Hunt), 137. 2; Ditt. Syll. 738. 8, 807. 1, 7, 11, 15.—кat' õvap] cf. on 120.—dɩ aλns odoû] The same feature occurs in the story of Tiridates' visit to Nero, Dio Cassius, lxiii. 7. ȧvaxwpeîv occurs in Mt. 10 times, Mk. 1, Lk. o. The main outline of the story of the Magi is in many respects noteworthy for its historical probability. The expectation of a world's Redeemer, or in Palestine of a Jewish Messiah; the interest of Eastern Magi in these questions; their presence in the west to do homage to the supposed Saviour; the inference from Mic 51 that Bethlehem was to be His birthplace: all this violates no canon of historical probability. The only detail that has a legendary atmosphere about it is the statement that the star moved before the Magi as they went to Bethlehem, until it stayed over the house where the child lay. This may be due to the Jewish narrator poetically accounting for the fact that the Magi were successful in their search for the child. It is extremely unlikely that he intended it to be taken as a bald statement of fact, literally describing how the star in some strange manner enabled the searchers without other aid to identify the particular house in Bethlehem in which the holy family were dwelling. In view of the editor's interest in the fulfilment of prophecy, it is very strange that he does not cite Nu 2417 for the star, or Is 606, Ps 7210. 11. 15, for the bringing of gifts. But it is difficult to think that the two last passages were not in his mind, and that they may account for the specification of two of the gifts as gold and frankincense. On the other hand, such gifts would be natural enough as the offerings of Magi who came to search for a world's Redeemer. The modern theory, that the story is a literary fiction, based only upon legendary motives and folklore analogies, violates every probability. In view of the matter of fact character of the editor of this Gospel, it is almost certain that he believed that he was transmitting matters of actual fact. And it is in every respect probable that he was not altogether mistaken. If we suppose that astrologers in Babylon were acquainted with current expectation of the birth of a universal King, that they inferred from some unique astral phenomenon that He had been born in the west, i.. in Palestine; that some of them came to Jerusalem in search of Him; that their errand came to the ears of Herod, and that the Jewish authorities suggested Bethlehem as the right place in which to expect the birth of the Messiah; that the Magi went there and found the newborn babe, whether by popular rumour that Mary, wife of Joseph ben David, had given birth to a child under strange circumstances, or by inference from the position of the heavenly bodies; that they did homage to the child, and, thinking it best not to trust Herod, left secretly on their journey homewards: we need not press every detail of the narrative. De Messiah from Bethlehem, cf. Jn 741., and the Targ. on Mic 51. Also Jer. Berach. v. a, quoted by Lightfoot on Mt 21. The quotation comes from Mic 51.3, with an assimilation of the last clause to 2 S 52. The LXX text is not followed here, though it seems to have been in the mind of the editor; for oσris Toμaveî τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ, which reminds us of 2 S 252 σὺ ποιμανεῖς τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ισραήλ, seems to have been suggested by Ισραήλ and Toμave of Mic 51.3 LXX. The rest of the quotation appears to be an independent rendering of the Hebrew text. σὺ Βηθλεέμ corresponds to ens-n- ΠΑΝ. γῆ Ἰούδα is substituted for by assimilation to vv.1.5. ovdaμws laxiorn el (LXX: ỏλyoσTòs el Toû elva) seems to represent a Hebrew original vyš nua (M.T. nvas nys). év toîs nyeμóσiv 'Ioúda (LXX : év xidiáσiv καὶ .cf ; אלופי being read as אַלְפִי באלפי יהודה Iova) corresponds to Gn 3615, Ex 1515. ek σoû. yap is inserted as a necessary connecting link. égeλevorera = NY". So LXX. is omitted. ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ represents Sun Sea, the Greek words being assimilated to 2 S 52. γέγραπται means " it stands written," the inspired text runs. כתוב It corresponds to or 'n of the Jewish literature. Cf. Bacher, ii. 90. 7. Then Herod having secretly called the Magi, made accurate P inquiry of them as to the time of the appearing star.] Tóre is a favourite word in this Gospel. Mt. 90 times, Mk. 6, Lk. 15. τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος, i.e. the period since the star first appeared to them at (its) rising. 8. And having sent them to Bethlehem, said, Go, accurately P inquire concerning the child. And when you find, report to me, that I may come and worship Him.] 9. And they, having heard the king, went; and, lo, the star, P which they saw at (its) rising, went before them, until it came and stood still above (the place) where the child was.]-kaì idoú] see on 120 10. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with P great joy.opódpa] Mt. 7 times, Mk. 1, Lk. 1. 11. And when they had come into the house, they saw the child P with Mary His mother, and having fallen down, they worshipped Him: and having opened their treasures, they brought to Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.] For gold and frankincense as costly offerings, cf. Is 6o ήξουσιν φέροντες χρυσίον καὶ Xißavov oloovov, Ps 7210. 11. 15. For frankincense and myrrh, cf. λίβανον οἴσουσιν, Ca 36. 12. And having been divinely warned in a dream not to return P to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.]— Xonμatioévtes] The verb in the passive means to be instructed, admonished; cf. Lk 226, He 85; Fayûm Towns (Grenfell and Hunt), 137. 2; Ditt. Syll. 738. 8, 807. I, 7, 11, 15.—Kaт' ŏvap] cf. on 120-di aλns odoû] The same feature occurs in the story of Tiridates' visit to Nero, Dio Cassius, lxiii. 7. ȧvaxwpeîv occurs in Mt. 10 times, Mk. 1, Lk. o. The main outline of the story of the Magi is in many respects noteworthy for its historical probability. The expectation of a world's Redeemer, or in Palestine of a Jewish Messiah; the interest of Eastern Magi in these questions; their presence in the west to do homage to the supposed Saviour; the inference from Mic 51 that Bethlehem was to be His birthplace: all this violates no canon of historical probability. The only detail that has a legendary atmosphere about it is the statement that the star moved before the Magi as they went to Bethlehem, until it stayed over the house where the child lay. This may be due to the Jewish narrator poetically accounting for the fact that the Magi were successful in their search for the child. It is extremely unlikely that he intended it to be taken as a bald statement of fact, literally describing how the star in some strange manner enabled the searchers without other aid to identify the particular house in Bethlehem in which the holy family were dwelling. In view of the editor's interest in the fulfilment of prophecy, it is very strange that he does not cite Nu 2417 for the star, or Is 60°, Ps 7210. 11. 15, for the bringing of gifts. But it is difficult to think that the two last passages were not in his mind, and that they may account for the specification of two of the gifts as gold and frankincense. On the other hand, such gifts would be natural enough as the offerings of Magi who came to search for a world's Redeemer. The modern theory, that the story is a literary fiction, based only upon legendary motives and folklore analogies, violates every probability. In view of the matter of fact character of the editor of this Gospel, it is almost certain that he believed that he was transmitting matters of actual fact. And it is in every respect probable that he was not altogether mistaken. If we suppose that astrologers in Babylon were acquainted with current expectation of the birth of a universal King, that they inferred from some unique astral phenomenon that He had been born in the west, i.e. in Palestine; that some of them came to Jerusalem in search of Him; that their errand came to the ears of Herod, and that the Jewish authorities suggested Bethlehem as the right place in which to expect the birth of the Messiah; that the Magi went there and found the newborn babe, whether by popular rumour that Mary, wife of Joseph ben David, had given birth to a child under strange circumstances, or by inference from the position of the heavenly bodies; that they did homage to the child, and, thinking it best not to trust Herod, left secretly on their journey homewards: we need not press every detail of the narrative. De scriptive detail may in some small measure have crept into it from the Old Testament or from analogous literary or folklore stories, just as they have certainly been used to embellish the story in its later history in the Church (cf. Zahn, in loc.). But these, if they exist at all in Mt.'s account, are mere literary embellishments of a story which in outline is intrinsically probable in view of the atmosphere of thought of the period described. 1. 'Iovdalas] ff1g2 S2 have Judah. S1 is ambiguous. The translator renders 'Ioúdas and 'Iovdala alike by 100 in the early part of Mt. In 191 he began to render 'Iovdala by 200, and continues this throughout the Gospels, retaining 1200 for 'Ioúdas. So Lk 33. S2 has 200 for 'Iovdaía, and 1200 for 'Ioúdas. 5. 'Iovdalas] ff1 g1 k* S2 have Judah. 6. ] Om. S1 S2.—'Ioúða] Da cf g1q have rŷs 'Iovdalas. 13. And when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord P appeareth in a dream to Joseph, saying, Arise, take the child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell thee. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy Him.] ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν—ἰδού] For the construction, see on v.l. On ιδού and κατ' ὄναρ, see note on 120 For the redundant eyepleis, see on 124. —μédλei—ENTεv] For the pres. inf., see Blass, p. 197.-Tоû áπoléσai] For the construction, cf. Blass, p. 235. It occurs 6 times in Mt., never in Mk. The aorist signifies a single definite action. So in 313. Contrast 138. 14. And he arose, and took the child and His mother by night, P and departed into Egypt.] 15. And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be PO fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I called My Son.] Herod died shortly before Passover B.C. 4. See Schürer, i. 464 ff.—iva πλnpwon] On the formula, see on 118. The quotation is from Hos 111. The LXX rendering here is ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετεκάλεσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ, which is not suitable for the editor's purpose. He therefore makes an independent translation of the Hebrew, or more probably cites from a current Greek translation. Cf. Introduction, p. lxii. 16. Then Herod, seeing that he was mocked by the Magi, was P very wroth, and sent, and slew all the male children in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the period which he inquired from the Magi.]—årò SLETOUS] If the star or constellation when first seen "at (its) rising" signified the conception of the child, it would have been sufficient to kill children in their first year. But Herod may have thought it best to reckon on the possibility that the phenomenon denoted the ΤΟ P Р P P РО actual birth, in which case the child would now be in His second year. See Von Oefele, p. 14. 17, 18. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, A voice was heard in Rama, weeping, and much lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.] TÓTE ETANрúon] For the formula, see on 118. The quotation comes from Jer 31 (LXX 38) 15. It appears to be a citation from memory of the LXX text: φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαμὰ ἠκούσθη = LXX. κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμός πολύς represents the LXX θρήνου καὶ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ ὀδυρμοῦ. Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα paraphrases the LXX Ῥαχὴλ ἀποκλαιομένη (-ης, Ν Α Q). τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς inserts from the Heb. a clause which the LXX omitted, but A Q have ἐπὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῆς. --καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναι] So LXX. καὶ (N A Q) οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναι (Bab mg A, but Β παύσασθαι). Here "for her children" of M.T. and LXX B is omitted, with LXX A Q.-ÕTL οὐκ εἰσίν] So LXX. 19. And when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying.] For the construction see on 21.-κаT' ovαp] see on 120. 20. Arise, take the child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel: for "they are dead who seek the life" of the child.] For the redundant ἐγερθείς, see on 14. τεθνήκασιν γὰρ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν oi yuxý is a reminiscence of Ex 419. Throughout this section the editor seems to have had the story of Moses in mind, and to have borrowed phrases from it. Cf. v.13 μέλλει-ζητεῖν—τοῦ ἀπολέσαι, and 15 ἀνεῖλε, with Ex 215 ἐζήτει ἀνελεῖν; ν.14 ἀνεχώρησεν, with Ex 215 ἀνεχώρησεν. 21. And he arose, and took the child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.] 22. And having heard that Archelaus is reigning over Judæa in the place of Herod his father, he feared to go there. But being divinely instructed in a dream, he departed into the regions of Galilee.] For χρηματισθείς, see on v.12; for κατ' ὄναρ, on 120 23. And came and settled in a city called Nazara: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that He shall be called a Nazarene.] This verse contains a still unexplained difficulty. It is clear that Jesus was popularly known as & Natopaios, Mt 223 2671, Lk 1837, Jn 185.7 199, Acts 7 times; or & Nalapηvós, Mk 4 times, Lk twice; and it seems obvious to suppose that these adjectives are equivalent to å åлò Nažaрé0, Mt 2111, Jn 145. 46, Ac 108. The town is written Nacapá, Nalapéo, or Nagapér, representing, (cf. Dalm. Gram. p. 152). Nazwpaîos presupposes ,Dalm. Gram. p. 178). Others) נצרת - נצורת from נצורי a form however, would connect the two adjectives with Nesar in Gennesareth; cf. Wellhausen on Mt 2669; and it must remain doubtful |