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Text -- Matthew 2:5 (NET)

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Context
2:5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:
 · Bethlehem a town 8 km south of Jerusalem,a town of Zebulun 10 km west of Nazareth and 15 km SW of Cana SMM,a town of Judah 8 km south. of Jerusalem
 · Judea a region that roughly corresponded to the earlier kingdom of Judah


Dictionary Themes and Topics: ZOROASTRIANISM | Stars | QUOTATIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT | Prophecy | PROVIDENCE, 1 | Miracles | Mary | Magic | Magi | KING, CHRIST AS | Judea | Jesus, The Christ | Jesus | JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY | JESUS CHRIST, 4A | INSPIRATION, 8-18 | Herod the Great | Herod | Heathen | Bethlehem | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Robertson , JFB , Clarke , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes


Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , Maclaren , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Barclay , Constable , College , McGarvey , Lapide

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: Mat 2:5 - -- And they said unto him ( hoi de eipan autōi ). Whether the ecclesiastics had to search their scriptures or not, they give the answer that is in acc...

And they said unto him ( hoi de eipan autōi ).

Whether the ecclesiastics had to search their scriptures or not, they give the answer that is in accord with the common Jewish opinion that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem and of the seed of David (Joh 7:42). So they quote Mic 5:2, "a free paraphrase"Alford calls it, for it is not precisely like the Hebrew text or like the Septuagint. It may have come from a collection of testimonia with which J. Rendel Harris has made the world familiar. He had consulted the experts and now he has their answer. Bethlehem of Judah is the place. The use of the perfect passive indicative (gegraptai ) is the common form in quoting scripture. It stands written.

Robertson: Mat 2:5 - -- Shall be shepherd ( poimanei ). The Authorized Version had "shall rule,"but "shepherd"is correct. "Homer calls kings ‘ the shepherds of the peop...

Shall be shepherd ( poimanei ).

The Authorized Version had "shall rule,"but "shepherd"is correct. "Homer calls kings ‘ the shepherds of the people’ "(Vincent). In Heb 13:20 Jesus is called "the great shepherd of the sheep."Jesus calls himself "the good shepherd"(Joh 10:11). Peter calls Christ "the chief shepherd"(1Pe 2:25). "The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd"(Rev 7:17). Jesus told Peter to "shepherd"the lambs (Joh 21:16). Our word pastor means shepherd.

JFB: Mat 2:5 - -- A prompt and involuntary testimony from the highest tribunal; which yet at length condemned Him to die.

A prompt and involuntary testimony from the highest tribunal; which yet at length condemned Him to die.

JFB: Mat 2:5 - -- (Mic 5:2).

(Mic 5:2).

Clarke: Mat 2:5 - -- In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet - As there have been several confused notions among the Jews, relative not only to the ...

In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet - As there have been several confused notions among the Jews, relative not only to the Messiah, and his character, but also to the time of his birth, it may be necessary to add, to what has already been said on this subject, the following extracts from the Talmudists and Gemarists, quoted by Lightfoot. At the close of a long dissertation on the year of our Lord’ s birth, (which he places in the 35th of the reign of Herod, not the last or 37th as above), he says: "It will not be improper here to produce the Gemarists themselves openly confessing that the Messias had been born, a good while ago before their times. For so they write: After this the children of Israel shall be converted, and shall inquire after the Lord their God, and David their king: Hos 3:5. Our rabbins say, That is King Messias, If he be among the living, his name is David, or if dead, David is his name. R. Tanchum said, Thus I prove it: He showeth mercy to David his Messiah. (Psa 18:50). R. Joshua ben Levi saith, His name is צמח tsemach , a Branch. (Zec 3:8). R. Juban bar Arbu saith, His name is Menahem. (That is, παρακλητος, the Comforter). ‘ And that which happened to a certain Jew, as he was ploughing, agreeth with this business. A certain Arabian travelling, and hearing the ox bellow, said to the Jew at plough, O Jew, loose thy oxen, and loose thy ploughs, for behold! The temple is laid waste. The ox belloweth the second time; the Arabian saith to him, O Jew, Jew, yoke thy oxen, and fit thy ploughs: והא יליר מלכא משיחא For behold! King Messiah is born. But, saith the Jew, What is his name? Menahem, saith he (i.e. the Comforter). And what is the name of his Father? Hezekiah, saith the Arabian. To whom the Jew, But whence is He? The other answered, From the palace of the king of Bethlehem Judah. Away he went, and sold his oxen and his ploughs, and became a seller of infants’ swaddling clothes, going about from town to town. When he came to that city, (Bethlehem), all the women bought of him, but the mother of Menahem bought nothing. He heard the voice of the women saying, O thou mother of Menahem, thou mother of Menahem, carry thy son the things that are here sold. But she replied, May the enemies of Israel be strangled, because on the day that he was born, the temple was laid waste. To whom he said, But we hoped, that as it was laid waste at his feet, so at his feet it would be built again. She saith, I have no money. To whom he replied, But why should this be prejudicial to him? Carry him what you buy here, and if you have no money today, after some days I will come back and receive it. After some days, he returned to that city, and saith to her, How does the little infant? And she said, From the time you saw me last, spirits and tempests came, and snatched him away out of my hands. R. Bon saith, What need have we to learn from an Arabian? Is it not plainly written, And Lebanon shall fall before the powerful one? (Isa 10:34). And what follows after? A branch shall come out of the root of Jesse. (Isa 11:1)

"The Babylonian doctors yield us a confession not very unlike the former. R. Charinah saith: After four hundred years are passed from the destruction of the temple, if any one shall say to you, Take to thyself for one penny a field worth a thousand pence, do not take it. And again, After four thousand two hundred thirty and one years from the creation of the world, if any shall say to you, Take for a penny a field worth a thousand pence, take it not. The gloss is, For that is the time of redemption, and you shall be brought back to the holy mountain, to the inheritance of your fathers; why, therefore, should you misspend your penny

"You may fetch the reason of this calculation, if you have leisure, out of the tract Sanhedrin. The tradition of the school of Elias, the world is to last six thousand years, etc. And a little after, Elias said to Rabh Judah, The world shall last not less than eighty-five jubilees: and in the last jubilee shall the Son of David come. He saith to him, Whether in the beginning of it, or in the end? He answered him, I know not. Whether is this whole time to be finished first, or not? He answered him, I know not. But Rabh Asher asserted, that he answered thus, Until then, expect him not, but from thence expect him. Hear your own countrymen, O Jew! How many centuries of years are passed by and gone from the eighty-fifth jubilee of the world, that is, the year MMMMCCL, and yet the Messias of your expectation is not yet come

"Daniel’ s weeks had so clearly defined the time of the true Messias, his coming, that the minds of the whole nation were raised into the expectation of him. Hence, it was doubted of the Baptist, whether he were not the Messias, Luk 3:15. Hence it was, that the Jews are gathered together from all countries unto Jerusalem, Acts 2:, expecting and coming to see, because at that time the term of revealing the Messias, that had been prefixed by Daniel, was come. Hence it was that there was so great a number of false Christs, Mat 24:5, etc., taking the occasion of their impostures hence, that now the time of that great expectation was at hand, and fulfilled: and in one word, They thought the kingdom of God should presently appear, Luk 19:11

"But when those times of expectation were past, nor did such a Messias appear as they expected, (for when they saw the true Messias, they would not see him), they first broke out into various, and those wild, conjectures of the time; and at length, all those conjectures coming to nothing, all ended in this curse (the just cause of their eternal blindness) של מתשכי קצי הפת רות, May their soul be confounded who compute the times!"They were fully aware that the time foretold by the prophets must be long since fulfilled; and that their obstinacy must be confounded by their own history, and the chronology of their own Scriptures; and therefore they have pronounced an anathema on those who shall attempt to examine, by chronological computations, the prophecies that predict his coming. Who can conceive a state of willful blindness or determined obstinacy superior to this!

TSK: Mat 2:5 - -- Gen 35:19; Jos 19:15; Rth 1:1, Rth 1:19, Rth 2:4, Rth 4:11; 1Sa 16:1

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Mat 2:5-6 - -- By the prophet - The Sanhedrin answered without hesitation. The question where he would be born had been settled by prophecy. This prophecy is ...

By the prophet - The Sanhedrin answered without hesitation. The question where he would be born had been settled by prophecy. This prophecy is found in Mic 5:2. In that prophecy both the place of his birth and the character of the Messiah are so clearly set forth that there was no room to doubt. It will be observed that there is a considerable difference between the passage as quoted by the Sanhedrin and as it stands in Micah. The main point, however, is retained - the place of his birth. We are not concerned, therefore, in showing how these passages can be reconciled. Matthew, moreover, is not responsible for the correctness of the quotation. He affirms only that the chief priests and scribes gave this answer to Herod, and that Herod was satisfied. Admitting that they did not quote the passage correctly, it does not prove that Matthew has not reported their answer as they gave it, and this is all that he pretends to give.

Art not the least - In Micah, "though thou be little."Though a small place so far as population is concerned, yet it shall not be small, or be the least in honor; for the Messiah shall be born there. His birth gave the place an honor which could not be conferred on the larger cities by all their numbers, their splendor, and their wealth. The birth of a distinguished personage was always supposed to give honor and importance to a city or country. Thus, seven cities contended for the honor of giving birth to Homer; Stratford-upon-Avon is distinguished as the birthplace of Shakespeare; and Corsica as the birthplace of Napoleon.

A Governor - A ruler. This is one of the characters of the Messiah, who is the king of his people, Joh 18:37. The word "rule"here means to rule as a shepherd does his flock, in faithfulness and tenderness. Compare Joh 10:11; Isa 40:10-11; Isa 9:7.

Poole: Mat 2:5-6 - -- Ver. 5,6. It was (as it seems) so received a tradition, and interpretation of Mic 5:2 , that they gave him an answer without any hesitation, telling ...

Ver. 5,6. It was (as it seems) so received a tradition, and interpretation of Mic 5:2 , that they gave him an answer without any hesitation, telling him he was to be born

in Bethlehem of Judea this they confirm by the prophecy of the prophet Micah, Mic 5:2 ; so confirming the Son of the virgin Mary (at unawares) to be the Messiah from the testimony of the prophet Micah. The words in Micah something vary from those here mentioned; they are thus: But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. We must know,

1. That the writers of the New Testament, in their quotations out of the Old Testament, ordinarily quote only so much of them as makes to their purpose, and not always in the very terms in which they are found in the Old Testament: but keeping to the sense.

2. That it is more than probable that the evangelist keeps to the words in which the priests and scribes delivered in their answer to the king, for in this relation he is but reciting their answer.

The sole question propounded to them was: What the place was, where the Messiah, according to their records, was to be born? They answer: In Bethlehem Judah: they prove their answer from the testimony of the prophet. If any object that the prophet calls it Bethlehem Ephratah, not Bethlehem Judah, the answer is, that it is in sense the same, for Bethlehem Ephratah was within the tribe of Judah. It should seem by Gen 35:19 48:7 that it was formerly in Jacob’ s time called Ephrath. Some think that it was a town within Caleb’ s portion, and called Ephratah from his second wife, whose name was Ephrath, or Ephratah, 1Ch 2:19,50 , if it were not the same place, only fortified anew. We read of another Bethlehem in Judah builded by Rehoboam, 2Ch 11:6 ; whether it had this addition from its old name in Jacob’ s time, or from Caleb’ s wife, or to distinguish it from Bethlehem belonging to the tribe of Zebulun, is hard to say: it is plain that that Bethlehem is meant, both by Micah and Matthew, which was in Judah; possibly in tract of time the addition Ephratah was lost.

But, say some, there is a contradiction between Micah and Matthew; Micah saith it was the least, Matthew saith it was not the least.

Answer: Here is no contradiction; consider Bethlehem itself, it was but a small city, (if it were in Caleb’ s lot it is not named), but in other respects it was not the least. It was of old famous for Ibzan, one of the judges, for Elimelech, Boaz, Jesse, David; and now last of all for the birth of Christ, where respect to which the evangelist calls it not the least; or if he reciteth the scribes’ and priests’ words, they might call it not the least upon the account of Boaz, Jesse, and David, all which were born or dwelt there; and particularly with respect to Christ, who was born there. The prophet calls it the least with respect to its state in his time, the evangelist not the least with respect to its state then, its state being magnified by the birth of Christ. Micah saith among the thousands. Matthew,

among the princes It is the same thing, for, Num 1:16 , their princes were heads of thousands in Israel. The Jews would by no means have this text interpreted of Christ, but either of Zerubbabel or David: but as to Zerubbabel, he was born in Babylon, not in Bethlehem, and David was dead long before this prophecy; neither could the following words, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting, agree to Zerubbabel or David: Zerubbabel’ s name tells us where he was born, and we never read that Bethlehem was thus celebrated with reference to David, though he was born there, 1Sa 16:1 17:58 , upon which account it is called the city of David, Luk 2:4 . The prophecy certainly related to Christ, and him only, and so is interpreted by the Chaldee paraphrast, who some think was one of this council called by Herod in this cause.

Gill: Mat 2:5 - -- And they said unto him,.... They answer without any hesitation, it being a generally received notion, and a thing well known among them, in Bethleh...

And they said unto him,.... They answer without any hesitation, it being a generally received notion, and a thing well known among them,

in Bethlehem of Judea; and give their reason for it; for

thus it is written by the prophet, that is, the prophet Micah, in whose prophecy, Mic 5:2 it stands, and is as follows:

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Mat 2:1-23 - --1 The wise men from the east enquire after Christ;3 at which Herod is alarmed.9 They are directed by a star to Bethlehem, worship him, and offer their...

Maclaren: Mat 2:1-12 - --The First-Fruits Of The Gentiles Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the e...

MHCC: Mat 2:1-8 - --Those who live at the greatest distance from the means of grace often use most diligence, and learn to know the most of Christ and his salvation. But ...

Matthew Henry: Mat 2:1-8 - -- It was a mark of humiliation put upon the Lord Jesus that, though he was the Desire of all nations, yet his coming into the world was little obs...

Barclay: Mat 2:3-9 - --It came to the ears of Herod that tile wise men had come from the East, and that they were searching for the little child who had been born to be Kin...

Constable: Mat 1:1--4:12 - --I. The introduction of the King 1:1--4:11 "Fundamentally, the purpose of this first part is to introduce the rea...

Constable: Mat 2:1-23 - --C. The King's childhood 2:1-23 There is nothing in chapter 2 that describes Jesus Himself. Therefore Mat...

Constable: Mat 2:1-12 - --1. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-12 2:1-2 When did the Magi visit Jesus in Bethlehem?74 There are several factors that point to a time about a year...

College: Mat 2:1-23 - --MATTHEW 2 C. THE INFANCY OF JESUS (2:1-23) Matthew tells his story of Jesus in terms that resonate with OT imagery and the sacred stories of Israel'...

McGarvey: Mat 2:1-12 - -- XIII. EASTERN WISE-MEN, OR MAGI, VISIT JESUS, THE NEW-BORN KING. (Jerusalem and Bethlehem, B. C. 4.) aMATT. II. 1-12.    a1 Now when ...

Lapide: Mat 2:1-23 - --CHAPTER 2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda in the days of king Herod. It is better to read here in the Greek in Bethlehem-Juda. Juda mea...

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Introduction / Outline

Robertson: Matthew (Book Introduction) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW By Way of Introduction The passing years do not make it any plainer who actually wrote our Greek Matthew. Papias r...

JFB: Matthew (Book Introduction) THE author of this Gospel was a publican or tax gatherer, residing at Capernaum, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. As to his identity with t...

JFB: Matthew (Outline) GENEALOGY OF CHRIST. ( = Luke 3:23-38). (Mat. 1:1-17) BIRTH OF CHRIST. (Mat 1:18-25) VISIT OF THE MAGI TO JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM. (Mat 2:1-12) THE F...

TSK: Matthew (Book Introduction) Matthew, being one of the twelve apostles, and early called to the apostleship, and from the time of his call a constant attendant on our Saviour, was...

TSK: Matthew 2 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Mat 2:1, The wise men from the east enquire after Christ; Mat 2:3, at which Herod is alarmed; Mat 2:9, They are directed by a star to Bet...

Poole: Matthew 2 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 2

MHCC: Matthew (Book Introduction) Matthew, surnamed Levi, before his conversion was a publican, or tax-gatherer under the Romans at Capernaum. He is generally allowed to have written h...

MHCC: Matthew 2 (Chapter Introduction) (Mat 2:1-8) The wise men's search after Christ. (Mat 2:9-12) The wise men worship Jesus. (Mat 2:13-15) Jesus carried into Egypt. (Mat 2:16-18) Hero...

Matthew Henry: Matthew (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Gospel According to St. Matthew We have now before us, I. The New Testament of our Lord and Savior...

Matthew Henry: Matthew 2 (Chapter Introduction) In this chapter, we have the history of our Saviour's infancy, where we find how early he began to suffer, and that in him the word of righteousnes...

Barclay: Matthew (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW The Synoptic Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke are usually known as the Synoptic Gospels. Synopt...

Barclay: Matthew 2 (Chapter Introduction) The Birthplace Of The King (Mat_2:1-2) The Homage Of The East (Mat_2:1-2 Continued) The Crafty King (Mat_2:3-9) Gifts For Christ (Mat_2:9-12) Es...

Constable: Matthew (Book Introduction) Introduction The Synoptic Problem The synoptic problem is intrinsic to all study of th...

Constable: Matthew (Outline) Outline I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11 A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17 ...

Constable: Matthew Matthew Bibliography Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Cl...

Haydock: Matthew (Book Introduction) THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW INTRODUCTION. THIS and other titles, with the names of those that wrote the Gospels,...

Gill: Matthew (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO MATTHEW The subject of this book, and indeed of all the writings of the New Testament, is the Gospel. The Greek word ευαγγελ...

College: Matthew (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION It may surprise the modern reader to realize that for the first two centuries of the Christian era, Matthew's...

College: Matthew (Outline) OUTLINE I. ESTABLISHING THE IDENTITY AND ROLE OF JESUS THE CHRIST - Matt 1:1-4:16 A. Genealogy of Jesus - 1:1-17 B. The Annunciation to Joseph...

Lapide: Matthew (Book Introduction) PREFACE. —————— IN presenting to the reader the Second Volume [Matt X to XXI] of this Translation of the great work of Cornelius à Lapi...

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