Matthew 2
Verse 1 4 Herod the king Called Herod the Great, son of Antipater, an Idumean Genesis 36:1 (See Scofield "Genesis 36:1") and Cypros, an Arabian woman. Antipater was appointed procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar, B.C. 47. At the age of fifteen Herod was appointed to the government of Galilee. B.C. 40 the Roman senate made him king of Judea. An able, strong, and cruel man, he increased greatly the splendour of Jerusalem, erecting the temple which was the centre of Jewish worship in the time of our Lord. Verse 2 King "The King" is one of the divine titles Psalms 10:16 and so used in the worship of the Church 1 Timothy 1:17 but Christ is never called "King of the Church." He is "King of the Jews" Matthew 2:2 and Lord and "Head of the Church" Ephesians 1:22,23 (See Scofield "Matthew 16:18") See Scofield "Hebrews 12:23" ; Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 12:23 Verse 4 Scribes (Greek - "ἀπόλλυμι" = "writer") Heb. "spherim," "to write," "set in order," "count." The scribes were so called because it was their office to make copies of the Scriptures; to classify and teach the precepts of oral law (See Scofield "Matthew 3:7") and to keep careful count of every letter in the O.T. writings. Such an office was necessary in a religion of law and precept, and was an O.T. function 2 Samuel 8:17; 20:25; 1 Kings 4:3; Jeremiah 8:8; 36:10,12,26. To this legitimate work the scribes added a record of rabbinical decisions on questions of ritual (Halachoth); the new code resulting from those decisions (Mishna); the Hebrew sacred legends (Gemara, forming with the Mishna the Talmud); commentaries on the O.T. (Midrashim); reasonings upon these (Hagada); and finally, mystical interpretations which found in Scripture meanings other than the grammatical, lexical, and obvious ones (the Kabbala); not unlike the allegorical method of Origen, or the modern Protestant "spiritualizing" interpretation. In our Lord's time, to receive this mass of writing superposed upon the Scriptures was to be orthodox; to return to the Scriptures themselves was heterodoxy--our Lord's most serious offence. Verse 15 Out of Egypt The words quoted are in Hosea 11:1 and the passage illustrates the truth that prophetic utterances often have a latent and deeper meaning than at first appears. Israel, nationally, was a "Song of Solomon 1:1" Exodus 4:22 but Christ was the greater "Song of Solomon 1:1" ; Romans 9:4,5; Isaiah 41:8; 42:1-4; 52:13,14 where the servant-nation and the Servant-Son are both in view. Verse 19 angel (See Scofield "Hebrews 1:4") Verse 22 Archelaus Son of Herod the Great, Matthew 2:1 and Malthace, a Samaritan woman. Deposed A.D. 6. Verse 23 He shall be called Probably referring to Isaiah 11:1 where Christ is spoken of as "a netzer (or, 'rod') out of the stem of Jesse."