/3,1 and the Aldine reprint of Erasmus' first edition.2 Others combine both readings thus, 1% ao\j TAP MOI sfyl.evffirai — FOR from thee shall go forth FOR ME.3 The pronoun MOI (to, or /or, ME) evidently represents God the Father, speaking of Christ as His Son. — See Luke i. 32, and Cf., ver. 13. But the conjunction yap (for or because) points out the birthplace of Christ more significantly. The word ytwarai, shall be born (nascetur), which occurs in ver. 4, is synonymous with the e^iXfJffzrai, shall go forth, of the present passage. The &W of the Hebrew ; the derivative of which n&«n» (rendered by the LXX., sgoSo/, goings forth) ought also to be understood of birth or generation, and that from everlasting : Cf. K¥iO in Job xxxviii. 27, and Numbers xxx. 13. The LXX. render more than once by rixva, children. — tf-ydifuns otris prince who shall shepherd) In 1 Chron. xi. 2, concerning David, the LXX. have ffu votfjt,avt?g rbv Xaov Mou, rbv 'iffpaqX' xai c-j tffrj sig fiyovftevov e<irl rbv Aceo'i/ Moo rbv 'iffpafo., thou shalt shepherd My people Israel, and thou shalt be for a prince over My people Israel. Concerning the expression to shepherd, see Ps. Ixxviii. 71, 72. It is indeed a word worthy the kingly office, and at the same time according with the pastoral youth of David at Bethlehem. By the word voipavt? (He shall shepherd} the evangelist in cludes also and condenses the third [fourth] verse of the chapter of Micah already cited, where the LXX. have the same expres sion. — rbv >MOV Mov, MY people) which corresponds with the expression in Micah, Mo/ e%s*-'suffBTai> shall go forth for ME, i.e., GOD. — rbv 'lapaiik, Israel) The article is added to the name of a man, when put for that of a people. Israel, i.e., all the tribes of Israel. In the subsequent narrative no further mention occurs of Bethlehem, so that it may be doubted whether our Lord ever returned thither.
7. Ao&pa, privily) lest anything should transpire. This argues insidious designs on the part of Herod. — rixplfiuffe, enquired dili-
1 A MS. in the Basle Library, entitled there B. vi. 25 ; but designated as /3 by Beugel, for the sake of convenience. — See App. Crit., p. 90. — (I. B.)
2 See Tregelles on the printed text of the Greek New Testament, pp. 19-26.— (I. B.)
* The only very ancient authority for yap pot i*&. is C. Theodoret and the Armen. Vers. follow it; but Z (and probably B) and D, and Vulg. omit pot. — ED.
128 ST MATTHEW II. 8, ft.
gently) even to the smallest particle of time. Hence we perceive the craft of Herod,1 and the simplicity of the Magi. — pa/vo/zivov, appearing) The Present Tense. Herod enquired the time at which the star which was now visible, had first become so.2
S.'E^srdffan ax, pi (3 &$, enquire diligently} others read dxp//3£s s^srd- ffcm,3 diligently enquire.4 The variation is of no consequence, especially as it occurs in the words of Herod. Let us pass by such things without comment. The same phrase occurs in the Septuagint Version of Deut. xix. 18 [wrhere we read " xa/ i^rd- oi xptrai axpi(3us" " and the judges shall enquire diligently."] &, but if)5 The use of the particle gives an antithetical force to the succeeding words. — See Luke xi. 22, 34. Herod did not accept the intelligence of the Magi as true, though he considered it as possible ; it is not, therefore, to be wondered at that he did not immediately go with them to worship.
9. O/ di axovffavn-s, rou (3a,ffiXsu$, But when they had heard the king) The king ought rather to have heard and assisted them. The Magi, however, obtained the answer which they desired.6 — xai ido-j o asTYtf, x.r.X, and, lo, the star, etc.) Dui'ing the whole of their journey, they had not seen the star. — IA^WV, having come) It may be conjectured, from the use of this verb, that the star