ACC ~ Matthew 2 v1a

HOW HEROD’S RULE WAS ANTICIPATED

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: The patriarch Jacob had already anticipated this very time precisely when he said, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs.” [1] Matthew brought these same prophetic testimonies forward in order to show from them that everything came about according to the words of the prophets. On the one hand, he showed that Christ would come from Bethlehem, as had been said by the prophet. [2] On the other hand, he demonstrated that this saying of Jacob prefigured that this was to occur “in the days of Herod.” First then those who ruled over Israel were from David, from the tribe of Judah (Levi’s brother), until the captivity in Babylon. After these things the high priests themselves who held the leadership of the people were of the tribe of Levi, but their lineage was also traced from Judah. An intermixture had occurred between the levitical tribe—especially the high priests—and the royal tribe of Judah. Afterward, when the brothers Aristobulus and Hyrcanus came into conflict with each other and warred over the monarchy, the kingdom finally settled upon Herod, who was not a Jew by race, for he was the son of Antipater, an Idumean. And it was, in fact, during the time of his kingdom that Christ the Master appeared, when the kings and rulers from among the Jews had ceased. FRAGMENT 6. [3]

[1] Gen 49:10. From the beginning of the second century, Genesis 49:10-11 had been interpreted (by Justin, Hippolytus, Origen, Eusebius and others) as a christological prophecy. Thus the claim that until the arrival of the Messiah there would always be a prince of the house of Judah was referred to Christ by pointing out that at the time of Jesus’ birth, Herod—who was not of the Hebrew race—was the king of the Jews.

[2] Mic 5:2.

[3] MKGK 98.

HEROD AND CHRIST

PETER CHRYSOLOGUS: What does this mean, that it was in the time of a very malevolent king that God descended to earth, divinity entered into flesh, a heavenly union occurred with an earthly body? What does this mean? How could it happen that a tyrant could then be driven out by one who was not a king, who would free his people, renew the face of the earth and restore freedom? Herod, an apostate, had wrongly invaded the kingdom of the Jews, taken away their liberty, profaned their holy places, disrupted the established order, abolished whatever there was of discipline and religious worship. It was fitting therefore that God’s own aid would come to succor that holy race without any human help. Rightly did God emancipate the race that no human hand could free. In just this way will Christ come again, to undo the antichrist, free the world, restore the original land of paradise, uphold the liberty of the world and take away all its slavery. SERMONS 156.5. [1]

[1] CCL 24b:971-72; FC 17:267**. It is amazing that in such an evil time God chose to do such a great thing. As God sustained the Jews even during the Herodian tyranny, so will he continue to care for the new people of God.