Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Matthew
Book: Matthew
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The
Wise men's search after
Christ.
(1-8) The
Wise men Worship
Jesus.
(9-12) Jesus carried into
Egypt.
(13-15) Herod causes the
infants of
Bethlehem to be massacred.
(16-18) Death of Herod,
Jesus brought to
Nazareth.
(19-23)
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
No Curious arts, or mere human
learning, can direct men unto him. We must learn of
Christ By
attending to the
Word of God, as a
Light that shineth in a dark
place, and
By seeking the teaching of the Holy
Spirit. And those
in whose hearts the
Day-
Star is risen, to give them any thing of
the knowledge of
Christ, make it their business to
Worship him.
Though Herod was very old, and never had shown
Affection for his
family, and was not himself likely to live till a new-born
infant had grown up to manhood, he began to be troubled with the
dread of a rival. He understood not the spiritual nature of the
Messiah's kingdom. Let us beware of a dead
Faith. A
Man may be
persuaded of many truths, and yet may hate them, because they
interfere with his ambition, or sinful indulgences. Such a
belief will make him uneasy, and the more resolved to oppose the
Truth and the cause of
God; and he may be foolish enough to
Hope
for success therein.
9-12 What joy these
Wise men felt upon this sight of the
Star,
none know
So Well as those who, after a long and melancholy
night of
Temptation and desertion, under the power of a
Spirit
of
Bondage, at length receive the
Spirit of
Adoption, witnessing
with their spirits that they are the children of
God. We may
Well think what a disappointment it was to them, when they found
a
Cottage was his
Palace, and his own
Poor mother the only
attendant he had. However, these
Wise men did not think
themselves baffled; but having found the
King they sought, they
presented their
Gifts to him. The humble inquirer after
Christ
will not be stumbled at finding him and his disciples in obscure
cottages, after having in vain sought them in palaces and
populous cities. Is a soul busy, seeking after
Christ? Would it
Worship him, and does it say, Alas! I am a foolish and
Poor
Creature, and have nothing to offer? Nothing! Hast thou not a
Heart, though unworthy of him, dark, hard, and foul? Give it to
him as it is, and be willing that he use and dispose of it as it
pleases him; he will take it, and will make it better, and thou
shalt never repent having given it to him. He shall frame it to
his own likeness, and will give thee himself, and be thine for
ever. The
Gifts the
Wise men presented were
Gold,
Frankincense,
and
Myrrh.
Providence sent these as a seasonable relief to
Joseph and
Mary in their present
Poor condition. Thus our
heavenly
Father, who knows what his children need, uses some as
stewards to supply the wants of others, and can provide for
them, even from the ends of the
Earth.
13-15 Egypt had been a
House of
Bondage to
Israel, and
particularly cruel to the infants of
Israel; yet it is to be a
place of
Refuge to the holy
Child Jesus.
God, when he pleases,
can make the worst of places serve the best of purposes. This
was a trial of the
Faith of
Joseph and
Mary. But their
Faith,
being tried, was found firm. If we and our infants are at any
time in trouble, let us remember the straits in which
Christ was
when an infant.
16-18 Herod killed all the male children, not only in
Bethlehem, but in all the
Villages of that
City. Unbridled
wrath, armed with an unlawful power, often carries men to absurd
cruelties. It was
No unrighteous thing with
God to permit this;
every
Life is forfeited to his
Justice as soon as it begins. The
diseases and deaths of little children are proofs of original
Sin. But the
Murder of these infants was their martyrdom. How
early did
Persecution against
Christ and his kingdom begin!
Herod now thought that he had baffled the Old
Testament
prophecies, and the efforts of the
Wise men in finding
Christ;
but whatever crafty, cruel devices are in men's hearts, the
counsel of the
Lord shall stand.
19-23 Egypt may serve to sojourn in, or take shelter in, for
awhile, but not to abide in.
Christ was sent to the lost
Sheep
of the
House of
Israel, to them he must return. Did we but look
upon the world as our
Egypt, the place of our
Bondage and
banishment, and
Heaven only as our
Canaan, our home, our
Rest,
we should as readily arise and depart thither, when we are
called for, as
Joseph did out of
Egypt. The family must settle
in
Galilee.
Nazareth was a place held in bad esteem, and
Christ
was crucified with this accusation,
Jesus the
Nazarene. Wherever
Providence allots the bounds of our
Habitation, we must expect
to share the reproach of
Christ; yet we may
Glory in being
called
By his name, sure that if we suffer with him, we shall
also be glorified with him.