who was archelaus in matthew 2

[Note: See Edersheim, 1:127. He slew every child of two years and under, reckoning from the time when he had made his inquiries from the wise men. A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases. It was not the ignorant; it was not those that were besotted in gross habits; it was Jerusalem it was the scribes and Pharisees. Macrobius, a heathen writer, tells us, that when Augustus Csar heard that Herod, among the children he order to be slain under two years old, slew his own son, he passed this jest upon him, That it was better to be Herod's swine than his son. "Get thee hence, Satan," was the real language of the Lord to Satan, and is so given in closing the literally last temptation by Matthew. We have read how he had carefully enquired of the wise men when they had seen the star. John the Baptist preached the nearness of this kingdom in the wilderness of Judaea. In his fourth will Herod designated Archelaus king of Judea and Samaria, which constituted the major portion of his kingdom. RT @TNTJohn1717: Joseph's Faith overcame his fears Matthew 2:22 KJV [22] But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: The change of this will in favor of Archelaus is given as Herod's true choice and, it is argued, occurred with Herod being in his right mind since he left the final decision to Caesar. See WARD. The Medes were part of the Empire of the Persians. Note, Inveterate corruption swells the higher for the obstructions it meets with in a sinful pursuit. They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. (Compare verse 8 with2 Chronicles 22:1-12; 2 Chronicles 22:1-12; 2 Chronicles 23:1-21; 2 Chronicles 24:1-27; 2 Chronicles 25:1-28; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23.) Why was Joseph afraid to go where Archelaus Now of course, it's significant that Rachel actually died there just on the outskirts of Bethlehem and her tomb is there at Bethlehem. The ground of omitting the words lies in the fact, that the last temptation occupies the second place in Luke. It is our wisdom to seek to profit by all the light He has afforded us; and, in order to this, both to receive implicitly, as the simple Christian surely does, whatever God has written for our instruction in these different gospels, and also by comparing them, and comparing them according to the special point of view which God has communicated in each gospel, to see concentrated the varying lines of everlasting truth which there meet in Christ. Balthasar was swarthy, with the beard newly grown upon him, and it was he who brought the gift of myrrh. Archelaus prepared to set out for Rome for this purpose immediately after the period of mourning for his father. Tacitus tells of the same belief that "there was a firm persuasion that at this very time the East was to grow powerful, and rulers coming from Judaea were to acquire universal empire" (Tacitus: Histories, 5: 13). God Guides You. One writer estimated that this purge would have affected only about 20 children. What, then, is that which, not merely in a few facts in particular chapters, but throughout, comes before us in the gospel of Matthew? Judea to be under direct It is supremely fitting that every man should approach the infant Jesus upon his knees. Archelaus, at the conclusion of the arguments, fell at Caesar's feet. Then, as we have just seen, the omission is not haphazard, but made of special moral force. We have here, then, the Eastems worshipping the Babe, not the parents; as in the other case we have the blessed man of God blessing the patents, but not the Babe: a most striking token of the remarkable difference which the Holy Ghost had in view when inditing these histories of the Lord Jesus. I therefore reserve any observations that this larger scope might and ought, indeed, to give rise to, till we have to consider the third gospel. To enumerate the most obvious of these, Herod shows himself to be spiritually blind (Matthew 2:3), fearful (Matthew 2:3), conspiratorial (Matthew 2:7), guileful and mendacious (Matthew 2:8), murderous (Matthew 2:13; Matthew 2:16), wrathful (Matthew 2:16; cf. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Mr. Whiting says: The situation is exceedingly beautiful. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. And there, in the presence of the father and the mother, they, Easterns though they were, and accustomed to no small homage, proved how truly they were guided of God; for neither father nor mother received the smallest of their worship: all was reserved for Jesus all poured out at the feet of the infant Messiah. [Note: Kingsbury, p. This mourning may refer to cases far from uncommon in the east, where all the children have been massacred. But among the crowd of those who came to him was Jesus. Now there is an awful lot that has been written about the star of Bethlehem. Let me add, as to the passage of Isaiah 53:1-12, that the remainder of the verse also accords with this: not " for," but, "and He shall bear their iniquities." And because a message from God came to them in a dream, telling them not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another way. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, He had made himself useful to the Romans in the wars and civil wars of Palestine, and they trusted him. Strange sight! "Rise," he said, "and take the little child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the little child, in order to kill him." Matthew again claimed that another event surrounding Jesus birth fulfilled prophecy (Matthew 2:17). At the end of the chapter is a general summary of the Messiah's ministry, and of its effects, given in these words: "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. There, according to prophecy, light was to spring up; and how brightly was it now accomplished? to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. Rama was once a strongly fortified city, but there is no city here at present. The Talmud says, "Ten measures of sorcery descended into the world; Egypt received nine, the rest of the world one". Here is a terrible illustration of what men will do to get rid of Jesus Christ. This I read, in order to show that it is the purpose of the Spirit, in this part of our gospel, to gather a quantity of facts together under one head, entirely regardless of the question of time. And so it was. This seems to be what is meant of our Lord here. He goes into Egypt, and is called out of it. Any king would have been worried at the report that a child had been born who was to occupy his throne. (ii) Frankincense is the gift for a priest. It is an interesting fact that in after days the foes of Christianity and the enemies of Jesus used the stay in Egypt as a peg to attach their slanders to him. Verse Matthew 2:18. He quotes it in the form: Out of Egypt have I called my son. A world was calling him, and yet he first fulfilled his duty to his mother and to his own folks and to his own home. The undeniable certainty that God has been pleased to confine Himself to a small portion of the circumstances of the life of Jesus, and, even so, to repeat the same discourse. All this, it is plain, was of the deepest possible moment for Israel to apprehend. Grace provokes the enemy. Start for FREE. It might be the feeblest recognition of God and man; it might be but a remnant of Israelites; but, at least, they owned the truth about themselves; and Jesus was with them in owning the ruin fully, and felt it all. Neither is it true, that the reason why Matthew occasionally gives the order of time, is because such is always his rule. King Herod and Malthace, a The Romans had trusted Herod, and they had allowed him to reign over a very considerable territory, but Herod well knew that none of his sons would be allowed a like power. The Exile sent Israel into captivity and thereby called forth tears. One of the great examples of that is the great doctor, Sir James Y. Simpson, the discoverer of chloroform. He looked at Jesus and said, "O most blessed of children, if ever there come a time for having mercy on me, then remember me, and forget not this hour". "Your sword first," he said, "and then your hand." Further, the caution against a lavishing of what was holy and beautiful on the profane is followed by rich and repeated encouragements to count on our Father's grace. To depart from the historical order, more particularly when one had previously given them that order, is what never would be thought of, unless there were some mighty preponderant reason in the mind of him who did so. When Joseph and Mary were on their way to Egypt, they were waylaid by robbers. It is probable that the blessed Jesus was at this time not a year old; yet Herod took in all the infants under two years old, that he might be sure not to miss of his prey. If he suspected anyone as a rival to his power, that person was promptly eliminated. [Note: Cooper, p. He was rejected, and most emphatically, by those whose responsibility it was most of all to receive Him. Ethnarch of ancient Samaria, Judea, and Idumea. There would have been no Sir James Simpson had there not been simple folk willing to do simple things and to deny themselves so that the brilliant lad might have his chance. When Christmas Isn't . I content myself now with giving what appears to me the true reason why the Spirit of God here adheres to the order of the facts. See and adore the fulness of the scripture! Here she is pictured as rising from her tomb, which is not far from Bethlehem, weeping and refusing to be comforted at yet another tragic loss. To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. If a man is set on his own way, if he sees in Christ someone who is liable to interfere with his ambitions and rebuke his ways, his one desire is to eliminate Christ; and then he is driven to the most terrible things, for if he does not break men's bodies, he will break their hearts. Which province does Joseph appear to have considered They became in Persia almost exactly what the Levites were in Israel. e. How would some of the Magi have known about the birth of the Messiah and become true seekers of God? The effect, therefore, is, that it is much more solemn, because unbroken, carrying its own majesty along with it. Archelaus lived from about 23 BC to about 18 AD. In the years 5 to 2 B.C. Archelaus never properly bore the title of king, ( Matthew 2:22) but only that of ethnarch.In the tenth year of his reign, or the ninth . Later legend made them kings. We may thus look for deep profit. Matthew wanted to continue to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah who fulfilled what the prophets had predicted. He was a little over four feet tall, and as really short little guys probably suffered a tremendous ego problem. The Virgin's Son was to be called "Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." This literary device of presenting implication and then realization is common in the first Gospel. "He shall be called a Nazarene" could be a prophecy issued through New Testament-era prophets some time between Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and His arrival in Nazareth. Others read the allusion as arising from later adaptations of Jesus' parables in the oral tradition, before the parables were recorded in the gospels. We need not think that the star literally moved like a guide across the sky. The prefatory words introduce it. It is not to be well or wisely got rid of, who and what Rachab publicly was; yet is she the woman that the Holy Ghost singles out for the next place in the ancestry of Jesus. The genealogy is, no doubt, formed peculiarly according to the Jewish manner; but this very shape serves rather as a confirmation, I will not say to the Jewish mind alone, but to every honest man of intelligence. So the wise men found their way to Bethlehem. Cypr. For it is no longer a question of mere acts, but of the soul's condition. there was a brilliant conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Matthew 1. The Father's voice pronounces the Son's relationship, and His own complacency; while the Holy Ghost anoints Him as man. Surely, when any man realizes the love of God in Jesus Christ, he, too, should be lost in wonder, love and praise. 4) his kingdom was divided between his three sons, Herod Antipas, Archelaus and Philip. Herod was, throughout his reign, a bloody man; it was not long before, that he destroyed the whole Sanhedrim, or bench of judges; but blood to the blood-thirsty is like drink to those in a dropsy; Quo plus sunt pot, plus sitiuntur aqu--The more they drink, the more thirsty they become. It was not a mere kingdom of the earth, neither was it in heaven, but it was heaven governing the earth for ever. Judea, a Roman province, capital Jerusalem. He was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be there tried of the devil. (ii) Jesus was fulfilling the duties of an eldest son. The heir to Davids throne has come, the Exile is over, the true Son of God has arrived, and he will introduce the new covenant (Matthew 26:28) promised by Jeremiah." If it be certain that the Holy Ghost has been pleased to give us in Matthew this discourse and others as a whole, leaving out the originating circumstances found elsewhere, it is a fair and interesting inquiry why such a method of grouping with such omissions is adopted. The tradition of the Greek church (and we have it in the thiopic missal) is, that the number of the children slain was 14,000; but that is very absurd. Archelaus (prince of the people), son of Herod the Great by a Samaritan woman, Malthake, and, with his brother Antipas brought up at Rome.At the death of Herod (B.C. No one can tell. Jerusalem knew Herod, and Jerusalem shivered as it waited for his inevitable reaction. Now, looking at the gospel of Matthew as a whole, and taking the most enlarged view of it before we enter into details, the question arises, what is the main idea before the Holy Ghost? The wise men, I am sorry, did not come to the manger, but actually arrived later on, perhaps a year or as much as two years later. Matthew 3. The noise of it was heard from Bethlehem to Ramah; for Herod's cruelty extended itself to all the coasts of Bethlehem, even into the lot of Benjamin, among the children of Rachel. The quoting of this prophecy might serve to obviate an objection which some would make against Christ, upon this sad providence. They became the teachers and instructors of the Persian kings. [4] Just prior to his final trip to Jericho, he was deeply involved in a religious conflagration. There is the name of Rachab, a Gentile, and a Gentile bringing no honourable reputation along with her. I say not that there is no evidence in the other gospels to demonstrate that He is really Jehovah and Emmanuel too, but that nowhere else have we the same fulness of proof, and the same manifest design, from the very starting point of the gospel, to proclaim the Lord Jesus as being thus a divine Messiah God with us. The lamentations of a Hindoo mother for her child are loud and piercing; and it is almost impossible to conceive of a scene more truly heart-rending than that of a whole town of such mothers wailing over their massacred children. From an obsolete but more primary form of meiromai; a division or share. The prophecy, therefore, was accomplished, and in its deepest meaning. Matthew 2:22 in all English translations. I dwell upon this, because it exemplifies, in a simple but striking manner, the finger and mind of God; as it shows us, also, how the copyists of the scriptures fell into error, through proceeding on the principle of the harmonists, whose great idea is to make all the four gospels practically one Gospel. Mr. King, an American missionary, was at Rama - now called Romba - in 1824; and Mr. Whiting, another American missionary, was there in 1835. From basileus; to rule. He was the only ruler of Palestine who ever succeeded in keeping the peace and in bringing order into disorder. The Roman senate had made him king of Judea in 40 B.C. Here Matthew cites a prophecy: "He shall be called a Nazarene"; and here Matthew has set us an insoluble problem, for there is no such text in the Old Testament. Salt will not communicate purity to what is impure, but it is used as the preservative power according to righteousness. A primary verb; to hear. And the other officials were not executed and thus he went unmourned.Now in those days when. InMatthew 4:10; Matthew 4:10, it is, rightly, "Get thee hence." And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also ( Matthew 2:8 ). To Jewish difficulties all this pointed with peculiar fitness. Nevertheless, the grace of God in this is exceeding good and wise. In later days we read that Rehoboam fortified the town of Bethlehem ( 2 Chronicles 11:6). By all the prophecies of the Old Testament it appears that Bethlehem was the place, and this the time, of the Messiah's nativity; now all the children of Bethlehem, born at this time, being murdered, and Jesus only escaping, none but Jesus could pretend to be the Messiah. Since he dealt primarily with the second of these events in his ministry, he probably did so here too. I mean, he built great fortresses out of great rocks. And in the hour of his death he arranged for the slaughter of the notable men of Jerusalem. Two of the loveliest New Testament legends are connected with the flight into Egypt. It is hard to really explain then this star by some kind of a natural phenomenon, in that they saw it in the East. 2. But there was another road. This gave an accomplishment to the general voice of the prophets, who declared Him despised and rejected of men. [3] Matthew 2:22 Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, AEthiopic, all the Itala, (except that in the Cod. I am persuaded that the name one is sufficient intimation to any Christian heart and conscience. But as Jeremiah promises a restoration, where a nation has been cut off, down to their little children, so Matthew reminds his readers, that this massacre would not prevent Christ from appearing shortly afterwards as the Redeemer of the whole nation: for we know that the whole chapter in Jeremiah, in which those words occur, is filled with the most delightful consolations. "Matthew is not simply meditating on Old Testament texts, but claiming that in what has happened they find fulfillment. We have noted the various ways scholars interpret Matthews "fulfillment" phrases (see remarks on 2;14). And still later legend gave them names, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. We do not know what brilliant star those ancient Magi saw. we have seen his star in the East, and we have come to worship him ( Matthew 2:2 ). The dire threat has passed. It was but for Jesus they came; it was on Jesus that their worship was spent; and so, spite of the parents being there, spite of what nature would prompt them to do, in sharing, at least, something of the worship on the father and mother with the Babe, they produced their treasures and worshipped the young child alone. "Blessed are ye, [there is thus a change. This our Lord divulged more particularly inMatthew 13:1-58; Matthew 13:1-58. (i) Gold is the gift for a king. Since Joseph was afraid to go to and Beneath the high altar of the church is the eave, and when the pilgrim descends into it he finds a little cavern about fourteen yards tong and four yards wide, lit by silver lamps. was reigning (Matthew 2:22)? To what painful feelings it might give rise! It is not now taking the people out of Israel, and bringing them into a position with Himself that we shall find by-and-by; but it is the Saviour identifying Himself with the godly-feeling remnant. With this explicit background given, Josephus began an exposition of the days of Archelaus' reign before Passover of 4 BC. When his mother died, Sir James Barrie could write, "I can look back, and I cannot see the smallest thing undone." It is from here that Jeremiah, himself a captive, sees his fellow countrymen carried away in chains. Matthew Loh. There lies happiness. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream. ( Matthew 2:1-2 ). It seems that after the ceremonies in Jerusalem, Joseph and Mary returned with Jesus to Bethlehem. Supposing you are describing a certain character; you put together striking traits from the whole course of his life; you do not restrain yourself to the bare dates at which they occurred. A primary particle; opposite, i.e. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (verses Matthew 7:1-4.) They quoted the text in Micah 5:2 to him. This comes out in His very name. He was loyal to Rome. For those who seek the little child's life are dead." Immediately after the mournful complaint, he adds, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord, and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. ], Cooper called this "literal prophecy plus an application." Nevertheless, they are omitted by Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists; by High Church, and Low Church; by Evangelicals, Tractarians, and Rationalists. But this is not all to be noticed here. The result was that every city in Egypt had its colony of Jews; and in the city of Alexandria there were actually more than a million Jews, and certain districts of the city were entirely handed over to them. Matthew 2:13), children were involved, and the future restoration of Israel was nevertheless secure (cf. Matthew knew that almost the only way to convince the Jews that Jesus was the promised Anointed One of God was to prove that he was the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. [13][10] Samaria, Judea proper, and Idumea became the Roman province of Judaea.[14]. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And there he was until the death of Herod: [in order] that it might be fulfilled ( Matthew 2:13-15 ). So he rose and took the little child and his mother, and went into the land of Israel. It is not his province to regard the person of Christ peculiarly, i.e., His divine glory; neither does he occupy himself with the testimony or service of Jesus here below, of which we all know Mark is the exponent. to 4 B.C.) bear as a title. She was told: "They have no bread." Also in this chapter there are several references to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (Matthew 2:5-6; Matthew 2:15; Matthew 2:17-18; Matthew 2:23). Samaritan woman who was one of his ten wives. Bailey saw three points of comparison between the two situations: in both of them a Gentile king was threatening the future of Israel (cf. (Matthew 5:1-48) Thus, in the former of these, a word detects, as it were, the thirst of blood, as corruption lies in a look or desire. It is not clear whether Jeremiah was referring to the deportation of the northern tribes in 722 B.C. For all things were out of course; and He must prove by His whole life, as we shall find by-and-by He did, what the condition of His people was. At the death of Herod, (B.C. Why was Joseph afraid to go where Archelaus The houses in Bethlehem are built on the slope of the limestone ridge; and it is very common for them to have a cave-like stable hollowed out in the limestone rock below the house itself, and very likely it was in such a cave-stable that Jesus was born. The language and the image also aptly and beautifully expressed the sorrows of the mothers in Bethlehem when Herod slew their infant children. But over Bethlehem the star was shining. To the heirs of the kingdom the Lord is unfolding the principles of that kingdom most blessed and rich instruction, but instruction in righteousness. 13 Cling to discipline. Since Rachels grave was near Bethlehem, mention of her ties in nicely with the events of Jesus early childhood near Bethlehem. Evidently, therefore, the simple perception of the glory of His person overturns all conclusions of Jewish unbelief; shows us that He whose glory was so bright must have a work commensurate with that glory; that He whose personal dignity was beyond all time and even thought, who thus stoops to enter the ranks of Israel as Son of David, must have had some ends in coming, and, above all, to die, suitable to such glory. It is strange that Josephus does not relate this story; but he wrote long after St. Matthew, and it is probable that he therefore would not relate it, because he would not so far countenance the Christian history; for he was a zealous Jew; but, to be sure, if it had not been true and well attested, he would have contested it.
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