Bible Commentaries

Matthew 2:1-12). Warned by an angel in a dream, Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt, escaping the massacre of infants by an enraged Herod (Matthew 2:13-18). After the death of Herod, Joseph and his family return to settle in the village of Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23).

POINTS TO PONDER

• The details of the visit of the wise men from the East
• Fact versus fiction related to the birth of Jesus
• Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by the events in this chapter

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What are the main points of this chapter?
1. The visit of the wise men - Matthew 2:1-12
2. The flight to Egypt and massacre of infants - Matthew 2:13-18
3. The return from Egypt and residence at Nazareth - Matthew 2:19-23
2. Why had the wise men from the East come to Jerusalem? (Matthew 2:1-2)
1. They had seen the star of the King of the Jews and had come to worship Him
3. How did the priests and scribes determine the location of Christ's birth? (Matthew 2:4-6)
1. From Micah 5:2
4. How did the wise men find the young Child? Where did they find Him? (Matthew 2:9-11)
1. Heading to Bethlehem, they followed the star;
2. in a house with Mary, His mother.
5. Why did Joseph and his family flee? What prophecy would be fulfilled? (Matthew 2:13-15)
1. Warned by an angel to go to Egypt, in order to escape Herod's effort to destroy Jesus
2. "Out of Egypt I called My Son" (Hosea 11:1)
6. What prophecy did the slaughter of the innocents fulfill? (Matthew 2:16-18)
1. That spoken by Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 31:15)
7. What prompted Joseph and his family to return? Why to Galilee? (Matthew 2:19-22)
1. An angel told Joseph of Herod's death, and told him to return to Israel
2. Hearing that Herod's son ruled over Judea, they turned aside to Galilee
8. Where did the family settle? What prophecy did that fulfill? (Matthew 2:23)
1. In a city called Nazareth
2. "He shall be called a Nazarene" (no one prophecy in particular) Matthew 2:1-23

Matthew 2

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, Wisemen came from the east to Jerusalem, saying, (Matthew 2:1)

Bethlehem of Judaea distinguishes between the two Bethlehems in Israel. One of them was in Zebulun (Joshua 19:15-16) and the other in Judaea. Micah had firmly foretold the birth of the Messiah in the Judean Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The word BETHLEHEM means "place of bread"; and it seems quite appropriate that "The Bread of Life" should have been born in a place with such a name. Located six miles south of Jerusalem on the road to Hebron, it has existed since1 ,500 years before Christ and has boasted many great names among its citizens, including that of David the king.

In the days of Herod the king is as near as Matthew comes to giving the date of Jesus" birth, a point on which there is much difference of opinion among scholars and commentators. H. Leo Boles makes the date4 B.C. Dummelow makes it not later than6 B.C. Encyclopedias usually date the reign of Herod the Great as37 B.C. to4 B.C. Now, if it could be ascertained with accuracy that Herod died the year our Lord was born, then the date would lie approximately4 B.C. However, some scholars like Dummelow, understand Matthew 2:16 as a reference to a period of waiting and searching while Herod tried to find the wise men and get a report from them. The two years thus lost would move the birth of Christ back to6 B.C. H. Leo Boles and others refer the "two years" to the time the wise men lost finding Christ. This would suppose the star to have appeared two years before Christ was born. Slight difficulty is encountered by either position. No one can say certainly exactly when the birth of Christ occurred. Fortunately, this is not an important difficulty.

Herod the king was Herod I, called the Great, no less than nine members of whose family are mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures. He was, in short, a monster. Josephus details his pride, cruelty, and blood-lust, as they supported his merciless and implacable ambition. It was indeed "night" when our Lord was born with such a man upon the throne. Others of Herod's dynasty mentioned in the Bible are: his four sons, (1) Herod Philip I, the first husband of Herodias (Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17); (2) Herod Antipas, the second husband of Herodias, who was rebuked for his incestuous marriage by John the Baptist (Mark 6:17); (3) Herod Archelaus (Matthew 2:22); (4) Herod Philip II (Luke 3:1); (5) a grandson, Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1); (6) a great-grandson, Herod Agrippa II, before whom Paul made his defense in Acts 25:1-27 and Acts 26:1-32; (7) a great-granddaughter, Bernice, common law wife of her own brother, Agrippa II, and a mistress of both Vespasian and Titus (Acts 25:1-27; Acts 26:1-32); (8) Drusilla, another great-granddaughter, the wife of Felix (Acts 24:24); and (9) Herodias, wife of Herod Philip I, by whom she had Salome, and later, wife of Herod Antipas who was rebuked by John the Baptist. The numerous mentions of Herod's name in this wondrous second chapter of Matthew which details the birth of the Saviour is like an oft-repeated sour note in what is otherwise a perfect orchestral rendition.

There came wisemen ... These were MAGI, that is, astrologers. Boles pointed out that Daniel "was made president of this order in Babylon (Daniel 2:48), and that Jeremiah spoke of this class among Babylonians." [1] The number of the wise men who came to visit Jesus is not known. The conjecture that there were "three" probably rose from the fact that three kinds of gifts are mentioned - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Dummelow, among many, noted the spiritual implications of the worship from the wise men and called it: "A prophecy of the succeeding centuries, in which the chosen people have persistently rejected the Messiah, and the Gentiles have accepted him." [2] The translation "wise men" is a fortunate rendition of the Greek term "magi," since the truly wise of all ages are indeed those who bow down and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of those wise men to Christ has been compared to the experience of certain ones who come to Christ now: (1) They followed a little light, the star. (2) They arrived at the wrong place. (3) They asked for more light. (4) They did not received it from men but from God's word, the Bible. (5) They followed the additional light which they obtained from Micah 5:2. (6) They found the Lord in Bethlehem, (7) Lo, the star came; and it appeared that they had not lost any light but kept all they previously had. (8) They worshipped him. (9) They returned another way! Many, in groping their way out of denominational strife and error, have retraced the steps of those original wise men. Martin Luther loved the spiritual lesson derived from this incident. He said, "When the wise men relied upon their judgment and went straight to Jerusalem without consulting the star, God lifted it out of heaven and left them bewildered to make inquiry of Herod who then called his wise men, and they searched the Scriptures. And that is what we must do when we are bereft of the star." [3]

[1] H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew (Nashville, Tennessee: Gospel Advocate Company, 1961), p37.

[2] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: Macmillan Co., 1937), p627.

[3] R. H. Bainton, Here I Stand (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1950), p368.

Verse2
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The Old Testament opens with a question, God seeking man, and asking, "Adam, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The New Testament opens with a question, man seeking God, and asking, "Where is he ...?"

Born King of the Jews. That the Messianic hope of the Hebrews was well known throughout the ancient world is evident from the following considerations: (1) The Old Testament had been translated into the Greek language in the Septuagint translation "about280 B.C." The Old Testament was thus given a worldwide circulation at least a quarter of a millennium before Christ was born. Dummelow noted that "Synagogues existed through the east; ... at Damascus, nearly all the women were proselytes." Matthew 2:2 [5]

We saw his star in the east ... Many conjectures with reference to this star still leave the question unanswered with regard to what it actually was. Kepler stated that there was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars within the constellation Pisces (the fish), beginning in7 B.C. and culminating in6 B.C. This particular constellation, Pisces, was held by ancient astrologers to represent Israel; therefore, this remarkable conjunction is at least worthy of notice. It is not hard to see in this a possible fulfillment of Numbers 24:17 concerning the star that should rise out of Jacob! Surely this must have been a real star, else the astrologers from the east would not have been impressed by it. Matthew 2:2."> Matthew 2:2.

Luke 2:7). Since the departure of the holy family was so soon to follow, it may also be that the presentation in the temple had already taken place. If so, Jesus was about six weeks old at that time.

Fell down and worshipped him ... indicates that Christ alone was the object of their adoration. B. W. Johnson pointed out that "No adoration was offered to his mother." Genesis 43:11; 1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Kings 10:2).

ENDNOTE:

Matthew 2:7) was of no avail. He that "slumbers not nor sleeps" was watching over the Saviour's cradle. Dreams were often a vehicle of revelation among the Hebrews. They were considered inferior to visions but often played a vital role in protecting the chosen people. Interpretation of dreams always belonged to God alone. See Genesis 40:8; Genesis 41:16; Daniel 1:17.

They returned ... another way. The old ways are forsaken forever by those who truly worship Christ. The return of the wise men by ANOTHER WAY suggests the new and better passage that God gives His worshipers in delivering them from sin and leading them into eternal life.

Verse13
Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, ... through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son.

Out of Egypt did I call my son. This prophecy (Hosea 11:1) is referred by Matthew to the flight of Joseph and the holy family into Egypt from which, of course, they later came back. Thus, there is scriptural authority for that method of interpreting prophecy which finds both an immediate and a remote fulfillment. Israel was first called "out of Egypt" when God delivered the chosen race under the leadership of Moses, but it was fulfilled even more gloriously when the Christ returned from his journey in Egypt. Another case of this double fulfillment will be noted in Matthew 2:18.

Spoken by the Lord through the prophet ... In words like these and also those in Matthew 1:22, one sees the Scriptural affirmation that it was actually GOD who spoke THROUGH the prophets. The prophets were only instruments to convey God's message. The word belonged to God and came forth from Him!

Verse16
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wisemen, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the male children ... Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, ... Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not.

Exceeding wroth ... indicates the utmost fury of that inhuman king. Some have professed to marvel that Josephus omits any reference to Herod's slaughter of the innocents; but such is easily understood when it is recalled that Bethlehem was a small place and that the list of the slain was possibly not very large, especially when compared with the long lists of the slain so characteristic of Herod's reign. The slaughter of a few babies in Bethlehem would create little stir in a society like that. Yet there is historical reference to the event. A fourth century historian, Macrobius, referred to the slaughter of those children and affirmed that Herod's own son was among the slain, hence a proverb that arose, "It is better to be Herod's hog than his son." Matthew 2:16."> Jeremiah 31:15). Here Matthew applies the words as a prophecy of the grief and tears arising upon the slaughter of the innocents at the birth of Christ. Thus, there is another example of prophecy having an immediate and a remote fulfillment (Matthew 2:15).

ENDNOTE:

Matthew 2:16."> Matthew 2:16.

Verse19
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying ...

But when Herod was dead, ... That is God's answer to men who oppose His will. Through all the universe, one mighty purpose runs; and no man or combination of men or nations can thwart that will. BUT ... God's will must be done. A similar example of this same principle may be noted in Acts 12:23-24 where it is said of another Herod who opposed God's will that "He was eaten of worms ... but the word of God grew and multiplied."

Verse20
Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child's life.

Note that the instructions were to return to Israel, not to Bethlehem or to Jerusalem.

They are dead that sought ... See under Matthew 2:3 how, by a peculiar providence, most of the powerful members of Herod's establishment perished with him. How circumstantially accurate are God's words! Satan had doubtless raised up many enemies of Christ even in his infancy. How strange and significant that Herod caused such a large number of prominent persons to be murdered on the occasion of his own death. Josephus tells how they were shut up in the Hippodrome at Jericho and destroyed with darts when Herod knew his end was near. Marvelous are the ways of God. Unique is the procedure by which Herod took so many of his vicious nobles to the grave with him. It was God's answer to Satan's hatred of the Christ.

Verse21
And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel; but when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee.

Archelaus ... was a son of Herod by one of his ten wives, namely, Malthake; and, like most of that family, he was of vicious life.

Into the parts of Galilee ... This area was also ruled by a Herod, a son of Cleopatra of Jerusalem and Philip II. He was distinguished as one of the mildest and least vicious of the many rulers that stemmed from the evil dynasty of Herod the Great.

Verse23
And came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.

The connection between the term "Nazarene" and the Old Testament prophecies mentioned here by Matthew seems to be as follows: The Nazarites were, in a manner, typical of Christ. The town of Nazareth was named after this order of persons which counted among their number such illustrious Jewish names as those of Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist. Nazarites were of two classes, Nazarites of days, meaning Nazarites for a short period, and Nazarites for life, of whom were the three mentioned above. The Nazarite did not allow a razor to come upon him and drank no wine or strong drink. The town of Nazareth was named after the Nazarites; and thus, Jesus" residence there resulted in his being called a "Nazarene." The marvel of the fulfillment is seen in that Christ was "called" a Nazarene, although he did not manifest the type of life ascribed to Nazarites such as John the Baptist. Christ placed a great deal of emphasis on the fact that he dwelt in Nazareth. From heaven itself, he said, "I am Jesus of Nazareth": (Acts 22:8). It appears that this wretched and despised village was made by the Lord to appear as a type of all humanity. Certainly his residence there suggested his rejection.

Bethlehem was a small town not far from Jerusalem, and Judea was one of the three divisions or territories into which Palestine was divided in the time of Christ. Judea was the most important part of the country in that it contained the important city of Jerusalem. which was the capital and place at the temple of the Jews. Herod the king. I shall quote from history regarding thIs man who occupied so prominent a place In the affairs of God's people: "This year was born Herod the Great, who was afterwards king of Judea (for he was twentyfive years old when be was first made governor of Galilee In the year before Christ, 47). His father was Antlpas, a noble Idumaean, and his mother Cyprus of an illustrious famtly among the Arabians . . . By country therefore he was an Idumaean. but by religion a Jew, as all other Idumaeans were trom the time that Hyrcanus brought them all to embrace the Jewish religion, of which I have above given an account." Prideaux's Connexion. year72. "But Antigonus. by way of reply to what Herod had caused to be proclaimed, and this before the Romans, and before Silas also, said, that they would not do justly so they gave the kingdom to Herod. who was not more than a private man, and an Idumean, i.e., a half Jew." Josephus, ,Antiquities, Book14. Chapter15. Section2.

The Herodian family figures prominently in the New Testament history. and the various members of it will be ident!lIed by their Individual names as they appear in the passages. Wise men is from MAGOS which Thayer defines at this place as follows: "Oriental wise men (astrologers) who. having discovered by the rising of a remarkable star that the Messiah had just been born, came to Jerusalem to worship him." The origlnal word is used with reference to both good and evil men, but the whole context indicates that it was used in the former sense in the present instance. We are sure that the case of the shepherds as recorded In Matthew 2:2-6 correctly would show their standing with the Lord . Furthermore. God spoke to them in a dream (verse12) on the matter which again proves that tbe visit of the wise men to Jerusalem was under the direction ot God. Since the New Testament was not yet written, this event would be another to come under Hebrews 1:1. East is defined by Thayer, "eastern region, the east." The term therefore refers not merely to the direction from which the wise men came, but the country in general lying in that direction from Palestine. The guidance of the star was general only and directed them to Jerusalem. This was doubtless by the hand of God, to bring them in contact with those who were concerned in this grand occasion, particularly Herod who was destined to play sucb an important part in the drama.

When the wise men reached Jerusalem they made inquiry. seeking the exact location ot the newborn king of the J ews.. This specific statement is another proof that the whole movement of these men was under the instruction ot the Lord. Seen his star in the east denotes where they were when they first saw the star. not that it was merely in the east when they saw it. lt was over Jerusalem when they reached the city. for verse9 describes it as moving immediately before them even to the extent of detailed guidance in the local territory. They gave as their mission only the desire to worship the newborn king. It might be wondered as to how an infant could be worshiped by wise men. seeing that the general idea seems to restrict that word to some specified schedule of religious performance. The word in its several English forms is used in various connections in the New Testament. and also comes trom many different Greek originals. These Greek words are also rendered by other words in the Authorized Version. I shall give a complete list of these words. showing where they occur as the original for "worship. followed by other words (if any) by which they have been translated in the New Testament. The figure after the word denotes the number of times the word is so rendered, DOXA, Luke 14:10. Worship 1 , dignity2 , glory144 , honor6 , praise4 , glorious6. EUSEBEQ, Acts 17:23. Shew piety 1 , worship1. thebafeuo, Acts 17:26, Cure 5. heal38 , worship1. THRESKEIA, Colossians 2:18. Religion3 , worshiping1 , LATEEUO, Acts 7:42; Acts 24:14; Philippians 3:3; Hebrews 10:2. Do service 1 , serve16 , worship3 , worshiper1. neokobos, Acts 19:36. Worshiper 1. pbosjcuntes, John 4:23, Worshiper1. SEBAZO, Romans 1:25. Worship1 , SEBOMAI, Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Acts 16:14; Acts 18:7; Acts 18:13; Acts 19:27. Worship6 , devout2 , devout person1. religious1. SEBASMA, 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Devotion1 , that is worshiped1 , THEOSEBES, John 9:31. Worshiper of God1. PROSKUNEO is rendered "worship" 58 times in the New Testament and is never rendered by any other word. Not one of the Greek words in this group is used of the public services of the church when translated by the word "worship." This list will not be copied again, bo the reader is advised to mark it for ready reference.

Herod was only half Jew and was appointed to the office of ruler by the Romans. who had acquired control of the country. He was fearful of losing the throne when he heard that a child of Jewish blood had been born and was spoken of as king of the Jews. He was therefore troubled or disturbed in mind. All Jerusalem with him was troubled also, because there were a great many men in the city who depended upon him for the place of dignity that they were permitted to enjoy"

Herod was an Idumaean by natton but a Jew in religion. He thus had learned something of the Old Testament Scriptures. and knew that it had been prophesied that a king was some day to be born to the Jewish nation. However, he was not sufficiently informed to locate the town where it was to take place. He called upon the priests and scribes for the information because they were supposed to be able to give it. (See Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 17:9; Malachi 2:7)

Concordances and other works of reference were not in use at the time of this history,. but the scribes were familiar with the scriptures from having to copy them so often. It is not much wonder then that they could give Herod the information.

As proof of their statement they quoted from Micah 5:2 which designates where the birth was to occur and also what the child predicted was to do. Rule is from POJMAINO and sometimes it means to feed or nourish. Thayer defines it in this place by. "To rule, govern," and he explains Matthew 2:7; Matthew 16:5 the word elsewhere as meaning, "of the overseers (pastors) of the church." It should be observed that the new-born king was to rule the people of israel, not the political world.

Herod evidently believed that the star appeared at the same time as the birth and that would give him a point from which to reckon the age of the child. He called the wise men privately because his entire behaviour was prompted by craftiness.

The wicked king doubtless believed the prophecy, for he sent the wise men to Bethlehem in search of the child. Diligently is from AKRIBOS which Thayer defines, "exactly, ac- curately, diligently." Hence they were not only to be diligent or earnest in their investigation, but were to be careful that the information that they obtained was rellable. It will be understood that Herod's claim of wanting to worship the child was made in hypocrisy.

The wise men were obedient to Herod tor the present in that they started on their journey to Bethlehem. That was a small town not far from Jerusalem and could have been easily found without any special aid. But it was necessary that they not only go to the right town but also that they find the particular house where the child was at that hour. The com- munity was full of people who had come in response to the decree of Caesar (Luke 2:1-3). It might not have been known that a child had been recently born among the throng, and an inquiry would not likely brlng any accurate information. Hence the star, which evidently had temporarily disappeared, came into view again and went as an escort for the wise men, going even to the very house where the infant was then being nursed.

Having been led from their home country by the star, the confidence of the wise men had already been pretty well established. now that it reappeared just at the time they were starting on the final lap of their journey, their confidence was made stronger and hence they had great rejoicing.

Verse11. They worshiped him, not the mother. For the meaning of worshiped see the note at verse2. Gifts isfrom DORON and Thayer says in this place that it means "gifts offered as an expression of honor." An infant this young could not have personal appreciation tor material articles, hence the performance was in token of their recognition at his dignified importance. It was customary in old times to show recognition of either social or official rank by making presents. (See Genesis 32:13; 1 Samuel 10:27 and the comments on those passages.)

To be warned. ordinarily conveys the idea of danger, but it mighl not concern the person receiving the warning but someone else to whom he was to deIIver the message. The word is from CHREMATIZO and Thayer defines it, "To be divinely commanded, admonished, instructed." The meaning is that God instructed the wise men not to return by way of Jerusalem. The word would include the idea of danger, but it would be concerning the child Jesus and not the wise men directly. Had they gone back through Jerusalem they would have been forced to meet up with Herod, and that would have given Ihem no way to keep the information from him that would have meant harm to Jesus.

When they were departed indicates that the angel gave these instructlons to Joseph at the same time that he started the wise men on their journey homeward..

Verse14. This verse indicates that Joseph arose while it was yet night, for it was under the darkness that he started for Egypt. This is another instance showing promptness in obey ing the command of the Lord. Abraham manifested a similar attitude about the offering up at his son as re corded in Genesis 22:3. ..

The writer completes the part of his story that pertained to Egypt in order not to break into the line of thought, and he will resume it a little later on. In giving instructions for Joseph to come with his son out of Egypt, the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 was fulfilled the second time; first time was tn the days of Moses.

The original word for wicked has a somewhat varied meaning, but in the present instance it denotes that Herod regarded the actions or the wise men as intended tor a trifling with him. Whether they had such a motive or not, he was much enraged at the slight upon his dignity. But he was not to be frustrated (as he thought) in his wicked plot to make away with the child whom he regarded as his rival. He therefore formed the plan to draw a dragnet around the terrItory of Bethlehem in the hopes of entrapping the child Jesus, and he placed the maximum age at two years. It had. been that long since he made his inquiry of the wise men which he supposed was the use of the royal birth. This plot might have accompllshed his satanic purpose had it not been for the intervention of the Lord as recorded in verse13. Many people have been confused between the slaughter of these infants and those in Egypt in the time of Moses. In that case the male children only were to be slain, while no distinction was made in the present instance. Pharaoh was concerned only about children who might become soldiers to make war against bim and hence be ordered just the males to be killed. Herod would not risk the excuse that could have been offered by some in sparing thei r infants had the girls been exempted. hence the passage says that all the children were ordered slain. That word is from PAIS which Thayer defines is this place by the following: "1. a child. boy or girl; . . . plural infants, children."

When one inspired writer makes an application of another inspired statement. it leaves us with no uncertainty as to its meaning. Thus we know that Jeremiah had the "slaughter of the innocents" in mind when he wrote Jeremiah 31:15.

The context of the statement in Jeremiah had to do with the sorrows of ancient Israel at the hands of the heathen nations. Many of them had been slain or otherwise mistreated by these foreign people. Rama (or Ramah) was near Jerusalem and Rachel was buried in that district. She was an important "mother in Israel" and her name Is used to represent the mothers in Israel generally. Following a practice of the Old Testament prophets in gotng from their time to that of the New Testament for a like occurrence, Jeremiah looked forward to another when the near kin of Rachel would be cruelly mistreated. This was done when Herod caused so many of the Jewish children to be slain, hence the reference of Matthew to that prophecy of Jeremiah.

Sometimes angels were sent in visible form to communicate with man on behalf of God, and at others they came only In an inspired dream which was the way it was done to Joseph in Egypt when It was necessary to give him information.

He was instructed to leave Egypt and return because the ones who sought to slay the child were dead. The first Instructions were general and designated only that he should return to the land of Israel which would Include Galilee as well as Judea..

This verse Is still in the general form and merely states that Joseph brought the childd. and his mother into the land. of Israel and in so doing he carried out the first in structions of the angel delivered to him In the land of Egypt.

It was after the Lord informed him of the reign of Archelaus that Joseph was afraid to enter Judea which was only one part ot the land of Israel. The word not withstanding is not in the original and serves no good purpose by being Injected Into the text and should be Ignored. The verse simply means that God warned (same word as in verse12) Joseph about the son of Herod, and that caused him to change his course and enter another part of the land of Israel called Galilee.

The city to which Joseph went with his family was Nazareth. which was the former home of Mary (Luke 1:26-27). This seems to have been a mere coincidence for them to settle at this place, but we may "be sure that God had a hand In all of the affair. The writer says it was in fulfillment of a prophecy that He was to be called a Nazarene. The last word is not in any prophecy of the Old Testament. The term is derived from the formation of the name Nazareth which seems to signify "a sprout or branch," and under such like terms Jesus is referred to in Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 63:2; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12.