The Gentiles come unto Christ with their offerings, and that so openly that the Jews can not pretend ignorance. (3) The Jews with Herod conspire against him. (13) He thereupon flyeth from them into Aegypt. (16) They afterward, seeing their subtlety prevailed not, imagined to oppress him by open persecution. (19) But they at length died and he returneth to the land of Israel: all according to the Scriptures.
WHEN Jesus therefore was * born in Bethlehem of Juda in the days of Herod the King, • behold, there came Sages from the East to Jerusalem, 2saying: where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his • star in the East, and • are come to adore him. 3And Herod the King hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And assembling together all the high Priests and the Scribes of the people, he • inquired of them where Christ should be born. 5But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the Prophet: 6And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda, art not the least among the Princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule my people Israel. 7Then Herod secretly calling the Sages, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; 8and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go, and inquire diligently of the child; and when you shall find him, make report to me, that I also may come and adore him.
9Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over, where the child was. 10And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down • adored him; and opening their • treasures, they offered to him * • gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.
13And after they were departed, Behold an Angel of our Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Aegypt; and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. 14Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Aegypt; and he was there until the death of Herod, 15that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of our Lord by the Prophet, saying, • Out of Aegypt have I called my Son.
16Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the Sages, was exceeding angry; and sending • murdered all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two year old and under, according to the time which he had diligently sought out of the Sages. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying: 18A voice in Rama was heard, crying out and much wailing: Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19But when Herod was dead, behold an Angel of our Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Aegypt, 20saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child. 21Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Jewry for Herod his father, he feared to go thither: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee. 23And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by the Prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarite.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. II.
↑ 1. Behold.) Our Lord’s apparition or Epiphany to these Sages, being Gentiles, their Pilgrimage to him, and in them the first homage of Gentility done unto him the twelfth day after his Nativity, and therefore is Twelfth-day highly celebrated in the Catholik Church for joy of the calling of us Gentiles. His baptism also and first miracle are celebrated on the same day.
↑ 2. Star.) Christ’s Nativity depended not upon this star, as the Priscillianists falsely surmised; but the star upon his nativity, for the service whereof it was created, Grego. Hom. 10.
↑ 2. Come to adore.) This coming so far of devotion to visit and adore Christ in the place of his birth, was properly a Pilgrimage to his Person; and warranteth the Faithful in the like kind of external worship done to holy Persons, places, and things.
↑ 4. Inquired of them.) The high Priests were rightly consulted in question of their law and religion; and be they never so ill, are often forced to say the truth by privilege of their unction; as here, and after, they did concerning the true Messias.
↑ 11. Adored him.) This body (saith St. Chrysostom) the Sages adored in the crib. Let us at the least imitate them; thou seest him not now in the crib, but on the Altar; not a woman holding him, but the Priest present, and the Holy-Ghost poured out abundantly upon the Sacrifice. Hom. 24 in 1 Cor., Hom. 7 in Mt., Hom. de sancto Philogonio.
↑ 11. Treasures.) These treasures are as it were the first fruits of those riches, and gifts, which (according to the Prophecies of David and Esay) Gentility should offer to Christ and his Church, and now have offered, specially from the time of Constantine the Great. As also these three Sages, being principal men of their Country, represent the whole state of Princes, Kings, and Emperors, that were (according to the said Prophecies) to believe in Christ, to humble themselves to his cross, to foster, enrich, adorn and defend his Church. Whereupon it is also a very convenient and agreeable tradition of antiquity, and a received opinion among the Faithful, * not lacking testimonies of ancient writers, and much for the honour of our Saviour, that these three also were kings: to wit, either according to the state of those Countries, * where the Princes were Magi; and Magi the greatest about the Prince; or as we read in the Scriptures, of Melchisedech King of Salem, and many other Kings that dwelt within a small compass: or as Job’s three friends are called Kings. These are commonly called the three kings of Colen, because their bodies are there, translated thither from the East Country; their names are said to have been Gaspar, Melchior, Baltasar.
↑ 11. Gifts.) The Sages were three, and their gifts three, and each one offered every of the three, to express our Faith of the Trinity. The Gold, to signify that he was a King, the frankincense, that he was God, the myrrh, that he was to be buried as man, Aug. ser. 1 de Epiph.
↑ 15. Out of Aegypt.) This place of the Prophet (and the like in the new Testament) here applied to Christ, whereas in the letter it might seem otherwise; teacheth us how to interpret the old Testament, and that the principal sense is of Christ, and his Church.
↑ 16. Murdered.) By this example we learn how great credit we owe to the Church in Canonising Saints, and celebrating their holy-days: by whose only warrant, without any word of Scripture, these holy Innocents have been honoured for Martyrs, and their holy-day kept ever since the Apostles’ time, although they died not voluntarily, nor all perhaps circumcised, and some the children of Pagans, Aug. cp. 28, Orig. hom. 1 in diversos.
Margin Notes
- 1–12. The holy feast of the Epiphany called Twelfth-day the 6th of January upon which day this is the Ghospel.
- 13–18. The Ghospel of Childermas day.
- 16. The Martyrdom of the holy Innocents whose holy-day is kept the 28th of December.
- 19–23. The Ghospel on Twelfth-Eve.
- annot. 2. come to adore. Pilgrimage.
- annot. 11. adored him. Adoration of the Bl. Sacrament.
- annot. 11. treasures. The three kings.
- annot. 16. murdered. Canonising of Saints.
Margin References
- 1. Luc. 2, 7.
- 6. Mic. 5, 3.
- 11. Psal. 71, 10.
- 18. Jere. 31, 15.
- annot. 11. treasures
- Psal. 78.
- Esa. 60.
- Chrys. homil. 27. in Mat., hom. 1. Theo.
- Cic. de Divinat.
- Plin. lib. 20.
- Esther 1, 13. 14.
- Tob. 2.
- Amb. 1. Off. c. 12.
