Lightfoot ^F9 is of opinion that it was the light or glory of the Lord, which shone about the shepherds, when the angel brought them the news of Christ's birth, and which at so great a distance appeared as a star to these wise men; others, that it was a comet, such as has been thought to portend the birth or death of some illustrious person: but it seems to be properly a star, a new and an unusual one, such as had never been seen, nor observed before; and is called his star, the star of the king born, because it appeared on his account, and was the sign of his birth, who is "the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star", (Revelation 22:16) . This they saw "in the east"; not in the eastern part of the heavens, but they saw it when they were in the east, that is, in their own country; and according to the best observations they were able to make, it was in that part of the heavens right over the land of Judea; from which they concluded that the king of the Jews was born; but the question is how they should hereby know and be assured that such a person was born?

To this it maybe replied, that there is a prophecy of Balaam's which is thus expressed, "there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel", (Numbers 24:17) which is owned by some Jewish writers ^F11 to be a prophecy of the Messiah; though the star there mentioned is considered by them as one of the Messiah's titles; hence one who set up himself, and for a while was by some received as the Messiah, was called by them (abkwk rb) "the son of a star"; but when he was discovered to be an impostor, they called him (abyzwk rb) "the son of a lie": but I rather take it to be a sign of the Messiah's coming, and the meaning is, when a star shall (Krd) "walk" or steer its course from Jacob, or above, or over the land of Israel, then a sceptre, or sceptre bearer, that is, a king, shall rise out of Israel. Now this prophecy of Balaam, who lived in the east, might be traditionally handed down to this time, and be well known by these men; and who, observing such a star appear over the land of Judea, might conclude that now the sceptre bearer or king was born ^F12 .

Besides, Zerdusht or Zoroastres, the author of the sect of the Magi or wise men, and who appears to be a Jew by birth, and to be acquainted with the writings of the Old Testament, and with this prophecy, spoke of the birth of Christ to his followers; and told them when he should be born, a star would appear, and shine in the day, and ordered them to go where that directed, and offer gifts, and worship him. An Eastern writer, who affirms ^F13 what I have now mentioned, relates ^F14 the following speech as spoke by the wise men to Herod, when in conversation with him, about this matter:

``A certain person, say they, of great note with us, in a book which he composed, warned us in it, mentioning these things; a child that shall descend from heaven, will be born in Palestine, whom the greatest part of the world shall serve, and the sign of his appearance shall be this; you shall see a strange star, which shall direct you where he is; when you shall see this, take gold, myrrh and frankincense, and go and offer them to him, and worship him, and then return, lest a great calamity befall you. Now the star has appeared to us, and we are come to perform what was commanded us.'' If this be true, we are not at a loss how they come by their knowledge, nor for a reason of their conduct.

That the Jews have expected that a star should appear at the time of the Messiah's coming, is certain, from some passages in a book of theirs of great value and esteem among them, in which are the following things: in one place it is said ^F15 ``The king Messiah shall be revealed in the land of Galilee, and lo a star in the east shall swallow up seven stars in the north, and a flame of red fire shall be in the firmament six days;'' and in another place, <sup>F16</sup> ``When the Messiah shall be revealed, there shall rise up in the east a certain Star, flaming with all sorts of colours--and all men shall see it:'' once more it is affirmed as a tradition ^F17 that ``The holy blessed God has determined to build Jerusalem, and to make a certain (fixed) star appear sparkling with seven blazing tails showing from it in the midst of the firmament--and then shall the king Messiah be revealed in all the world.'' Now this expectation of the appearing of such a star at the coming of the Messiah takes its rise from and is founded upon the above mentioned prophecy.

It is said ^F18 that Seth the son of Adam gave out a prophecy, that a star should appear at the birth of the Messiah; and that a star did appear at the birth of Christ is certain from the testimony of the Evangelist, and seems to have some confirmation from the writings of the Heathens themselves. Some have thought that the star which Virgil speaks of, and calls ^F19 "Caesaris Astrum", "Caesar's star", is this very star, which he in complaisance to that monarch ascribes to him.

If the testimony of Chalcidius, a Platonic philosopher, taken notice of by many learned men, is genuine, and he not a Christian, ^F21 it is much to the purpose, and is as follows: ``There is also a more venerable and sacred history, which speaks of the rising of a certain unusual star; not foretelling diseases and deaths, but the descent of a venerable God, born for the sake of human conversation, and the affairs of mortals; which star truly, when the wise men of the Chaldeans saw in their journey by night, and being very expert in the consideration of celestial things, are said to inquire after the birth of the new Deity, and having found the infant majesty, to worship him, and pay their vows worthy of such a God.'' The end proposed by them in taking such a journey is expressed,

and are come to worship him ;
that is, either to pay adoration to him as God, of which they might be convinced by the extraordinary appearance of the star, or be assured of by divine revelation or rather to give him civil homage and respect, as an illustrious person, as being king of the Jews.

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: Harmony, p. 205, 437, 438, Vol. I. Hor. Heb. p. 109. Vol. II.
• F11: Targum Onk. Jon. & Aben Ezra in loc. Zohar. in Exod. fol. 4. 1. Abarbinel Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 4. 3. Tzeror Hamor, fol. 126. 3.
• F12: See my book of the "Prophecies of the Messiah", c. 7. p. 119
• F13: Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 54.
• F14: lb. p. 70.
• F15: Zohar. in Gen. fol. 74. 3.
• F16: Zohar. in Exod. fol. 3. 3, 4.
• F17: lb. in Numb. fol 85. 4. and 86. 1.
• F18: Vid. Wolf. Bibl. Heb. p. 1156.
• F19: Eclog. 9. v. 47.
• F20: Pliny Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 25. makes mention ``of a bright comet with a silver beard, which was so refulgent that it could scarce be looked upon, showing in itself the effigies of God in human form.''
• F21: Vid. Fabricii Bibliothec. Latin. p. 142-146.

When Herod the king had heard these things
That is, the report made by the wise men of the appearance of an unusual star, and of the birth of the king of the Jews, which they affirmed with all certainty, without any hesitation,

he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him .
Herod was troubled, his mind was disturbed and made uneasy, fearing he should be deposed, and lose his kingdom, to which he knew he had no just right and claim, being a foreigner; and "all Jerusalem", i.e. all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who heard of this, were also troubled, and showed a concern at it with him; either feignedly, as knowing his jealousy, suspicion and cruelty; or in reality, because of tumults, commotions and wars, they might fear would arise upon this, having lost the true notion of the Messiah, as a spiritual king, saviour and redeemer. And hereby was fulfilled, in part, the famous prophecy in (Genesis 49:10) according to the sense of one ^F23 of the Targumists on it, who paraphrases it after this manner;``Kings and governors shall not cease from the house of Judah, nor scribes, who teach the law, from his seed, until the time that the king Messiah, the least of his sons, comes, "and because of him", (aymme Nwomyty) , "the people shall melt."'' that is, they shall be distressed and troubled, their hearts shall melt like wax within them; which was their present case, though perhaps the paraphrast may design the Gentiles.

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: Jonathan ben Uzziel in loc.

And when he has gathered all the chief priests
Here we have an account of Herod's conduct at this juncture; he calls a council, assembles the sanhedrim, gathers together the more learned persons in the city to consult with them upon this matter,

the chief priests ,
all of which he gathered together, and which seem to be many; and were not only the then present high priest and his substitutes, but all the principal persons of the priesthood, who were chosen from the rest, into the great sanhedrim, or council: and by

the scribes of the people
are meant a sort of letter learned men, whose business it was to keep and write out copies of the law, and other things, for "the people"; they were the fathers of the traditions, and interpreters of the law to them; and therefore are called "the scribes of the people": as well also, because they were chosen from among the people, from any other tribe, and not from the tribe of Levi, from whom the priests were; so that one seems to design the "clergy", and the other the laity, in this assembly. The Septuagint render (Myrjwv) "the officers of the people", by this same word the scribes, and scribes of the people, in (Numbers 11:16) (Deuteronomy 20:5Deuteronomy 20:8Deuteronomy 20:9) (Joshua 1:10) (3:2) (8:33) (23:2) (24:1) . The learned Dr. Lightfoot ^F24 conjectures, that the persons of note, who were present at this time, were Hillell the president of the council, Shammai the vice president, the sons of Betira, Judah and Joshua, Bava ben Buta, Jonathan ben Uzziel, the Chaldee paraphrast, and Simeon the son of Hillell.

He demanded of them ,
or asked them with authority, as the chief captain did, (Acts 21:33) "where Christ", (o cristov) , the Christ, the Messiah

should be born?
that is, where was the place of his birth as fixed in their prophecies, where, accordingly, they believed and expected he would be born. Herod's pretence, no doubt, in putting this question was, that he might be able to satisfy the wise men of the East about this matter; though the true reason within himself was, that he might know where this new born king was, in order to destroy him.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Vol. II. p. 111.

And they said unto him
They answer without any hesitation, it being a generally received notion, and a thing well known among them,

in Bethlehem of Judea ;
and give their reason for it; for

thus it is written by the prophet ,
that is, the prophet Micah, in whose prophecy, (Micah 5:2) it stands, and is as follows: