What follows is a rough translation and some comments on the story of the Magi, Matthew 2:1-12, the reading for Epiphany. Like Christmas, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, and Easter, Epiphany is one of those stories that preachers address every year. After a while it feels like Every. Single. Year.
Thankfully, this story is full of possibilities. To wit:
Magi - Magi! Magi, searching for truth in the stars and finding their way to the Christ child. Surely, to a readership whose tradition was firmly set against Babylonian astral cults, this inclusion must have been ... radical? Controversial? Heretical?
From the East - The “other” whom we often demonize as alien or romanticize as exotic. They're here! None of those biblical scholars were there, even if they did know what Micah said.
Worship/Gifts - This is the story behind the tradition, yes? How different gifting is when it is accompanied by the humility behind the word for worship.
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh - The addition of myrrh was fascinating even before the wrong mother in Monte Python's “Life of Brian” thought they said it was a bomb, not a balm. Is Matthew foreshadowing here? (It's actually John who says the women took myrrh to the tomb to anoint Jesus after the crucifixion.)
Herod's perfidy - Who doesn't want to say “perfidy” during a sermon? And who doesn't want to say it in relation to a vicious, malicious ruler intending infanticide but pretending to be pious?
“All of Jerusalem with him” - to me, this is the most difficult and challenging phrase in the story. What does it look like when God's people throw their lot and consider their fate as synonymous with their tyrant?
So, repetitive though it may seem to preachers (I have no idea if congregants experience it this way), this story is full of beauty, tragedy, and wonder.
And if you're interested in my brief musing about the church's historical discomfort with this story, you can read it on my other blog here.
Blessings!
1Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλέεμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐν ἡμέραις Ἡρῴδου τοῦβασιλέως, ἰδοὺ μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν παρεγένοντο εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα
Yet Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of the Judeans, in the days of Herod the king, Magi from the east arrived into Jerusalem
γεννηθέντος APPart gsm, γεννάω to beget, of the father; to bring forth, of the mother. (a) passive be born.
παρεγένοντο AMI 3p, παραγίνομαι (γίνομαι with παρά beside, prefixed) to become near, to become present, that is to say to come, to approach, to arrive.
1. The conjunction δὲ is common in the Gospels, and used differently, depending on the context. It can mean “and,” but καὶ is more typically used for that. It can be “but,” but ἀλλά is stronger and more typically used to introduce a strong antithesis. Sometimes it seems to be connective tissue from one scene to the next, warranting “then,” as its translation. I tend to use “yet,” which is – to me – equally ambiguous in English. I see it as introducing something different, maybe but not necessarily something oppositional to what has been said before. (Geez, I feel like Derrida here!) One concordance says that it can introduce ‘concealed antithesis,’ as opposed to absolute antithesis. I think that is often true.
2. The interesting thing about this story beginning with the word δὲ is that it is connected to the end of chapter 1, when Jesus is born. The timing of the star’s appearance (see below) suggests that this arrival could be as much as 2 years after the birth of Jesus, but the connection between c.1 and c.2, as well as the present tense for “is being born” (see v.4 below) makes a strong argument for keeping this story as part of the birth narrative and not as a separate infancy narrative.
3. The adjective, ἀνατολή, is typically translated “of the east” (here, with the preposition ‘from’). However, ἀνατολή can also be interpreted “at the rising,” since in a geocentric world, the east is the direction from which the sun (and perhaps the stars) were observed to “rise.” That is why ἀνατολή is usually “east” in v.1, but can be translated “in its rising” in v.2 and passim.
4. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #1: Matthew uses his name Jesus here. Stay tuned.
2 λέγοντες, Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ
τὸν ἀστέραἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ.
Saying, “Where is the one having been born King of the Judeans? For we saw his star in the east/the rising and we came to worship him.
λέγοντες PAPart npm, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 1a) affirm over, maintain
ἐστιν: PAI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present
τεχθεὶς: APPart nsm, τίκτω, 1) to bring forth, bear, produce (fruit from the seed) 1a) of a woman giving birth
εἴδομεν AAI 1p, ὁράω, 1) to see with the eyes
ἤλθομεν AAI 1p, ἔρχομαι, 1) to come
προσκυνῆσαι PAInf, προσκυνέω worship to crouch, crawl, or fawn, like a dog at his master's feet; hence, to prostrate one's self, after the eastern custom, to do reverence or homage to any one, by kneeling or prostrating one's self before him;
1. The verb τίκτω could be translated as born, but I want to distinguish it from γεννάω in v.1.
2. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #2: The one having been born (ὁ τεχθεὶς) king of the Judeans (βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων). The same word for king βασιλεὺς is likewise used for Herod. It could also be translated “emperor,” but that’s just a bit much to handle, isn’t it?
3. When reading the definitions of προσκυνέω, or worship, it seems to be a much humbler act than the commodified approach to worship today when one chooses once a week/month to go to a megachurch or a local church or St. Arbucks on a Sunday morning.
3 ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης ἐταράχθη καὶ πᾶσα Ἱεροσόλυμα μετ'
αὐτοῦ,
Yet having heard, the King Herod was disturbed and all of Jerusalem with him,
ἀκούσας AAPart nsm, ἀκούω, 1) to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf
ἐταράχθη API 3s, ταράσσω trouble, to stir up, to agitate, as water in a pool; of the mind, to stir up, trouble, disturb with various emotions.
1. Here, Herod is disturbed (ἐταράχθη). In v.16, after he realizes that the Magi have not complied with his command, he will be infuriated (ἐθυμώθη).
2. “And all of Jerusalem with him.” What a disturbing indictment from Matthew. As the story will clearly imply, there was warrant for faithful Jews to understand this astral sign as corresponding with the promises of their own scriptural tradition. By adding this phrase, “and all of Jerusalem with him,” Matthew argues that the city of Jerusalem had cast its lot with the Roman Empire, as represented by Herod. In the next chapter (3:5) On the other hand, later Matthew will say that all of Jerusalem goes out to be baptized by John in the Jordan. I don’t know how strongly to take the sweeping language of either verse.
4 καὶ συναγαγὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ
ἐπυνθάνετο παρ' αὐτῶν ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται.
And having gathered all of the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is being born.
συναγαγὼν AAPart nsm, συνάγω 1. gather, to lead together, gather together, generally to bring together, join in one.
ἐπυνθάνετο IMI 3s, πυνθάνομαι 1. ask to ask for information, to inquire; to learn by asking or inquiry; to hear, learn, understand. 2. demand –ed to ask, enquire, learn by asking or inquiring, to ask for information.
γεννᾶται PPI 3s, γεννάω 1. born (be) to beget, of the father; to bring forth, of the mother. (a) passive be born.
1. The verb, γεννᾶται, is a present passive indicative. Most translations make it subjunctive (“would/might/could/should be born”) or – in one case – a present form of ‘to be’ with an infinite (“is to be born”). I think “is being born” is the most obvious translation and I’m curious why most translations go a different direction.
2. This is a unique turn in this story. Hearing that a “child king of the Jews” is being born, Herod inquires among the religious scholars where “the Christ” is being born. It is Herod, in this story, who makes the connection between a child king and the Christ.
3. Herod inquires ‘where’ the child is being born from the chief priests and scribes. He’ll consult the Magi in v.7 about ‘when.’
4. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #3: The Christ or Messiah (ὁ Χριστὸς).
5οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, Ἐν Βηθλέεμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας: οὕτως γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ
προφήτου:
Yet they said to him, “In Bethlehem of the Judeans; for as it has been written through the prophet:
εἶπαν: AAI 3p, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 1a) affirm over, maintain
γέγραπται: PerfPI 3s, γράφω, 1) to write, with reference to the form of the letters
6 Καὶ σύ, Βηθλέεμ γῆ Ἰούδα, οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα: ἐκ
σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ.
‘And you, Bethlehem land of Judea, by no means are you least among the leaders of Judea; for out of you shall emerge one who leads, who shall shepherd my people Israel.’”
εἶ: PAI 2s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present
ἐξελεύσεται: FMI 3s, ἐξέρχομαι, 1) to go or come forth of
ἡγούμενος PMPart nsm, ἡγέομαι 1. to lead, that is to say to lead the way, go before, hence, to be a leader or chief;
ποιμανεῖ FAI 3s, ποιμαίνω, 1) to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep 1a) to rule, govern. Related to the noune ποιμήν, a shepherd.
1. The word hegemon, used as a noun and then a verb in this sentence, means “leader” or “to lead.” Luke uses it when describing Roman leaders in his birth narrative. Those term have accrued insightful meaning in the work of Marxist social analyst Antonio Gramsci. Gramsci notes that ‘hegemony’ not only connotes ‘leadership’; it points to a thorough form of domination that requires subjected peoples to adopt value systems that are historically and culturally alien as one’s own While Gramsci's work is quite helpful in many contexts, At the same time, hegemon can carry the connotation of a hopeful form of leadership, like a shepherd, which was a much more endearing understanding of leadership in Israel’s history.
2. It is curious that only in the birth narratives does Bethlehem of Judea seem significant to the story of Jesus. By the end of this chapter, he is established as a child of Nazareth of Galilee, the identity that he will keep throughout his life.
3. The quote from Micah 5:2-5 is worth reading in its entirety and keeping in mind throughout this story. One can only wonder how – if they knew this text – the temple leadership could be included among that number of “all of Jerusalem” who were disturbed with Herod.
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.
4. Randall J. Pannell argues that Micah is in heated dispute with others in his time about whether Israel should try – with their own power – to raise military leaders (called “The Seven Shepherds”) or to wait on God to raise up a nonviolent shepherd. See “The Politics of the Messiah: A New Reading of Micah 4:14-5:5,” Perspectives in Religious Studies, 1988.
5. Bethlehem is about 5.5 miles south of Jerusalem, according to my quick google inquiry.
6. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #4: Hegemon, one who leads, who shall shepherd.
7 Τότε Ἡρῴδης λάθρᾳ καλέσας τοὺς μάγους ἠκρίβωσεν παρ' αὐτῶν τὸν
χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος,
Then Herod, having secretly called the Magi inquired diligently from them the time of the appearing star,
καλέσας AAPart nsm, καλέω to call; with personal object, to call any one, invite, summon;
ἠκρίβωσεν AAI 3s, ἀκριβόω enquire diligently to know or do anything accurately; to enquire accurately or assiduously.
1. Ah, secrecy, the dear old friend of tyranny. There you are.
2. It is curious that Herod is inquiring diligently about the timing of the star. What we don’t know is whether the appearance of the star marks the birth or portends the birth. Herod orders the slaughter of children 2 and under, raising the question of the relationship between the ‘exact time’ that he extracted from the Magi and the slaughter that he orders. The Magi’s journey from the east, the timing of the Magi leaving Herod, and then Herod realizing that they were not returning to him as ordered, etc., makes the relationship between the star’s appearance and the birth hard to pin down.
3. Here and in 2:16 are the only uses of ἀκριβόω (diligently inquired) as a verb in the NT, acc to thebible.org. However, it is used as an adjective in the next verse. One wonders if Herod’s exactness of this inquiry might have been an early warning to the Magi that he was up to no good.
8 καὶ πέμψας αὐτοὺς εἰς Βηθλέεμ εἶπεν, Πορευθέντες ἐξετάσατε ἀκριβῶς
περὶ τοῦ παιδίου: ἐπὰν δὲ εὕρητε ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι, ὅπως κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσω αὐτῷ.
And having sent them into Bethlehem, he said, “Having gone, inquire diligently about the child; yet when you find [him], tell me, that I too having come may worship him.”
πέμψας AAPart nms, πέμπω to send, simply let go, as well of persons or things; to send forth or away, especially to send home; to send or transmit, as presents.
Πορευθέντες APPart npm, πορεύω to cause to pass over by land or water transport. In NT only passive, to transport one's self, that is to say, pass from one place to another, to pass, to go
ἐξετάσατε AAImpv 2p, ἐξετάζω to examine well or closely, to scrutinize, review of persons, hence, to question; of things, to inquire into or sift.
εὕρητε AASubj 2p, εὑρίσκω to find, as without seeking, meet with, light upon. Also, to find as by search, hence, find out, discover.
ἀπαγγείλατέ AAImpv 2p, ἀπαγγέλλω 1. tell, told to give intelligence, bring word from any person or place, to relate, inform of, to tell what had occurred.
ἐλθὼν AAPart nsm, ἔρχομαι to come or go, used of persons or of things. It denotes the act of coming or going,
προσκυνήσω AASubj 1s, προσκυνέω to crouch, crawl, or fawn, like a dog at his master's feet; hence, to prostrate one's self, after the eastern custom, to do reverence or homage to any one, by kneeling or prostrating one's self before him
1. There is an interesting interplay between the verbs and participles in this verse. Many translations simply fold the participle into the verb that follows, making “having gone, inquire” into “go and inquire,” or “having come may worship” into “may come and worship.” (That happens with Matthew’s commission in 28:19 as well).
2. The word ἀκριβῶς reappears in this verse from v.7. There, it was a verb “inquire diligently”; here it is an adjective, “diligently.” The next time I hear someone use the phrase “due diligence,” I’m going to mutter under my breath, “Herod!”
3. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #5: The child, using παιδίον. One of the definitions of παιδίον makes it sound like a sweet term, more like sweet little baby than a bland child. The next time I hear someone use the phrase “sweet little baby Jesus,” I’m going to mutter under my breath, “Herod!”
9οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπορεύθησαν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀστὴρ ὃν εἶδον
ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ προῆγεν αὐτοὺς ἕως ἐλθὼν ἐστάθη ἐπάνω οὗ ἦν τὸ παιδίον.
Yet having heard the King, they went and behold the star which they saw in the east/its rising was leading them, having gone until it stood still over where the child was.
ἀκούσαντες AAPart nmp, ἀκούω to hear, intransitive, to have the faculty of hearing;
ἐπορεύθησαν API 3p, πορεύω to cause to pass over by land or water transport. In NT only passive, to transport one's self, that is to say, pass from one place to another, to pass, to go
εἶδον AAI 3p, εἴδω to see
προῆγεν IAI 3s, προάγω go, with πρό before prefixed, hence to lead forth,
ἐλθὼν AAPart nms, ἔρχομαι to come or go, used of persons or of things. It denotes the act of coming or going
ἐστάθη API 3s, ἵστημι (a) transitive, in the present, imperative and Aorist 1 of the active, to cause to stand, to set, to place; (b) Aorist and future passive, and future middle; and (c) intransitive, perfect, pluperfect, and Aorist 2, to stand, as opposite to falling; stand fast, stand still.
ἦν: IAI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present
1. Perhaps it is just me, but here is a wonderful conjunction between Herod’s instruction to go to Bethlehem, which he had learned from the chief priests and scribes via the prophet Micah, and the star, which is not a typical player in Jewish or Christian piety. I see this text as a place for conversation between the Christian faith and other religious/mystical expressions.
2. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #6: The child (παιδίον, this time in Matthew’s words, not Herod’s. If it is an endearing term, it may be cynical in v.8 and genuine here.)
3. The words often translated as “behold” and “saw” are different forms of the same verb. It might be captured by “Look! They looked …” or something to show the relationship. The particle “behold!” seems to be a way of bringing the reader more actively into the story, doesn’t it? It’s like a cameo reference from writer to reader, for us to participate with the Magi in beholding the star.
4. With all due respect to the elements of good storytelling, I am not clear on how a star can stand still over a particular house.
10 ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα.
Yet having seen the star they were overjoyed [with] exceedingly great joy.
ἰδόντες AAPart npm, ὁράω, 1) to see with the eyes
ἐχάρησαν API 3p, χαίρω to rejoice, be delighted or pleased, to be glad.
1. The verb ἐχάρησαν is passive. Some translations make it active, “they rejoiced.”
11 καὶ ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἶδον τὸ παιδίον μετὰ Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς θησαυροὺςαὐτῶν προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν.
And having come into the house and they saw the child with Mary his mother, and having fallen down they worshipped him, and having opened their treasures presented to him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
ἐλθόντες AAPart npm, ἔρχομαι to come or go, used of persons or of things. It denotes the act of coming or going
εἶδον : AAI 3p, ὁράω, 1) to see with the eyes
πεσόντες AAPart npm, πίπτω to fall, as from a higher to a lower place, fall down
προσεκύνησαν AAI 3p, προσκυνέω
ἀνοίξαντες AAPart npm, ἀνοίγω open [adjective] to open. Here, participle, open.
προσήνεγκαν AAI 3p, προσφέρω to bear or bring to or towards any place or person, bring near to; hence, to offer, present.
1. Again, the interplay between participles and verbs in this verse are consistent – aorist active participles, followed by aorist verbs.
2. JESUS IDENTITY SIGHTING #7: The child, παιδίον again.
3. The citation of “gold and frankincense” is a clear allusion to Isaiah 60. The addition of myrrh, however, is interesting. I suggest that it is Matthew’s way of transforming Isaiah’s vision from one of sheer prosperity to one that includes the tragedy of Jesus’ death – and all of the radically different theology that comes out of including that gift in the story.
12καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ' ὄναρ μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην, δι' ἄλλης
ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.
And having been ordered according to a dream not to go back to Herod, by another way they returned into their own country.
χρηματισθέντες APPart nmp, to do or carry on business, have dealings, especially in money matters, to negotiate, transact business; of kings and magistrates, to do business publicly, that is to give audience and answer as to ambassadors or petitioners, to give response or decision. Then, spoken of a divine response, to give response, to speak as an oracle, speak or warn from God
ἀνακάμψαι AAInf, ἀνακάμπτω to bend or turn up back
ἀνεχώρησαν AAI 3p, ἀναχωρέω to go back, recede (spoken of those who flee. In NT simply to retire, withdraw (from ἀνά up or back, and χωρέω to make room for, give place to)
1. Matthew speaks of warnings/commands in a dream a lot in his infancy narrative, especially when it comes to Joseph's role. I think portentous dreams are like portentous stars in this story - manifestations of the divine, apart from but not in conflict with the Scriptures. I think modern Christianity leaves dreams, visions, and star-gazing either to those deemed not really Christian or in the past. Matthew uses all those mediums freely.
