The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 48

Revised Version; 1!...-&rra,-, lucp,/36ir ..-,pL transle.tore in this cneo follO\ved the text of Herod bade them mllke precise inquiry I\B the Oomplutensian (1514) 1md of Colinmus' to all particulRrs Rbout the Child. The edition (1534), rejecting the false elipov of the more deteils ho could obtain, the more easily Vulge.te and the lkcoirnd Text. The young he could make away wUh him. And when Child with Mary his mother, and fell down, ye have found him, bring me word again, and worshipped him (ver. 2, note). In this that I may oome and worship him also ; the latter clause Mary is not mentioned. And Revised Version rightly joins, I also-I e.s when they had opened. Neither the Autho- well as you; I the king. It might well be rized Version nor the Revised Version brings at e. secret conference with the ll'Iagi that out the exact corrch1tion of the six aorists Herod said this, for no Jew would have in this verse. Their treasures (so the Re- believed him. Worship; Ter. 2, note. vised Version); perhaps-, more strictly, trea- Ver. 9.-When they had heard the king. suries, coffers. '!'here is the Mme ambignity There is a slight contrast in the Greek, but a.bout "tree.sure" in old English (cf. Jer. they Uor their part] luwi1UJ heard the king. x. 13 ; Ii. 16; Eoclus. xliii. H) as in the They departed ; irent their u,ay (Revised Greek. They presented unto him gifts. Thus Version). Took their journey (l..-opn/911- fulfilling in germ the predictions of offerings ,rav). And lo, the star, whioh they eaw being me.de to Messiah and MeBBiah's people in the East. They would, in accordance by the Gentile nations (Isa. l.x. ; Hag. ii. 7; with Eastern custom, probably travel by Ps. lxxii. I 0). Presented; offered (Revised night. Obeer,·e that the joy they felt at Version). The verb used ( 1rpo,rtp,po,) seems seeing the st:a.r ( ver. I 0) implies that it to lay etreBB on the persons to whom and had not continued visible (ver. 7, note). by whom the offering is me.de, the personal They had fnlly used all means ; now they relation in which they stand to eaoh other; :receive fresh Divine guidance. In tluJ East li.vatp,pr., ( cf. Bishop Westcott, on Heb. vii. (ver. 2, note). Went before them. Con- 27) and ,rap(,,.,..,µ, on the destination and tinuously ( 1rpo,i;,n,) ; "taking them by the use of the off<Jring ( J as. ii. 21 ; Rom. vi. hand and drawing them on" (Chryeostom). 13). Observe the three stages in this verse Not to show them the way t.o Bethlehem, -vision, submission, consecration. Gifts; for the road wae e:iey, but to assure them of withont ,,hich one does not approil.ch an guidance to the Babe, over whose temporary Eastern monarch (cf. I Kings x. 2). • Gold, home it st:a.yed. The roe.d to Bethlehem is, and frankincense, and myrrh. W ea.Ith aud and from the nature of the valley must delights, the material and the msthetic. alwe.ys have been, so nearly straight (until Ver. 12.-And being we.mild ot God (1<al the last half-mile, when there is a sudden XPT/µa-r,,r8mu ; cf. Bishop Westcott, on turn up the hill) that the st:a.r need have Heb. viii. 5). And, not "but ; " this is moved but slightly. Bethlehem itself is joined to the threefold " and" of ver. n. seen soon after passing Mar Elias, a monas- and is the final example of God's mercy tery rather more the.n half-way from Jeru- and grace towards them, preserving them salem (Socin's 'Bmdeker,' p. 242). Till it from probable death o.t Herod's hands. In ea.me and stood over where the young Child a dream (eh. i. 20, note). That they should was. Does the true reading ( i,r,,-&811) sug- not return to Herod, they departed into their gest the unseen hand by which this star own country another way. Perhaps east- was itself guided e.nd stationed ( eh. :uvii. wards by mt Se.bur and Mar Sil.be. aud 11)? or is it used with a kind of reflexive Jericho. force, indicating that it wu by no chance Vere. 13-15.-The deliverance of Jesus that it stood still there--" took its stand " by flight into Egypt: (cf. ,,.,.,.e,/r, Luke xviii 11, 40; xix. 8; Acts ii 14, et al. ; cf. also Rev. viii. 3; xii. lfi)? • Ver. 13.-And (Revised Version, now) Ver. 10.-When (and when, Revised Ver- when they were departed. The flight waa sion) they saw the star, they rejoiced with not by their o.dvice, and they .were not even exoeeding great joy; " they were marve- entrusted with the secret. Behold, the angel lously glad" (Tyndale). Its reappearance of the Lord appea.reth to .Joseph in a dream was the pledge of the full answer to their (eh. i. 20, notes). 'fhe present tense (cp11C- search, the full reward of their toilsome ,,G,.111) is here more vivid. Baying, Arise journey. Contrast the indifference of the (ver. 14, note), and take the young Child and chosen people. his mother, and flee into Egypt; and be thou Ver. 11.-And when they were come into there until I bring thee word ; , Revised tb.e houae. For after the enxolment the Version, I tell thee (lo,s ttv .e'f,ro, ,o,). The curnvanserai would not be so crowded (Luke rendering of the Authorized Version seems ii. 7). But whether it was now the cara- to be duo to a desire to express the depend- ve.nserai or o. private house, we have no ence of the messenger on him who eent him. evidence to show. They ■a.w (,l6ov, with For Herod ; thongh he 1poke eo fair to the the uncials and most of the vcl"liions). The Magi. Will seek. The full form (pb-.11.e• •<Jll, u.1-23,J THE GOSPEL ACCORDUW TO ST. MATTHEW. 35