Mǎtaìfúyīn 2

1 Dāng Xīlǜ wáng de shíhou , Yēsū shēng zaì Yóutaì de Bólìhéng . yǒu jǐ ge bóshì cóng dōngfāng lái dào Yēlùsǎlĕng , shuō ,

2 Nà shēng xià lái zuò Yóutaìrén zhī wáng de zaì nàli . wǒmen zaì dōngfāng kànjian tāde xīng , tè lái baì tā .

3 Xīlǜ wáng tīngjian le , jiù xīnli bù ān . Yēlùsǎlĕng hé chéng de rén , yĕ dōu bù ān .

4 Tā jiù zhào jì le Jìsīzhǎng hé mínjiān de Wénshì , wèn tāmen shuō , Jīdū dāng shēng zaì héchu .

5 Tāmen huídá shuō , zaì Yóutaì de Bólìhéng . yīnwei yǒu xiānzhī jì zhe shuō ,

6 Yóudà dì de Bólìhéng a , nǐ zaì Yóudà zhū chéng zhōng , bìng bú shì zuì xiǎo de . yīnwei jiānglái yǒu yī wèi jūnwáng , yào cóng nǐ nàli chūlai , mù yǎng wǒ Yǐsèliè mín .

7 Dāngxià Xīlǜ ànàn de zhào le bóshì lái , xì wèn nà xīng shì shénme shíhou chūxiàn de .

8 Jiù chāi tāmen wǎng Bólìhéng qù , shuō , nǐmen qù zǐxì xún fǎng nà xiǎo háizi . xún dào le , jiù lái bàoxìn , wǒ yĕ hǎo qù baì tā .

9 Tāmen tīngjian wáng de huà , jiù qù le . zaì dōngfāng suǒ kànjian de nà xīng , hūrán zaì tāmen qiántou xíng , zhí xíng dào xiǎo háizi de dìfang , jiù zaì shàng tóu tíng zhù le .

10 Tāmen kànjian nà xīng , jiù dàdà de huānxǐ .

11 Jìn le fángzi , kànjian xiǎo háizi hé tā mǔqin Mǎlìyà , jiù fǔfú baì nà xiǎo háizi , jiēkāi bǎo hé , ná huángjīn , rǔxiāng , mòyào wéi lǐwù xiàn gĕi tā .

12 Bóshì yīnwei zaì mèng zhōng beì zhǔ zhǐshì , búyào huí qù jiàn Xīlǜ , jiù cóng biéde lù huí bĕn dì qù le .

13 Tāmen qù hòu , yǒu zhǔ de shǐzhĕ xiàng Yūesè mèng zhōng xiǎnxiàn , shuō , qǐlai , daì zhe xiǎo háizi tóng tā mǔqin , taó wǎng Āijí , zhù zaì nàli , dĕng wǒ fēnfu nǐ . yīnwei Xīlǜ bì xúnzhǎo xiǎo háizi yào chúmiĕ tā .

14 Yūesè jiù qǐlai , yè jiān daì zhe xiǎo háizi hé tā mǔqin wǎng Āijí qù .

15 Zhù zaì nàli , zhídào Xīlǜ sǐ le . zhè shì yào yìngyàn zhǔ jiè zhe xiānzhī suǒ shuō de huà , shuō , wǒ cóng Āijí zhào chū wǒde érzi lái .

16 Xīlǜ jiàn zìjǐ beì bóshì yúnòng , jiù dàdà fānù , chāi rén jiāng Bólìhéng chéng lǐ , bìng sì jìng suǒyǒude nánhái , zhào zhe tā xiàng bóshì zǐxì cháwèn de shíhou , fán liǎng suì yǐ lǐ de , dōu shā jìn le .

17 Zhè jiù yìng le xiānzhī Yēlìmǐ de huà , shuō ,

18 Zaì Lāmǎ tīngjian haó dà kū de shēngyīn , shì Lājié kū tā érnǚ , bù kĕn shòu ānwèi , yīnwei tāmen dōu bú zaì le .

19 Xīlǜ sǐ le yǐhòu , yǒu zhǔ de shǐzhĕ , zaì Āijí xiàng Yūesè mèng zhōng xiǎnxiàn , shuō ,

20 Qǐlai , daì zhe xiǎo háizi hé tā mǔqin wǎng Yǐsèliè dì qù . yīnwei yào haì xiǎo háizi xìngméng de rén yǐjing sǐ le .

21 Yūesè jiù qǐlai , bǎ xiǎo háizi hé tā mǔqin daì dào Yǐsèliè dì qù .

22 Zhǐ yīn tīngjian Yàjīlǎo jiē zhe tā fùqin Xīlǜ zuò le Yóutaì wáng , jiù pà wǎng nàli qù . yòu zaì mèng zhōng beì zhǔ zhǐshì , biàn wǎng Jiālìlì jìng neì qù le .

23 Dào le yī zuò chéng , míng jiào Násǎlè , jiù zhù zaì nàli . zhè yào yìngyàn xiānzhī suǒ shuō , tā jiāng wéi Násǎlè rén de huà le .

Mǎtaìfúyīn 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

The wise men's search after Christ. (1-8) The wise men worship Jesus. (9-12) Jesus carried into Egypt. (13-15) Herod causes the infants of Bethlehem to be massacred. (16-18) Death of Herod, Jesus brought to Nazareth. (19-23)

Verses 1-8 Those who live at the greatest distance from the means of grace often use most diligence, and learn to know the most of Christ and his salvation. But no curious arts, or mere human learning, can direct men unto him. We must learn of Christ by attending to the word of God, as a light that shineth in a dark place, and by seeking the teaching of the Holy Spirit. And those in whose hearts the day-star is risen, to give them any thing of the knowledge of Christ, make it their business to worship him. Though Herod was very old, and never had shown affection for his family, and was not himself likely to live till a new-born infant had grown up to manhood, he began to be troubled with the dread of a rival. He understood not the spiritual nature of the Messiah's kingdom. Let us beware of a dead faith. A man may be persuaded of many truths, and yet may hate them, because they interfere with his ambition, or sinful indulgences. Such a belief will make him uneasy, and the more resolved to oppose the truth and the cause of God; and he may be foolish enough to hope for success therein.

Verses 9-12 What joy these wise men felt upon this sight of the star, none know so well as those who, after a long and melancholy night of temptation and desertion, under the power of a spirit of bondage, at length receive the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of God. We may well think what a disappointment it was to them, when they found a cottage was his palace, and his own poor mother the only attendant he had. However, these wise men did not think themselves baffled; but having found the King they sought, they presented their gifts to him. The humble inquirer after Christ will not be stumbled at finding him and his disciples in obscure cottages, after having in vain sought them in palaces and populous cities. Is a soul busy, seeking after Christ? Would it worship him, and does it say, Alas! I am a foolish and poor creature, and have nothing to offer? Nothing! Hast thou not a heart, though unworthy of him, dark, hard, and foul? Give it to him as it is, and be willing that he use and dispose of it as it pleases him; he will take it, and will make it better, and thou shalt never repent having given it to him. He shall frame it to his own likeness, and will give thee himself, and be thine for ever. The gifts the wise men presented were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Providence sent these as a seasonable relief to Joseph and Mary in their present poor condition. Thus our heavenly Father, who knows what his children need, uses some as stewards to supply the wants of others, and can provide for them, even from the ends of the earth.

Verses 13-15 Egypt had been a house of bondage to Israel, and particularly cruel to the infants of Israel; yet it is to be a place of refuge to the holy Child Jesus. God, when he pleases, can make the worst of places serve the best of purposes. This was a trial of the faith of Joseph and Mary. But their faith, being tried, was found firm. If we and our infants are at any time in trouble, let us remember the straits in which Christ was when an infant. ( 16-18 ) Herod killed all the male children, not only in Bethlehem, but in all the villages of that city. Unbridled wrath, armed with an unlawful power, often carries men to absurd cruelties. It was no unrighteous thing with God to permit this; every life is forfeited to his justice as soon as it begins. The diseases and deaths of little children are proofs of original sin. But the murder of these infants was their martyrdom. How early did persecution against Christ and his kingdom begin! Herod now thought that he had baffled the Old Testament prophecies, and the efforts of the wise men in finding Christ; but whatever crafty, cruel devices are in men's hearts, the counsel of the Lord shall stand.

Verses 19-23 Egypt may serve to sojourn in, or take shelter in, for awhile, but not to abide in. Christ was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to them he must return. Did we but look upon the world as our Egypt, the place of our bondage and banishment, and heaven only as our Canaan, our home, our rest, we should as readily arise and depart thither, when we are called for, as Joseph did out of Egypt. The family must settle in Galilee. Nazareth was a place held in bad esteem, and Christ was crucified with this accusation, Jesus the Nazarene. Wherever Providence allots the bounds of our habitation, we must expect to share the reproach of Christ; yet we may glory in being called by his name, sure that if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him.