The Magi and the Flight into Egypt. Matt 2:1-20 | 1 WHEN Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Judah in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came sages from the east to Jerusalem, 2 saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to adore him. 3 And Herod the king hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And assembling together all the high priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. 5 But they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judah. For so it is written by the prophet: 6 And you Bethlehem the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come forth the Captain that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod secretly calling the Sages, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them. 8 And sending them into Bethlehem, said, Go, and inquire diligently of the child: and when you shall find him, make report to me, that I also may come and adore him. 9 Who having heard the king, went their way: and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over, where the child was. 10 And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down adored him: and opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country. 13 And after they were departed, behold an angel of our Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell you. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. 14 Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: 15 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of our Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the sages, was exceedingly angry: and sending murdered all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently sought out of the sages. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying, 18 A voice in Rama was heard, crying out much wailing: Rachel bewailing her children, would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of our Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead that sought the life of the child. | | McEvilly As regards the time of their visit, there is a diversity of opinion. The commonly received opinion in the Church, as indicated in her arrangement of the festivals of the Epiphany and Purification, would seem to be, that they came shortly after our Lord's birth, before the Purification and Presentation in the Temple. This opinion is well founded on the words of St. Matthew in this verse, which clearly convey, that the Magi made their appearance at Jerusalem very soon after our Lord's birth. “When Jesus was born, behold," etc. Others, however, fix the date of the arrival of the Magi after the Purification, and these differently assign different periods after it, more or less remote, according to the meaning attached by them to v. 16, and to the term of “two years and under" fixed on by Herod. The advocates of this opinion are chiefly influenced by the narrative of St. Luke (ii. 39) who states that our Lord and His parents returned to Nazareth immediately after His presentation, which took place, “according to the law of the Lord." This narrative they cannot reconcile in the supposition that the visit of the Magi took place before the presentation, with that of St. Matthew (v. 13), who states that our Lord and His parents set out for Egypt by divine admonition, immediately after the visit of the Magi. Hence, as our Lord could not be presented in the Temple at the appointed time, "according to the law of the Lord" (Luke ii. 39), if He left previously for Egypt, as St. Matthew says He did immediately after the departure of the Magi (v. 13), they conclude, that the visit of the Magi must be after the Purification and presentation in the Temple. The interval is more or less prolonged by the several advocates of the latter opinion. We need not however, depart from the commonly received opinion, which fixes the date of the visit of the Magi, before the presentation; and the apparent discrepancy in the narratives of both Evangelists may be reconciled, by supposing that after the visit of the Magi, our Lord was presented in the Temple; and having proceeded thence, to Nazareth, Joseph was there admonished in sleep, and proceeded at once from Nazareth to Egypt (see v. 13, Commentary on). The supposition that the visit of the Magi occurred, on the occasion of one of the annual visits Joseph and Mary were wont to make to Jerusalem, is utterly gratuitous. The sacred text says, they visited Jerusalem (Luke ii. 41). There is no mention of their having visited Bethlehem, which was out of the way, on their visit to Jerusalem. The difficulty founded on the term of two years fixed upon by Herod will be explained. |
The
Childhood of Jesus at Nazareth
Matt 2:21-23 Luke 2:39-40
Matthew 2
21
Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of
Israel. 22 But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea for
Herod his father, he feared to go there: and being warned in sleep retired into
the quarters of Galilee. 23 And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that
it might be fulfilled which was said by the prophets: That he shall be called a
Nazarite.
|
Luke
2
39 And after they had wholly
done all things according to the law of our Lord, they returned into Galilee
into their city Nazareth. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong: full of
wisdom and the grace of God was in him.
|
|
McEvilly St. Luke passes over the flight into Egypt, the visit of
the Magi, probably, because St. Matthew had already fully described these
occurrences. Some say, they proceeded from Judea to Egypt, as it was to Judea
Joseph afterwards was about returning from his exile. Others say, from
Nazareth. Others, from Bethlehem, whither they went directly from the Temple,
with the view of returning to Nazareth. Nothing certain is known regarding it.
|
|