Notes on Matthew 2:1-12 – The visit of the Magi

Mt 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

Key themes in this passage:

a) Gentiles coming to Christ (picked up again in this most Jewish of Gospels at the end, in the Great Commission). Gentiles, those considered alien to God’s purposes, exhibit an openness to God’s purposes (even through the instrumentality of their own craft) and an eager receptivity toward the newborn king. This is obviously a sign of what Matthew will repeatedly call attention to in his narrative, e.g. Mt 8:11 21:43.’ (WBC) See also the account of the centurion Mt 8:5-13, and of the Canaanite woman Mt 15:21-28.

b) divine providence (God using stars, scripture, dreams, to inform, guide and protect);

c) the contrast between the reactions of the Magi on the one hand, and Herod and the Jerusalemites on the other. Matthew’s account shows how ‘wise men, even Gentile wise men, sought Jesus out, while a Jewish king who should have known the OT prophecies neither personally sought out nor properly honored the new son of David. Indeed, this story may be part of Matthew’s larger agenda of showing how Jesus’ own people largely rejected him.’ (DJG)

d) the way in which all this conspires to confirm Jesus as the true Messiah/king.

Michael Green draws attention to a number of themes in this passage:

1. The Gentile theme.
2. The fulfilment theme.
3. The contrast theme.  This is the contrast between Herod’s reign and that of Jesus.
4. The polemical theme.  Doubtless many people in Matthew’s day assumed that Jesus of Nazareth was born in Nazareth,  {see Joh 1:46}  Matthew puts the record straight.
5. The astronomical theme.

The passage also serves to set the coming of the Christ in its geographical setting (WBC). Whereas ch 1 confirms the ‘who’, ch 2 sets out the ‘whence’.

‘There are some possible contacts with similar OT stories (e.g. the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon), especially involving Balaak and Balaam (Num 22-24). Balaak is the wicked king of Moab who wants to destroy Moses (for a comparison of the contents of Matt 2 with the story of Moses, see the next pericope); Balaam is a gentile wizard from the east, called a magos by Philo (Vit. Mos. 1.50), who surprisingly ended up saying good things about Israel rather than cursing her, thus frustrating the king’s evil intentions. Balaam furthermore refers in one of his oracles to the rising of a star out of Jacob (Nu 24:17; cf. Ge 49:10), which is to rule over many nations and possess a kingdom that will increase. {Nu 24:7} The elements in common with our pericope are striking: the wicked, threatened king; the strange non-Israelite “medium” who yet recognizes God’s presence in Israel; and the talk of a coming king together with the star symbolism. Yet, since Matthew makes no deliberate attempt to draw wording from the episode in Numbers, nor does he cite or allude to the OT passages, it may be that the similarities are coincidental. We cannot know with certainty that Matthew had the Balaak/Balaam material in his mind when he wrote this narrative.’ (WBC)

John’s Stott’s sermon outline:-

1. No trouble is too great in our search for Christ
2. No people is too alienated to find Christ
3. No gift is too great to offer to Christ

‘Jesus’ birth itself almost certainly did not occur on December 25. This date became attached to the celebration of Christmas later because it coincided with a Roman holiday known as Saturnalia, when Christians had time off work to worship.’ (NAC)

‘The story is not about Jesus’ birth but about subsequent events pitting the Magi against Herod. Despite their pagan background and powerful influence in the Babylonian or Persian courts, the Magi recognize and worship the Christ child for who he is. Despite his role as legally installed ruler of Israel and his professed conversion to Judaism, Herod rejects the newborn king and plots to destroy him. He fears that this young boy will threaten his royal position and authority. So we learn already at this early stage of the life of Jesus that the allegiances he will create will extend far beyond the boundaries of Judaism, while at the same time he will threaten and alienate many within those boundaries.’ (NAC)

‘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 observed and taken notice of, his birth was obscure and unregarded: herein he emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation. If the Son of God must be brought into the world, one might justly expect that he should be received with all the ceremony possible, that crowns and sceptres should immediately have been laid at his feet, and that the high and mighty princes of the world should have been his humble servants; such a Messiah as this the Jews expected, but we see none of all this; he came into the world, and the world knew him not; nay, he came to his own, and his own received him not; for having undertaken to make satisfaction to his Father for the wrong done him in his honour by the sin of man, he did it by denying himself in, and despoiling himself of, the honours undoubtedly due to an incarnate Deity; yet, as afterward, so in his birth, some rays of glory darted forth in the midst of the greatest instances of his abasement.’ (MHC)

After Jesus was born – How long after, is not clear. Two indications that it was not immediately after are (a) Jesus is referred to as a ‘child’, v11 etc; (b) Joseph and Mary are now described as settled in a ‘house’, v11; (c) Herod ordered the slaughter of all boys under the age of 2 years, v16.

Bethlehem - The town is five miles (eight km) S of Jerusalem.

King Herod – This was Herod the Great, whose family, though nominally Jewish, was in reality Edomite. He was king, with Roman help, from 37 to 4 B.C. Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.; Jesus was thus born before 4 B.C., rather than in A.D. 1; our calendars are off by several years due to an error of the sixth-century scholar Dionysius Exiguus, who was responsible for the calculations that moved the Western world away from dating according to the year after the foundation of Rome. Herod built the Temple in Jerusalem that Christ knew. Note the contrast between Herod (’the king’) and Jesus (’the king of the Jews’).

‘Herod the Great was a half-Jew, half-Idumean, who, through accommodation to the Romans, ascended to power as client-ruler of Israel in 37 B.C. He was known as a great builder of public works and a shrewd diplomat in his dealings with both Romans and Jews, but he laid oppressive taxes on and conscripted labor from the Israelites. As he grew older, he became increasingly paranoid about threats against his person and throne. He had numerous sons, wives, and others close to him put to death because he feared plots to overthrow him.’ (NAC)

Magi from the East – They could have been from Persia, from where the term ‘Magi’ originated; or from Babylonia, which is thought to have abounded in astrologers; or from deserts east of Palestine where the gifts mentioned could be found. Tradition says that there were three and that they were kings, but this is not indicated in the text.

‘”Magi” (not “wise men”-KJV) were pagan astrologers whose divinatory skills were widely respected in the Greco-Roman world; astrology had become popular through the “science” of the East, and everyone agreed that the best astrologers lived in the East. The Old Testament explicitly forbade such prognostication from signs (De 18:11; cf. Isa 2:6 47:11-15), prescribing true prophecy instead.’ De 18:15 (NT Background Commentary)

The various objections to the historicity of this account overlook ‘the well-documented intense interest by ancient astrologers in Persia and elsewhere in the connection between astral phenomena and political events and the fact that in A.D. 66 the eastern astrologer Tiridates and other Magi visited Rome (cf. Dio Cassius 63.7; Suetonius, Nero 13). It was also widely believed during this era that stars heralded the birth of human beings destined for greatness (Brown, 1977), and in fact both Suetonius and Tacitus tell us that at the turn of the era there was an expectation of a world-ruler who would come from Judea (Suetonius, Vesp. 4; Tacitus, Ann. 5.13). Further more, the gifts brought by the Magi are regularly mentioned in ancient sources as valuable products of Arabia and other eastern countries. There is nothing inherently improbable about the story itself, though doubtless the First Evangelist has shaped his source material to bring out the points he wishes to stress.’ (DJG)

‘Magi’ are mentioned in two other places – Ac 8:9-11 13:6. In each of these cases they are presented as deceiving charlatans. Matthew’s magi are, however introduced favourably, in that they ‘worshiped’ the newborn Jesus, presented him with gifts, and responded to a (God-given) dream by outwitting Herod.

To Jeruslaem – ‘They do not go to Herod but are only summoned to him (v 7) after he has heard of their purpose (v 3).’ (WBC)

‘It was a truly wonderful purpose of God, that he caused the entrance of his Son into the world to be attended by deep meanness, and yet bestowed upon him illustrious ornaments, both of commendation and of other outward signs, that our faith might be supplied with everything necessary to prove his Divine Majesty.’ (Calvin)

‘A beautiful instance of real harmony, amidst apparent contradiction, is here exhibited. A star from heaven announces that he is a king, to whom a manger, intended for cattle, serves for a throne, because he is refused admittance among the lowest of the people. His majesty shines in the East, while in Judea it is so far from being acknowledged, that it is visited by many marks of dishonor. Why is this? The heavenly Father chose to appoint the star and the Magi as our guides, to lead directly to his Son: while he stripped him of all earthly splendor, for the purpose of informing us that his kingdom is spiritual. This history conveys profitable instruction, not only because God brought the Magi to his Son, as the first-fruits of the Gentiles, but also because he appointed the kingdom of his Son to receive their commendation, and that of the star, for the confirmation of our faith; that the wicked and malignant contempt of his nation might not render him less estimable in our eyes.’ (Calvin)

‘Note: Many times those who are nearest to the means, are furthest from the end. See Mt 8:11-12. The respect paid to Christ by these Gentiles was a happy presage and specimen of what would follow when those who were afar off should be made nigh by Christ.’ (MHC)

Mt 2:2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” Possibly, the Magi had been taught by exiled Jews that a star would herald the coming of the messianic king, Nu 24:17.

‘Since the magi in Matthew’s narrative have some knowledge of Jewish messianic expectation, they must have had some contact with Jewish thinking. While this could have occurred in Persia or Arabia, Babylon had a settled Jewish community and seems the most likely candidate cf. Da 2:48 5:11. (WBC)

There is emphasis in the expression, ‘born king of the Jews’. Herod had been appointed as such by the Romans; but the title belonged to Christ as his birth-right.

‘Note, There is more gross ignorance in the world, and in the church too, than we are aware of. Many that we think should direct us to Christ are themselves strangers to him.’ (MHC)

‘Doubtless these simple strangers expected all Jerusalem to be full of its new-born King, and the time, place, and circumstances of his birth to be familiar to every one. Little would they think that the first announcement of his birth would come from themselves, and still less could they anticipate the startling, instead of transporting, effect which it would produce-else they would probably have sought their information regarding his birthplace in some other quarter.’ (JFB)

“We saw his star in the east” – Because the Magi came from the east, the star pointing in the direction of Jerusalem must presumably have been in the west. Hence, the meaning is, “We, being from the east, saw his star.” An alternative translation would render it, “We have seen his star rising.”

Alternatively, the star itself did indeed appear in the East, but with an astrological significance that led the Magi west, towards Jerusalem.  See the post on The Star of Bethlehem.

Astronomical phenomena came particularly to be associated with kings and rules in 44 BC, when a nova appeared in the sky over the funeral pyre of Julius Caesar. During the 1st century AD there was a strong rumour, reported by Tacitus, Josephus and Seutonius, that a world leader would come out of Judea. It is therefore not surprising that the Magi inferred political upheavals in the star they saw. The Jewish messianic expectation included reference to a star, Nu 24:17. Accordingly, it can be seen that both Gentile and Jewish worlds were predisposed to seeing significance in celestial occurences.

Elsewhere in the NT Jesus is himself referred to as the rising star, Lu 1:78 2Pe 1:19 Re 22:16

‘The sharp contrast between these well-motivated foreigners and the unscrupulous jealousy of Herod, the official King of the Jews (and all Jerusalem with him), foreshadows the response which official Judaism will make to Jesus, and the future welcome of Gentile believers into the true people of God.’ (NBC)

‘It may be inferred from the words of Matthew, that it was not a natural, but an extraordinary star. It was not agreeable to the order of nature, that it should disappear for a certain period, and afterwards should suddenly become bright; nor that it should pursue a straight course towards Bethlehem, and at length remain stationary above the house where Christ was. Not one of these things belongs to natural stars. It is more probable that it resembled a comet, and was seen, not in the heaven, but in the air. Yet there is no impropriety in Matthew, who uses popular language, calling it incorrectly a star.’ (Calvin)

‘The birth of Christ was notified to the Jewish shepherds by an angel, to the Gentile philosophers by a star: to both God spoke in their own language, and in the way they were best acquainted with.’ (MHC)

‘The idolaters worshipped the stars as the host of heaven, especially the eastern nations, whence the planets have the names of their idol gods; we read of a particular star they had in veneration, Am 5:26. Thus the stars that had been misused came to be put to the right use, to lead men to Christ; the gods of the heathen became his servants.’ (MHC).

“We…have come to worship him” – Not to adore him as Son of God, for there is no indication that they believed him to be such. Rather, to pay homage as a king, for that is what they expected him to be. But Matthew’s readers know the real meaning of what the magi have come to do better than the magi themselves knew, namely, “worship” in its proper sense. That is, Jesus is the manifestation of God’s presence, Mt 1:23, the son of God, Mt 2:15 in a unique sense, and thus one to be worshiped

‘The reason why the star had been exhibited was, to draw the Magi into Judea, that they might be witnesses and heralds of the new King. So far as respects themselves, they had not come to render to Christ such pious worship, as is due to the Son of God, but intended to salute him, according to the Persian custom, as a very eminent King. For their views, with regard to him, probably went no farther, than that his power and exalted rank would be so extraordinary as to impress all nations with just admiration and reverence. It is even possible, that they wished to gain his favor beforehand, that he might treat them favorably and kindly, if he should afterwards happen to possess dominion in the east.’ (Calvin)

‘Herodotus says that the Magi were priests of the race of the Medes. It is likely that they were astrologers. It may seem strange that these Medians should have known of the Jewish Messiah, but the Jews had spread through the former Persian empire and many would have spoken of the promise found throughout the OT. Daniel the Jew had also gained a reputation as a wise man under the Babylonian and Persian empires. Thus wise men of the East would have been aware of the belief that a great Ruler was to be born among the Jews.’ (ISBE)

‘Impressed by what they saw in the skies at night, they journeyed west to Judea to find out what it meant. Is it not perfectly astonishing that men with so little to go on should venture so far, endure such hardships in travel, and face such uncertainties of finding the one the star betokened? What is more, they wanted to give him costly gifts and the worship of their hearts…I find their faith, their insight, their wholehearted search and adoring worship, utterly amazing. It is one of the many surprises in the Gospel. But then God is the God of surprises. How sad that in many churches, this element of surprise is almost entirely absent, and boring predictability governs all that happens!’ (Green)

‘Matthew, of course, has an eye for his own day as he records this story. By the time he wrote, Gentiles were flooding into the church, whereas most of his Jewish compatriots did not want to know.’ (Green)

‘Observe here how Jews and Gentiles compare notes about Jesus Christ. The Gentiles know the time of his birth by a star; the Jews know the place of it by the scriptures; and so they are capable of informing one another.’ (MHC)

‘Matthew made a significant point in highlighting the worship of these wise men (who were pagan astrologers, wise in the ways of secular science, diviners, and magicians) in contrast to the Jewish religious leaders who knew the Holy Scriptures and did not need to travel far to find their Messiah. The Jewish leaders directed the wise men to Bethlehem but apparently did not go themselves. {Mt 2:4-6} Some scholars say these wise men were each from a different land, representing the entire world bowing before Jesus. These men from faraway lands recognized Jesus as the Messiah when most of God’s chosen people in Israel did not. Matthew pictures Jesus as King over the whole world, not just Judea.’ (Life Application)

Mt 2:3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

King Herod…was disturbed – This is too weak: ‘greatly disturbed’ would be better. And well he might be, for he had obtained his kingdom through fraud and violence, and would have been very fearful that the throne might be occupied by a more rightful heir. ‘Carnal wicked hearts dread nothing so much as the fulfilling of the scriptures.’ (MHC)

‘Herod was suspicious of anyone whom he thought could try to take the throne away from him. One-time friends, servants, countless enemies, priests, nobles, and all who crossed him in some way were killed.’ (Alan Millard)

All Jerusalem with him – This probably refers to the religious leaders – the chief priests and the scribes, mentioned in the next verse. This rejection of Jesus by Jerusalem foreshadows the pattern of his adult ministry.

Neither Herod, the reigning king, nor the Jews of Jerusalem, make any attempt to seek out Jesus, let alone worship him. It is the pagan astrologers who do that. It is fitting that Matthew should record this, since he writes especially for the Jews, and moreover records their rejection of Christ as well as the outreach of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

‘The first who took notice of Christ after his birth were the shepherds, {Lu 2:15, etc.} who saw and heard glorious things concerning him, and made them known abroad, to the amazement of all that heard them, Mt 2:17,18. After that, Simeon and Anna spoke of him, by the Spirit, to all that were disposed to heed what they said, Lu 2:38. Now, one would think, these hints should have been taken by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and they should with both arms have embraced the long-looked-for Messiah; but, for aught that appears, he continued nearly two years after at Bethlehem, and no further notice was taken of him till these wise men came.’ (MHC)

Jesus is the ‘great troublemaker’. ‘When Jesus was born into our world, people immediately began to react. His presence did not soothe and comfort people; instead, it startled and disturbed them. In some, he awakened spiritual longings; in others, fear and insecurity.’ (Life Application)

Mt 2:4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

That Herod had to ask this question at all shows his sperficial knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures.

Mt 2:5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:”

“In Bethlehem in Judea” – The answer is supplied from Mic 5:2. Cf. Joh 7:42

‘The context of the passage in Micah seems clearly messianic and was regularly so taken by pre-Christian Jews. The remainder of the verse which Matthew leaves unquoted (”whose origins are from of old, from ancient times”) suggests more than a mere mortal is in view. Perhaps Micah even had in mind the child of Isa 7:14 and Isa 9:6. Certainly such a prophecy excludes many potential messianic aspirants and refutes the argument that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah simply by setting out to fulfill all of the Scriptures relevant to the office. He scarcely could have chosen his place of birth.’ (NAC)

Ryle says that this passage teaches that ‘there may be knowledge of Scripture in the head, while there is no grace in the heart.’ The priests and elders could give a ready and accurate answer to Herod’s enquiry, but not one of them made their way to Bethlehem to seek the Saviour for themselves. They had head-knowledge, but no heart-response.

Mt 2:6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

See Mic 5:2. See also Joh 7:42.

‘Matthew makes a key addition to Micah’s wording, by inserting the word translated “by no means,” to show that the fulfillment of this prophecy has transformed Bethlehem from a relatively insignificant town into a city of great honor. What seems at first glance to create a formal contradiction in fact involves an addition designed to make the text accurately reflect the altered situation. This combination of translation and commentary closely resembles that of the Jewish targums. Discerning Jewish readers would have known the wording of the original text and would have recognized that Matthew’s addition was not a mistake in quoting the Scriptures but an interpretative explanation.’ (NAC)

‘Matthew’s quotation not only answers Herod’s and the Magi’s question regarding the place of the Christ child’s birth while showing the city once despised as now honored, but it also adds another aspect to the work of the royal Messiah. He will not only rule but also “shepherd” the people of Israel. A shepherd as an image of a ruler of God’s people appeared commonly in the Old Testament (see Ezek 34). It implies guidance, pastoral care, and a sense of compassion. {see Mr 6:34} The final phrase of Matthew’s quotation comes from 2Sa 5:2, in which godly shepherding formed part of the role assigned to Israelite kings. What they often failed to carry out, the Messiah will now perform properly.’ (NAC)

‘Though a small place so far as population is concerned, yet it shall not be small, or least, in honour; for the Messiah shall be born there. His birth gave the place an honour which could not be conferred on the larger cities by all their numbers, their splendour, and their wealth. The birth of a distinguished personage was always supposed to give honour and importance to a city or country. Thus seven cities contended for the honour of giving birth to Homer; Stratford-upon-Avon is distinguished as the birth-place of Shakespeare; and Corsica as the birth-place of Napoleon.’ (Barnes)

Mt 2:7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

Perhaps Herod reasoned that if he knew the exact time the star appeared, he would know the age of the child.

‘He would not openly own his fears and jealousies; it would be his disgrace to let the wise men know them, and dangerous to let the people know them. Sinners are often tormented with secret fears, which they keep to themselves.’ (MHC)

Mt 2:8 he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Mt 2:9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

They went on their way -

The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was – This makes the explanation that the star was a natural phenomenon rather difficult. However, ‘the apparent disappearance and reappearance is what makes some scholars believe this to be a planetary conjunction in which the planets came together, then parted, then reconverged.’ (HSB)

‘In the Bible at least three astronomical miracles are recorded: Joshua ordering the sun to “be still,” {Jos 10:13} the shadow going back on the dial of Ahaz, {2Ki 20:8-11} and the star of Bethlehem. {Mt 2:1-11} There are three common ways of attempting to understand miracles in the biblical narratives. The first is to try to find a natural explanation for an apparently supernatural phenomenon. Another way of interpreting the record is to understand it as poetical hyperbole. The third way is to regard the biblical narrative as an essentially accurate account of a truly supernatural event. The Bible itself suggests that these miracles are the mighty work of God and not astronomical flukes. The God of the Bible is the creator of all celestial objects and they bear witness to him. He can certainly intervene and change their natural course.’ (ISBE)

Mt 2:10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

‘Can God speak through astrology? Yes, for he did it once. Is it then a normal means of his revelation? By no means! God has given us his Word, a far more accurate and fuller means of revelation. Yet when his people are ignoring his Word, it may well be that God will speak to some pagan through the stars and that pagan will respond with a faith that shames the indifference of the people who claim to be God’s and who are custodians of his revelatory book.’ (HSB)

‘Although the Magi were astrologers, the story does not encourage astrology in general, any more than the appearances of Moses at the Transfiguration supports the practice of spiritualism. There will be signs in the heavens before the Second Coming; {Lu 21:25} the sun was darkened before Christ died on the cross; and Josephus says that a comet was seen for a whole year before the destruction of Jerusalem (BJ vi.5.3). Thus we need not be surprised if some phenomenon such as a comet appeared at the time of Christ’s birth.’ (ISBE)

‘The Magi appear as Balaam’s successors to witness the fulfillment of Nu 24:17.’ (NAC)

Mt 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

1. They came – having travelled far and long
2. They saw -
3. They bowed down and worshiped -
4. They gave – of their best

On coming to the house – Of course, later Christian tradition has tended to amalgamate the visit of the shepherds and the Magi. But the visit of the Magi may have taken place some time – up to two years after the birth of Jesus. But it is by no means certain that Luke regards Jesus as having been born in a stable, Lk 2:7.

They bowed down and worshiped him – ‘These verses show us that it is not always those who have most religious privileges, who give Christ most honour. We might have thought that the scribes and Pharisees would have been the first to hasten to Bethlehem, on the slightest rumour that the Saviour was born. But it was not so. A few unknown strangers from a distant land were the first, except the shepherds mentioned by St. Luke, to rejoice at his birth. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” {Joh 1:11} What a mournful picture this is of human nature! How often the same kind of thing may be seen among ourselves! How often the very persons who live nearest to the means of grace are those who neglect them most!…Familiarity with sacred things has an awful tendency to make men despise them. There are many, who from residence and convenience ought to be first and foremost in the worship of God, and yet are always last. There are many, who might well be expected to be last, who are always first.’ (Ryle)

‘We may well imagine their expectations were raised to find this royal babe, though slighted by the nation, yet honourably attended at home; and what a disappointment it was to them when they found a cottage was his palace, and his own poor mother all the retinue he had! Is this the Saviour of the world? Is this the King of the Jews, nay, and the Prince of the kings of the earth? Yes, this is he, who, though he was rich, yet, for our sakes, became thus poor.’ (MHC)

‘We do not read that they gave such honour to Herod, though he was in the height of his royal grandeur; but to this babe they gave this honour, not only as to a king (then they would have done the same to Herod), but as to a God.’ (MHC)

They opened their treasures – or, rather, their ‘treasure-boxes’ (WBC).

Gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh – Frankincense and myrrh are associated in So 3:6 4:6.

The number of the gifts has led to the otherwise unfounded tradition that the Magi were three in number. Gold is especially associated with royalty; incense with priestly worship, and myrrh with burial. ‘In those three gifts we see who he is, what he came to do, and what it cost him.’ (Green)

France says, ‘The homage of these learned Gentiles is intended to indicate the fulfilment of such passages as Ps 72:10 ff, Isa 60:1 ff (these passages probably account for the later Christian tradition that these Magi were “kings”), and two of the gifts are specifically mentioned in Ps 72:15 (gold); Isa 60:6 (gold and frankincense). They are gifts fit for a king, as is also myrrh, Ps 45:8 So 3:6; and they remind the reader of the homage of the Queen of Sheba to the son of David, with her gifts of spices and gold, 1Ki 10:2. The use of myrrh in the crucifixion, Mr 15:23 and burial, Joh 19:39, of Jesus has led to the tradition that it symbolises his suffering, but in the Old Testament it is rather a symbol of joy and festivity (see references above, and Pr 7:17 So 5:5.’

Wbc concurs: ‘The offering of gold and precious spices is not extraordinary but does suggest that the magi who could give these gifts were of some wealth. The “decoding” of the three gifts-that gold reflects Christ’s kingship, frankincense his deity, and myrrh his suffering-is irrelevant to Matthew’s intention.’

JFB similarly express wise caution: ‘That the gold was presented to the infant King in token of his royalty; the frankincense in token of his divinity, and the myrrh, of his sufferings; or that they were designed to express his divine and human natures; or that the prophetical, priestly, and kingly offices of Christ are to be seen in these gifts; or that they were the offerings of three individuals respectively, each of them kings, the very names of whom tradition has handed down-all these are, at the best, precarious suppositions. But that the feelings of these devout givers are to be seen in the richness of their gifts, and that the gold, at least, would be highly serviceable to the parents of the blessed Babe in their unexpected journey to Egypt and stay there-that much at least admits of no dispute.’

‘It is obvious that the magi symbolize the Gentiles who, unlike the Jews, prove receptive to the king and God’s purposes in him. The realization of eschatological salvation means blessing for all the nations and not simply Israel-this in accord with God’s promise to Abraham and the universalism of the prophets. The Church, in the West at least, did not miss the import of the magi, and before they began to celebrate Christmas, they already celebrated Epiphany (Jan. 6), the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.’ (WBC)

Mt 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.