1.
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From the east. They use the word for
“Branch”, thus hinting at O.T. prophecies known to them?: Is. 60:2;
Zech 3:8; 6:12; Jer.23:5; and see on v. 23.
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To Jerusalem. Remarkably, Mt. uses the Gk. (Gentile)
form of the name.
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2.
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Born King of the Jews. They are confident that he is
born. But where? Herod is called “king of Judaea” (Lk. 1:5), but not
“King of the Jews”.
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His star. Num. 24:17 was well-known. It almost
certainly accounts for the name taken on by the great rebel Bar-Cochba in
A.D. 132-5.
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3.
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He was troubled. There was an eclipse of the moon (on
March 13, B.C. 4) shortly before Herod died (Jos.Ant.17.6.4). This chronological
detail points fairly strongly to Sept. B.C.6. as the date of the birth of Jesus.
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And all Jerusalem with him, because of Herod’s
uncontrollably suspicious mania in his last years. The use of meta here
makes a neat distinction between Herod’s alarm and that of the
people.
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4.
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Demanded. Gk. imperfect; contrast the aorist in v.
7.
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The Christ, defined by v.2. But today the churches
ignore this plain meaning.
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5.
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Bethlehem; cp. Jn. 7:42. But in v. 27, a different
opinion on Messianic prophecy.
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7.
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Appeared. Gk: phaino, almost invariably
describes the glory of the Lord; e.g. 24:30; Mk. 16:9; Lk. 9:8; Rev. 1:16.So
also nogah in ls.60: 3; cp. Ps 18:12; Is.4:5; Ez. 1:4,13,27,28;
Hab.3:4.
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11.
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The house . . . the young child. These phrases show how
gross is the common error which has the wise men worshipping Jesus in his
manger. The Gk. word implies a toddler; contrast Id. 2:12: “babe”.
Worshipped him, not “her” or “them”, as Catholic
practice might suggest. But this is by no means the only place in Matthew where
the worship of Jesus is mentioned with approval: 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 18:26;
20:20; 28:9,17.
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Presented, a word which normally describes the offering
of sacrifice.
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Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. An alternative meaning
to that already suggested: king, priest, and sacrifice (Ps. 72:15; Lev. 24:7;
Jn. 19:39). There is no essential difference.
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12.
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Warned of God. The word might suggest an answer to the
prayer of men made suspicious and uneasy by Herod’s eager enquiries and
his known character. They were wise men, not fools.
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Return. Literally: bend back. Return to Jerusalem,
although ensuring a royal reward, would mean a detour.
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13.
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Herod. . . destroy him. It was soon after this that
Herod had his own firstborn put to death; Jos. Ant. 17 7 1-cp Ex. 4:22,23. 16.
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Slew all the children. One of the ridiculous legends
which the church came to revel in makes the number 14,000.
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20.
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The end of this verse quotes Ex. 4:19 LXX, the point being,
apparently, that just as Moses, so also Messiah must be with the people he is to
save.
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21.
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Verse 20 is repeated a most verbatim—to indicate how
intent Joseph was on exact fulfilment of divine instructions?
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22.
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Turned aside. Again, the word which so often means
“fled”.
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23.
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Nazareth. Rather remarkably, the other name for Galilee
- Genneseret - means land of Nazareth.
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