14 Then Herod, when he ſaw that he was mocked of the wiſe men, was exceeding wroth,and ſent forth, and {ſew all th? children which were iti Bethlehem, 1nd in all che coalts thereof, from rwo years old and nder.according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wile men.
Herod now expounds what he meant by his Coming and Wor- binning ChriSt alſ?, which he talked of v. 8. When he ſaw that he 4 ncked, &c. really mocked by their coming no more to him z "or that chey uſed any mocking Language, or deſigned by their ations to deceive him bur probably inrended ro have gone Mick according to his Defire, bur thar they were otherwiſe ad- monithed by God in a Dream.[| He was exceeding wroth ; | as great Perſons uſe to be when they ſee any grear Deſ1zn they have, fru- ſtrared by their Inferiors, Cont ſent forth and ſl-w all the Children in Bethlehem, and in th? coaſts therenf, from two years old and un- 1:r. 1] he ſent forth Soldiers or Executioners, and ſſzw ail the Chil- %en, There is a Tradicion, that amongſt chem he flew his own S$1n; and chat Auguſt: Ceſar hearing ir, ſhould fay, It was bet- or 1 be Herod's Hog , than his Child; becauſe the Fews will eat no Swines fleſh. Others ſay this is but a Fable, tor his Son died very few days before humſelt. [From two years old and under. | If we take rhefe words as they ſeem ro found, they would incline us to think chat Chriit was near two years old before the Wiſe Men came : but ſome very learned Men think they came within a vcar, or lictle more ; and that che cerm we tranſlate ro ye.zrs old, {onifierh Perſons thar had never fo little entred upon the fecond vear of their Age: So as if a Child were bur a year and a week old, he was properly enough called He:755, one of two years old; thar is, who had began his ſecond year. Hence they think thar the Star appeared fome !ittte matter above a year before they came to Bethlehem ; and confidering at how great diſtance ſome parts in Arabia were from Fervſalem, they think that a year might well be ran out in their Deliberations avout, and Prepirations for, and Diſpatch cf their Journey. Thus they interprer rhe next words, | according to the time he had diligently enquired of the i;/e Men, ] that they had rold him, that it was ſomething above a year ſince the Star appeared firſt, This is now a middle way, berwixt choſe who (very improbably) rhink that they came with- inthirreen days; too ſhort a time, dcubrleſs, for ſuch a Journey; and thoſe thar think they came nor till near cio years, which wo fome ſeemeth as much too long: I leave it ro the Reader's judgment.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was ſpoken by Jeremy the Prophet, ſaying ,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard , lamenta- tion and weeping, and great mourning , Rachel weeping for her children , and would nor be com- forted, becauſe they are not.
The Text quoted, is Fer. 31. 15. This Prophecy was literally
fulklled when Fudah was carried into Captivity : There was then a great Mourning in the Tribes of Benjamin and Fudah for their Children rhar were ſlain and carried nto Captivity : Ir was now fulfilled, that is, verified a ſecond time. There ts no need thar Rama here ſhould be taken Apellatively, as it ſignifteth an Hig Place, trom whence a noiſe is moſt loudiy,and doletully heard. There were ſeveral Places 1o named , one near Bethlehem , ( for- merly called Ephrah) Gen. 35.16,19. Jud.4. 5. 4 City in the Lor of Benjamin, 7oſ. 18. 22. The ſlaughter was in Bethlehem and the Coaſts thereot; the noiſe reached ro Rama, which was clole by : both Benjamin and Zudah made up the one Kingdom of 7udah. Rache! was the Mother of Benjamin, a Woman paſſionately defi- rous of Chijdren, therefore the fitreſt Perſon ro have her Name uſed , to expreſs the Sorrow of all choſe Mothers who had loſt their Children in this ſlaughter. The ſlaughter of cheſe Children cauſed a Jamentable Mourning by tender Morhers throughour Benjamin and Fudah , ſuch as the tormer Captivity cauſed ro be mentioned, 7er. 31. 15. |
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joſeph in Egypt, ' 20 Saying, Ariſe, and take the young child, and his mother, and go into the land of Lirael ; for they are dead who ſought the young child's Life.
That is, as ſome ſay, within three or four Months, ( for Herod they ſay, no longer cur-lived chis blood Act) and it we may
+ believe Hiſtorians, he was in his Death made a dreadful Exam-
ple of Divine Vengeance ; bur we cannot aſſert the juſt time how long he out-lived this bloedy A&. When he was dead , God, ho had promiſed 7oſeph, v. 13. to cel! him by an Angel (as be- tore ) ler Joſeph know he might ſafely rerurn. Tc is probable this
: Apparition was nor immediately upon the Death ot Herod, for
Arcizlaus was reigning, ( who muit be allowed ſome time to go t Rome, and t: have this Dignity conterred on him,,) bur ſoon after he was acai, this Appurition was, with a Command to him,
2 return jnco th2 Land of Jyrael; ro which he ſoon yieldeth
Yar! >> IE lice,
21 And he aroſe, and took the young child and his mother. and came into the land of Iſrael.
22 Bur when he heard rhar Archelavs did reign mM Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was airaid to 20 thither: Notwithſtanding being warned
' Uod ina dream, he turned afide into the parts of
ate ill ee,
Po” true King of the Jews being born, the fingular Provi- "Wis fer 5 COR ir, that chere Were no more conſtirured mages urs0 Fudea, under the Tile of Kings, tho' they are faid
"OO the Tetrarchs in their Provinces exerciſed a
T HE WV. Regal Power ; For tho' Archelaus was by his Father's Will decla- red his Succellor in the Kingdom, yer the Emperor and Senate of Rome was to confirm him, who made 4rchelaus Terrarch of Fudea
as appears by this Chapter. . Antipas, another cf his Sons called alſo by his Father's Name, Tetrarch of Galilee. Philip, another of his Sons, Terrarch of 1turea ;, and Lyſanias, Terrarch of Abylene ; and fer a Governour over Fudea, which was Pontius Pilate, as 2p peareth by Luk. 3.1. Of all the Sons of Herod, Archolars is ſaid to be of the moſt fierce and bloody Diſpofirion, which made Frſeph afraid to go thirher. His Brother Herod Antipas is reported of a much milder Diſpoſition, and more unaRtive Temper ; to F.{*ph, not withour the Dire&ion of God, goeth into his own Province.
which was Galilee.