316:: It was impossible that they, who left Herod to go to Christ, should return to Herod. They who have by sin left Christ and passed to the devil, often return to Christ; for the innocent, who knows not what is evil, is easily deceived, but having once tasted the evil he has taken up, and remembering the good he has left, he returns in penitence to God. He who has forsaken the devil and come to Christ, hardly returns to the devil; for rejoicing in the good he has found, and remembering the evil he has escaped, with difficulty returns to that evil.
292:: This warning is given by the Lord Himself; it is none other that now teaches these Magi the way they should return, but He who said, I am the way. Not that the Infant actually speaks to them, that His divinity may not be revealed before the time, and His human nature may be thought real. But he says, having received an answer, for as Moses prayed silently, so they with pious spirit had asked what the Divine will bade. By another way, for they were not to be mixed up with the unbelieving Jews.
304:: Had the Magi sought Christ as an earthly King, they would have remained with Him when they had found Him; but they only worship, and go their way. After their return, they continued in the worship of God more steadfast than before, and taught many by their preaching. And when afterwards Thomas reached their country, they joined themselves to him, and were baptized, and did according to his preaching.
310:: We may learn much from this return of the Magi another way. Our country is Paradise, to which, after we have come to the knowledge of Christ we are forbidden to return the way we came. We have left this country by pride, disobedience, following things of sight, tasting forbidden food; and we must return to it by repentance, obedience, by contemning things of sight, and overcoming carnal appetite.
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286:: They had offered gifts to the Lord, and receive a warning corresponding to it. This warning (in the Greek ‘having received a response’) is given not by an Angel, but by the Lord Himself, to show the high privilege granted to the merit of Joseph.
298:: See the faith of the Magi; they were not offended, nor said within themselves, What need now of flight? or of secret return, if this Boy be really some great one? Such is true faith; it asks not the reason of any command, but obeys.
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as earlier in the chapter. Herod is never again referred to as king in the chapter. Bruner speculates that the worship of the infant by the Magi had altered things and Herod had been supplanted as the true king.
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That the Magi had no idea of Herod's malicious intentions, despite his reputation and the threat posed by a new king, is to Keener a sign of their innocent naivete and further contrast with Herod's malevolence.
196:, no source of the dream is mentioned, but it likely meant to have come from the same angelic source as Joseph's dreams. In addition to astronomy, Magi were also well known as interpreters of dreams.
280:: The wicked Herod, now made cruel by fear, will needs do a deed of horror. But how could he ensnare him who had come to cut off all fraud? His fraud is escaped as it follows, And being warned.
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At this point the magi leave the narrative and do not reappear. There are many traditional stories about what happened to them after this. One has them baptized by
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Returning a different way has often been seen as a metaphor for the effect finding Christ has on a person's life. Clarke notes that
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and brought to
Constantinople. From there they eventually made their way to Germany and the
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commented that "having come to know Jesus we are forbidden to return by the way we came."
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in his writings claimed that he saw the perfectly preserved bodies of the three men in
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The Gospel of
Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel.
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The Birth of the
Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke
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often has theological overtones in
Matthew and that a reference to verses such as
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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The Gospel
According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.
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For a discussion of what country they might be returning to see
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109:. In this verse this they return home rather than to Herod.
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Bruner notes that in this verse
Matthew refers to just
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391:Matthew a Commentary: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12
378:Matthew a Commentary: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12
240:Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral
173:δι’ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.
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367:Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
16:Verse of the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew
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339:Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999. pg. 101
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453:New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
380:Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004 pg. 64
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177:For a collection of other versions see
354:Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985. pg. 75
337:A commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.
18:
234:. Another has their remains found by
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242:now reportedly holds their remains.
105:, have found and paid homage to the
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134:into their own country another way.
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273:Commentary from the Church Fathers
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393:Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004
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155:their own country another way.
131:return to Herod, they departed
1:
743:Magi (wise men from the east)
121:of the Bible the text reads:
167:καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ’ ὄναρ
125:And being warned of God in a
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462:. London: G. Chapman, 1977.
250:in Persia on his journeys.
152:to Herod, they went back to
142:translates the passage as:
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1600:Five Discourses of Matthew
446:and C.S. Mann. "Matthew."
149:that they shouldn't return
128:dream that they should not
1867:American Standard Version
1693:The Visual Bible: Matthew
1203:Massacre of the Innocents
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807:Massacre of the Innocents
42:
26:
1620:Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
1267:Jesus preaches in a ship
389:Bruner, Frederick Dale.
376:Bruner, Frederick Dale.
170:μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην
161:Novum Testamentum Graece
85:is the twelfth verse of
50:The Magi as imagined by
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449:The Anchor Bible Series
419:. Oxford, Parker. 1874.
146:Being warned in a dream
1580:Augustinian hypothesis
1418:Mary, sister of Martha
1872:World English Version
1590:Matthean Posteriority
1585:Two-gospel hypothesis
1277:Feeding the multitude
1240:Behold the bridegroom
179:BibleHub Matthew 2:12
101:, dispatched by King
1637:Joseph Smith–Matthew
1322:Crucifixion of Jesus
207:notes that the word
71:Christian Bible part
1245:Sermon on the Mount
140:World English Bible
1862:King James Version
1654:St Matthew Passion
1605:Calling of Matthew
1595:Genealogy of Jesus
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812:Return to Nazareth
363:Clarke, Howard W.
223:might be implied.
119:King James Version
87:the second chapter
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1292:Great Commandment
1272:Calming the storm
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1215:Kingdom of heaven
1198:Flight into Egypt
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888:Gospel of Matthew
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838:Gospel of Matthew
817:Star of Bethlehem
789:Flight into Egypt
784:Nativity of Jesus
532:Gospel of Matthew
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489:Succeeded by
480:Gospel of Matthew
457:Brown, Raymond E.
335:Craig S. Keener.
314:Pseudo-Chrysostom
308:Gregory the Great
302:Pseudo-Chrysostom
219:that discuss the
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91:Gospel of Matthew
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65:Gospel of Matthew
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1696:(1993 film)
1688:(1973 film)
1672:(1964 film)
1443:Simon Peter
1317:Last Supper
1302:Ten Virgins
1260:Golden Rule
1176:and phrases
551:Matthew 2:1
267:Matthew 2:2
1887:Categories
1847:Greek Text
1646:In culture
1332:Empty tomb
1250:Beatitudes
1225:Temptation
323:References
296:Chrysostom
259:King Herod
244:Marco Polo
228:St. Thomas
192:Unlike in
1893:Matthew 2
1711:Papyrus 1
1661:Structure
1524:Jerusalem
1509:Capernaum
1504:Bethsaida
1499:Bethlehem
1478:Sanhedrin
1473:Sadducees
1468:Pharisees
1307:Anointing
1072:Matthew 1
919:Matthew 1
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535:chapter 2
484:Chapter 2
278:Augustine
194:Matthew 1
163:text is:
1685:Godspell
1677:Godspell
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1615:Immanuel
1565:M source
1560:Q source
1378:Jeremiah
1363:Caiaphas
911:Chapters
728:Jeremiah
184:Analysis
52:Sassetta
1840:Sources
1553:Related
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1519:Galilee
1494:Bethany
1453:Zebedee
1423:Matthew
1220:Baptism
1147:16:2b–3
768:Scribes
687:Galilee
117:In the
113:Content
93:in the
89:of the
37: →
28:←
1487:Places
1463:Angels
1459:Groups
1448:Thomas
1438:Rachel
1428:Philip
1398:Joseph
1358:Andrew
1351:People
1327:Burial
1174:Events
1132:13:1–3
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1514:Egypt
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896:Bible
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702:Ramah
697:Judea
682:Egypt
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255:Herod
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232:India
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1408:Mary
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794:Gold
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