RSV ~ Matthew 2 Notes

Mt 2:1 | ISB Notes

Bethlehem: A small village south of Jerusalem. Its Hebrew name means “house of bread”, and it came to be known as the “city of David” (Lk 2:4). As the new Davidic king, Jesus is born in the hometown of David and his family (1 Sam 16:1). It is also the site where David was anointed king (1 Sam 16:4-13).

Herod the king: Herod the Great, ruler of Palestine. He was part of a non-Jewish (Edomite) family that held political favor with Rome. Herod was appointed “King of the Jews” by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. to replace the collapsing dynasty of Jewish priestly rulers. He took power in Jerusalem in 37 B.C. and reigned until his death. He is famous for extensive building projects, especially his renovation of the Jerusalem Temple. As a ruler, he was extremely harsh and inflexible. He enjoyed little favor with the Jews since he remained loyal to the Roman emperor and was not a rightful Davidic leader. According to our current calendar, Jesus was born near the end of Herod’s reign, either between 6 and 4 B.C. or 3 and 2 B.C.(cf. 2:16).

Wise Men from the East: Probably astrologers from Persia—this would explain their interest in an extraordinary “star” (2:2). In Matthew, the Magi are the first Gentiles to recognize the kingship of Jesus (CCC 528).

• The star recalls OT prophecy about the Messiah. In Num 24:17, Balaam predicted: “a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Herod the Edomite was “troubled” (Mt 2:3), knowing that the same oracle foretold disaster for his family: “Edom shall be dispossessed” (Num 24:18).

Mt 2:6 | ISB Notes

And you, O Bethlehem: A combined citation of Mic 5:2 and 2 Sam 5:2. Both the birthplace and the kingship of the Messiah are central.

• According to Mic 5:2, the greatness of Bethlehem will far outweigh its small size because of the great king who will arise there. The reference to 2 Sam 5:2 also has a royal context, narrating David’s covenant of kingship with the 12 tribes of Israel. The mention of these OT texts by the “chief priests and scribes” (2:4) indicates their close association with messianic expectations during NT times.

Mt 2:11 | ISB Notes

into the house: This setting suggests the event took place after Jesus’ presence in the “manger” (Lk 2:7) and the earlier visit of the shepherds (Lk 2:1517).

• The episode evokes Is 60:3, 6, where Gentile nations bring gifts of gold and frankincense to the God of Israel (cf. Tob 13:11; Ps 72:10-15).

myrrh: An anointing oil used to consecrate Levitical priests and the wilderness Tabernacle (Ex 30:23-33). It was also a burial ointment (Jn 19:39-40).

• Allegorically (St. Irenaeus, AH 3, 9, 2): the gifts of the Magi signify the mystery of Christ incarnate. Gold, a symbol of royalty, represents the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense, used in the worship of God, points to his divinity. Myrrh, a burial ointment, signifies the humanity of Christ, especially in his Passion and death. Morally (St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Evan. 10): the treasures signify the gifts we present to Christ in our daily lives. Gold is Christ’s wisdom, which shines in us, frankincense is the prayer and adoration we give him (cf. Rev 8:3-4), and myrrh is our daily self-sacrifices (10:39; cf. Rom 12:1).

Mt 2:13 | ISB Notes

Rise, take the child: God works within the structures of the family: Joseph is instructed by the angel because he is the head of the Holy Family and the one most responsible for their well-being (cf. Eph 5:21-6:3).

Egypt: A frequent place of refuge in the OT (Gen 12:10; 46:4; 1 Kings 11:40; Jer 26:21) and the location of large Jewish colonies (Alexandria and Elephantine) during NT times.

Mt 2:15 | ISB Notes

Out of Egypt: A quotation from Hos 11:1. Matthew anticipates its fulfillment in 2:21.

• Hosea 11:1 points back to the Exodus, where God’s “first-born son” (Ex 4:22), Israel, was delivered from slavery under the oppressive Pharaoh. Matthew sees this text also pointing forward, when Jesus, the eternal first-born Son (Rom 8:29), is delivered from the tyrant Herod and later brought out of Egypt (2:21) (CCC 530).

Mt 2:18 | ISB Notes

A voice was heard: A citation from Jer 31:15.

• Jeremiah looks to Ramah, a city five miles north of Jerusalem, as a place of sorrow and exile. The Assyrians first devastated northern Israel in the eighth century B.C. by sweeping through the land and engulfing the city (Is 10:29; Hos 5:8); later the Babylonians conquered the southern tribes in the sixth century B.C., and Ramah became the assembly point for hauling away captives (Jer 40:1). In both cases, some Israelites were killed, and others were carried into exile. Matthew sees Bethlehem as a new city of sorrow where many are killed and the young Jesus, representing Israel, is carried away.

These two sites are linked with the burial place of Rachel: one tradition puts her tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem, where she gave birth to Benjamin in sorrow (Gen 35:17-19), while another locates it in the tribal territory of Benjamin near Ramah (1 Sam 10:2; cf. Josh 18:25).

Mt 2:22 | ISB Notes

Archelaus: Son of Herod the Great. After Herod’s death, the Roman emperor Augustus divided his kingdom among his three sons. Archelaus was given the title “ethnarch” of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria. He quickly acquired a reputation like his father’s, governing with a ruthless and heavy hand. He was eventually banished by Augustus to Gaul in A.D. 6. Joseph took Mary and the Child north to the district of Galilee, where Archelaus’ younger brother, Herod Antipas, ruled as tetrarch until A.D. 39.

Mt 2:23 | ISB Notes

Nazareth: An obscure Galilean village nowhere mentioned in the OT. It was insignificant in the eyes of many Jews (cf. Jn 1:46).

He shall be called a Nazarene: No OT prophecy corresponds to this exact wording. Matthew apparently paraphrases the message of several prophets into a summary statement about the Messiah.

• The paraphrase is based on a word association between Jesus’ home of Nazareth and the Hebrew word netser, translated as “branch” in Is 11:1. Isaiah used the image of a branch growing from a stump to signify hope for the kingdom of David. The great Davidic tree (dynasty) had been cut off since the Exile, but the sprouting branch indicated that God would raise up another king from the hopeless situation. Later prophets used this same image to signify the Messiah-king (Jer 23:5, 33:14-16) who would build the Temple (Zech 3:8, 6:11-13). See notes on Mt 1:17 and 16:18.