1 Kings 17:1-24

Elijah Announces the Drought, and Is Fed During the Drought

17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." 2 The word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. 7 But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you." 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 13 Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 She then said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!" 19 But he said to her, "Give me your son." He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again." 22 The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, "See, your son is alive." 24 So the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." (1 Kings 17:1-24, NRSV)

The following comments are based on those of September 12, 2007 (Wednesday in the week of the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, references for the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from September 7, 2005 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One), and on comments on 1 Kings 17:17-24 from December 30, 2007 (the First Sunday after Christmas, the Presbyterian and Lutheran reading for December 30), when comments were based on earlier comments as noted there.

Yesterday’s reading introduced Ahab; today’s introduces Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead” (1 Kgs. 17:1a). According to Frank S. Frick, Gilead was “a region in Transjordan (modern Jordan) from the Arnon to the Yarmuk rivers , between Bashan and Moab” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, rev. ed., 1996, s.v. Gilead). The Arnon flows into the Dead Sea from the east some 20 miles south of its north end and the Wadi Yarmuk flows into the Jordan from the east some five miles south of the Sea of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee) (cf. the scale of Map 9, NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007). Tishbe is some eighteen miles east by northeast of Samaria, east of the Jordan, and some fifteen miles south by southeast of the Sea of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee) (Maps 6 and 9, NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007). However, Iain W. Provan says “the exact location of Tishbe and the Wadi Cherith (v. 2) is not known” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on 1 Kgs. 17:1-3).

It might seem a rather inauspicious beginning, until we note that Elijah drops a bomb, as it were, saying to Ahab: “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1). No immediate reaction from Ahab is reported, but Elijah perhaps anticipated anger and/or retaliation (cf. 18:17. In any event, “The word of the LORD came to him [i.e., to Elijah], saying, ‘Go from here and turn eastward, and hid yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan” (17:2-3). Tishbe is located by the Wadi Cherith according to the maps cited above. The full effect of the drought predicted by Elijah is reported later: “The famine was severe in Samaria” (18:2), but in the meantime Elijah’s living conditions picture the LORD’s care amidst the drought conditions.

&&&

He drinks from the Wadi Cherith (17:3-4) and is fed by the ravens (vv. 4, 6). But when the wadi dries up (v. 7) the LORD directs Elijah to move on. “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (v. 9).

Elijah goes to Zarephath, where, at “the gate of the town” he sees a widow there “gathering sticks”; and he calls to her, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink” (v. 10). She starts to comply, but when he adds a request for “a morsel of bread” (v. 11), she hesitates, and her concerns present a graphic picture of famine conditions. “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die” (v. 12). But Elijah–and the LORD–have something else in mind. “Do not be afraid,” says Elijah; “ go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son” (v. 13). One’s first impression is that Elijah’s main concern is for himself, but as one who brings the word of the LORD, he has assuring words for the widow. “For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth” (v. 14). She follow’s Elijah’s instructions, “so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days” (v. 15). “The jar of meal was not emptied,” says the narrator, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah” (v. 16). This salvation from famine for the widow’s household as well as for Elijah, was, of course, the LORD’s doing as predicted by Elijah (v. 14).

But soon another crisis arises, for when “the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him” (v. 17). She blames Elijah. “What have you against me, O man of God?” she asks. “You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son” (v. 18). Elijah in turn take the problem to the LORD. He takes the boy “up into the upper chamber where he was lodging,” and lays him “on his own bead” (v. 19). He pleads with the LORD. “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” (v. 20). In desperation he stretches “himself upon the child three times,” and cries out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again” (v. 21). We are told that “the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived” (v. 22). Elijah takes the boy back down to his mother and says, “See, your son is alive” (v. 23). And the woman gives voice to what is undoubtedly the narrator’s main point. “"Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (v. 24). This event, in which the widow’s son is raised from death makes it clear that a prophet is on the scene who represents the LORD, the God who controls life and death. Another effect of this incident is a significant encouragement to Elijah’s own faith before his encounter with the 400 prophets of Baal (chap. 18).

Iain W. Provan summarizes the transition from Solomon’s reign to the times of Elijah:

The major theme of chs. 12-16 has been that God is in control of history, rather than kings or the other gods whom the kings worship. Everything comes to pass just as the prophets say. The Elijah and Elisha cycles placed at the center of 1-2 Kings, further establish this perspective. In chs 17-18 in particular, the most sinful of Israel’s kings, Ahab, is forced to reckon with the most powerful of prophetic interventions, in the person of Elijah. These chapters make clear that Baal is no more a god in any real sense than Jeroboam’s calves are. The divinely ordained drought (17:1) provides the context for showing that it is the LORD and not Baal, who controls both life and death, both fertility and infertility. (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on 17:1-24).

The following comments are repeated here from December 30, 2007 (the First Sunday after Christmas, the Presbyterian and Lutheran reading for December 30):

On September 12, 2007 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One), comments were repeated with editing and supplement from September 7, 2005 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One). Those comments are repeated here with some adaptation and comparison with the comments of December 30, 2005 (Friday in the week of Christmas Day, Year Two).

Yesterday’s reading introduced Ahab; today’s introduces Elijah. It might seem a rather inauspicious beginning, but Elijah drops a bomb, as it were: “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1). The full effect of this drought is reported later: “The famine was severe in Samaria” (18:2), but in the meantime Elijah’s living conditions picture the LORD’s care amidst the drought conditions. He drinks from the Wadi Cherith (17:3-4) and is fed by the ravens (vv. 4, 6). But when the wadi dries up (v. 7) the LORD directs Elijah to move on. “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (v. 9).

Elijah goes to Zarephath, where, at “the gate of the town” he sees a widow there “gathering sticks”; and he calls to her, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink” (v. 10). She starts to comply, but when he adds a request for “a morsel of bread” (v. 11), she hesitates, and her concerns present a graphic picture of famine conditions. “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die” (v. 12). But Elijah–and the LORD–have something else in mind. “Do not be afraid,” says Elijah; “ go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son” (v. 13). One’s first impression is that Elijah’s main concern is for himself, but as one who brings the word of the LORD, he has assuring words for the widow. “For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth” (v. 14). She follow’s Elijah’s instructions, “so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days” (v. 15). “The jar of meal was not emptied,” says the narrator, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah” (v. 16). This salvation from famine for the widow’s household as well as for Elijah, was, of course, the LORD’s doing as predicted by Elijah (v. 14).

But soon another crisis arises, for when “the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him” (v. 17). She blames Elijah. “What have you against me, O man of God?” she asks. “You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son” (v. 18). Elijah in turn take the problem to the LORD. He takes the boy “up into the upper chamber where he was lodging,” and lays him “on his own bead” (v. 19). He pleads with the LORD. “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” (v. 20). In desperation he stretches “himself upon the child three times,” and cries out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again” (v. 21). We are told that “the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived” (v. 22). Elijah takes the boy back down to his mother and says, “See, your son is alive” (v. 23). And the woman gives voice to what is undoubtedly the narrator’s main point. “"Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (v. 24). This event, in which the widow’s son is raised from death makes it clear that a prophet is on the scene who represents the LORD, the God who controls life and death. Another effect of this incident is a significant encouragement to Elijah’s own faith before his encounter with the 400 prophets of Baal (chap. 18).

Iain W. Provan summarizes the transition from Solomon’s reign to the times of Elijah:

The major theme of chs. 12-16 has been that God is in control of history, rather than kings or the other gods whom the kings worship. Everything comes to pass just as the prophets say. The Elijah and Elisha cycles placed at the center of 1-2 Kings, further establish this perspective. In chs 17-18 in particular, the most sinful of Israel’s kings, Ahab, is forced to reckon with the most powerful of prophetic interventions, in the person of Elijah. These chapters make clear that Baal is no more a god in any real sense than Jeroboam’s calves are. The divinely ordained drought (17:1) provides the context for showing that it is the LORD and not Baal, who controls both life and death, both fertility and infertility. (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on 17:1-24).

Philippians 2:1-11

Paul Advises Humility, Using the Example of a Christ-Hymn

2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, ² make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. ⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

⁷ but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

⁸ he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹ and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11, NRSV)

On November 29, 2008 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year Two), comments were repeated from February 4, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two), when the reading was Philippians 2:1-13, and comments were repeated with revision from September 12, 2007 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One), when comments were based on earlier comments from December 2, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year Two), when comments were combined with revision and supplement from November 27, 2004 (Saturday of the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year Two), and from comments of September 7, 2005 (Wednesday of the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One), that were repeated on February 27, 2006 (Monday of the week of the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two). The following repeats the comments of November 29, 2008:

The concluding paragraph of the first chapter in Philippians exhorts the readers to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents” (Phil. 1:27-28a). At this point, Paul contrasts their hope with the destruction that lies ahead for their opponents (v. 28b), and compares their struggle for the gospel with his own. “For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well–since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have” (vv. 29-30).

As we come to our reading from chapter 2, we note that Paul appeals for unity and humble regard for one another within the Christian community of Philippi. “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind (2:1-2; cf. 1:27). “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,” he says, “but in humility regard others as better than yourselves” (2:3). He introduces Christ as the example of humility. “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (vv. 4-5). To illustrate the mind of Christ that he is presenting as an example for the Philippian believers, Paul presents poetic lines that many regard as an early Christian (pre-Pauline) hymn. Whether Paul wrote it himself, or endorsed it by quoting it, he endorses its Christology, that is, his view of the exalted nature, the divinity, of Christ. But he use it to advise his readers to imitate Christ’s humility, as he himself does. “Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ” (3:7). As a part of living “your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27), and as a part of their “sharing in the gospel” (1:5), that is, sharing in Paul’s mission, he urges the Philippian believers to humbly “regard each other as better than yourselves” (2:3) and “look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others” (2:4).

The first stanza of the hymn asserts the pre-existence and divinity of Christ, “who, though he was in the form of God, / did not regard equality with God / as something to be exploited” (v. 6). Carolyn Osiek says, “In the form of God, equality with God, may refer to divine status, or simply preexistence as a heavenly being (Dan. 7:14), or Adam’s original immortality (Wis. 2:23-24), which Christ renounced by becoming subject to death” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Phil. 2:6). But putting it that way seems to risk selling Paul’s Christology short. G. R. Beasley-Murray, who recognizes the view of some that Paul is here quoting an earlier Christian hymn, points out that “it should not go unnoticed how far Christological thinking had gone at so early a date, and that independently of Paul” (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, 1962, reprint 1972, sec. 861 d, p. 986, on Phil. 2:5-11). And he adds:

Christ existed in the ‘form’ of God: whether this represents an inner quality (‘specific character’, Lightfoot) or external (‘divine glory’ Behm) or even ‘status’ (E. Schweizer), it is hard to determine; the English term ‘stamp’ is not far from the idea. Existence on equality with God was not for him a ‘treasure to be grasped’. It is not said whether this represents a treasure to be gained (res rapienda) or one to be retained (res rapta). On the former assumption a contrast could be in mind with one who did so view ‘life on equality with God’, whether it be the devil (as in Lutheran tradition) or Adam (it is possible to read every line in the light of Gen. 3, see F. C. Synge). Since however, ‘life on equality with God’ seems to be the correlate of ‘existence in the form of God’, but neither is equated with the messianic sovereignty bestowed upon humble obedience, it is better to interpret the language as relating to the pre-existent Christ in the glory of God, possessing equality with God but not viewing it as a privilege that could not be forsaken (in Paul’s mind the contrast could well be with the doubtful attitude of some of the Philippians, vv. 3-4, so Barth). (ibid., pp. 986-987)

Christ left, or better, “emptied himself,” of this status of equality with God. According to the hymn, he “emptied ( ejkevnwsen, ekenōsen) himself, / taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (v. 7a, b, c). According to Frederick William Danker and others, the verb used here means “to make empty, to empty [in the sense] of divestiture of position or prestige: of Christ, who gave up the appearance of his divinity and took on the form of a slave . . . Phil. 2:7)” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. kenovw, kenoō, meaning no. (1) (b) ). On a downward trajectory, so to speak, from “equality with God” (v. 6), through “the form of a slave,” and “human likeness” (v. 7b, c) to “being found in human form, / he humbled himself / and became obedient to the point of death” (vv. 7d, 8a, b). The nadir, the low point of this trajectory, was, of course, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, to which, as the central line of the hymn, the next line calls dramatic attention, “even death on a cross” (v. 8c). An early analysis of this hymn by Ernst Lohmeyer pointed to three three-line stanzas on the downward trajectory, followed by three three-line stanzas on the upward side: (1) v. 6a, b, c; (2) v. 7a, b, c; (3) vv. 7d, 8a, b; [v. 8c, “even death on a cross”]; (4) v. 9a, b, c; (5) v. 10a, b, c; (6) v. 11a, b, c (cf. the lines as printed in the NRSV). But Lohmeyer maintained that Paul himself added the line, “even death on a cross” (v. 8c) to the pre-Pauline hymn that lacked it (cf. Kyrios Jesus. Eine Untersuchung zu Phil. 2, 5-11 [Lord Jesus. An Investigation of Phil. 2:5-11], 1928). But one can rather see the structure of inverted symmetry, A-B-C-C’-B’-A’ as an example of what scholars like to call chaism, a symmetrical pattern symbolized by the shape of the Greek letter chi (C). This puts the emphasis on the central point, the very line that Lohmeyer called Paul’s addition to the original hymn. If he is right, it still certainly illustrates Paul’s understanding of the one who died for us (cf. 2 Cor. 5:4). But one can see it as the central focus of the original hymn, whether written by Paul or earlier.

And from this nadir, the hymn rises, as it were, with the exalting of Christ, when God “also highly exalted him / and gave him the name / that is above every name” (v. 9). The result, or the intended result, that is, purpose, follows: “so that ( i”na, hina) at the name of Jesus / every knee should bend, / in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (v. 10). The first meaning of the conjunction i”na (hina) is as a “marker to denote purpose, aim, or goal, in order that, that,” but another meaning is as a “marker serving as substitute for the infinitive of result, so that” (BDAG, s.v. i{na, hina, meanings no. (1) and (3); note the inclusion of Phil. 2:10f with meaning no. (1) (b) ). The hymn ends with another statement of the purpose, “and every tongue should confess / that Jesus Christ is Lord, / to the glory of God the Father” (v. 11).

Whether Paul composed this passage himself or, as some think (noted above), he is citing an earlier Christian hymn about Christ, it is a significant early expression of what the earliest Christians believed about Jesus. But Paul’s use of it as an example for us, to be humble and look to the interests of others, is also important. In the continuation Paul shows that he follows Christ’s example. He did not regard his Jewish credentials “as something to be exploited” (cf. 3:4-8), and he urges the Philippians to “join in imitating me [i.e., Paul]” (3:17).

Matthew 2:1-12

The Magi Visit the Child Jesus

2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.' "

7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matthew 2:1-12, NRSV)

On September 12, 2007 (Wednesday in the week of the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, references for the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One), comments were repeated with editing and supplement from September 7, 2005 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 7, Year One); the comments are repeated here with editing and supplement:

Matthew, who has presented the genealogy of Jesus (Mt. 1:1-17), an account of the angelic annunciation to Joseph (vv. 18-21), and the formula quotation that presents Jesus’ birth as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (vv. 22-23, citing Isa. 7:14), briefly reports the actual birth. “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her [i.e., Mary, cf. 1:20] as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus” (Mt. 1:24-25).

As today’s reading begins, the scene shifts to Jerusalem. “In the time of King Herod,” says Matthew, the evangelist, “after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men (mavgoi, magoi, ‘Magi’) from the East came to Jerusalem” (2:1). According to J. Andrew Overman, “the time of King Herod places the birth of Jesus within a fixed time period and set of political realities. Herod, the client king of Judea, ruled 37-4 BCE; Augustus, the first Roman emperor, was his patron” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Mt. 2:1). Herod was first patronized by Antony, but when he lost to Octavian in the battle of Actium and committed suicide, Herod had to scramble to gain Octavian’s, that is, Augustus’s favor, to continue as king of the Jews (Josephus, Antiquities, Book XV, Chap. VI). One might ask, If Jesus was born during Herod’s lifetime and Herod died in 4 B.C., how do we resolve the apparent discrepancy? The answer is that apparently the Gregorian calendar, decreed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, presented as a correction of the earlier Julian calendar, was mistaken about the time of Jesus’ birth. (It’s not a mistake in the biblical text, but a mistake of the calendar makers; for details in the calendar correction of 1582, see the internet site at http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/GregorianCalendar.html, accessed September 8, 2009).

In Jerusalem, the wise men were “asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage’ ” (Mt. 2:2). According to Arland J. Hultgren, “The Wise Men, or Magi (from the Greek root meaning ‘magic’), who appear in Matthew are said to be ‘from the East’ (2:1), which could mean Arabia, Mesopotamia, or elsewhere. They are portrayed as astrologers, since they are guided by the star (2:2), and as Gentiles, since they do not know the scriptural prophecy concerning the location of the Messiah’s birth (2:2-6)” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1^st ed., 1985, s.v. wise men).

King Herod–Herod the Great, as he his known–who, according to Josephus has killed more than one of his own family members because he feared conspiracy, sees this question as another challenge. “When King Herod heard this,” we are told, “he was frightened, and all Jerusalem

When he “heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born” (vv. 3-4). The answer of these chief priests and scribes of the people is, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel’ ” (Mt. 2:5-6, citing Mic. 5:2, NRSV)

Dennis C. Duling calls this “the second formula quotation (see note on 1:22-23) [which] combines a modified Mic. 5:2 with 2 Sam. 5:2, giving Bethlehem geographic precision, prominence, and relevance” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Mt. 2:5b, 6). If so, the introductory formula uses “has been written” (gevgraptai, gegraptai) for the usual “what had been spoken” (to; rJhqe;n, to hrēthen, cf. 1:22; 2:15, 17; cf. 3:3; 4:14, etc.). And the normal reference to fulfilment (some form of the verb plhrovw, plēroō ) is missing. But the context, Herod’s court, may account for the variation on the so-called fulfillment-formula quotation form.

Armed with this information, Herod interrogates the wise men. “Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared” (v. 7). He sends them to Bethlehem, but misrepresents his motives. “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage” (v. 8). The wise men heard him out, and then, “they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was” (v. 9). In a scene since celebrated in countless Christmas celebrations, “when they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy” (v. 10). And the evangelist reports that, “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. According to Overman, “Gold, frankincense, and myrrh [for which he refers to] Isa. 60:6 [are] precious metals and costly, fragrant spices and resins [that] are appropriate gifts for a king” (op. cit., on Mt. 2:5-6). But Herod’s intention in telling the wise men to return and tell him about the child (v. 8) is thwarted, for “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road” (v. 12).

In the larger picture, Matthew’s story of Jesus begins with his being worshipped by Gentile Magi whom Herod the Great tried cynically to divert from their mission, and ends with the “Great Commission” to the apostles to “make disciples of all nations” (pavnta ta; e[qnh, panta ta ethnē, a word commonly translated “Gentiles”). But along the way, Jesus focuses his ministry on Israel (Mt. 10:5-6). The irony in this reading is that Israel’s true king is in Bethlehem, and Herod, “king” by Roman permission, can use the prophecy of Micah to send the Magi to Bethlehem while planning to make them accomplices in his deadly scheme to destroy Jesus. But, as noted, the “wise men” were too wise for that.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net