The Temptation of Jesus (Matt. iv. 1-11)

St Matthew Chapter IV : Verses 1-11

Contents

• Matt. iv. 1-11 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate)
• Notes on text
• Additional Notes   

Matt. iv. 1-11

The first temptation. J-J Tissot.
Brooklyn Museum.

1 Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil.

Tunc Jesus ductus est in desertum a Spiritu, ut tentaretur a diabolo.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.

Et cum jejunasset quadraginta diebus, et quadraginta noctibus, postea esuriit.

3 And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Et accedens tentator dixit ei : Si Filius Dei es, dic ut lapides isti panes fiant.

4 Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.

Qui respondens dixit : Scriptum est : Non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo, quod procedit de ore Dei.

The second temptation. J-J Tissot.
Brooklyn Museum.

5 Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple,

Tunc assumpsit eum diabolus in sanctam civitatem, et statuit eum super pinnaculum templi,

6 And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.

et dixit ei : Si Filius Dei es, mitte te deorsum. Scriptum est enim : Quia angelis suis mandavit de te, et in manibus tollent te, ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum.

7 Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Ait illi Jesus : Rursum scriptum est : Non tentabis Dominum Deum tuum.

The third temptation. J-J Tissot.
Brooklyn Museum.

8 Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,

Iterum assumpsit eum diabolus in montem excelsum valde : et ostendit ei omnia regna mundi, et gloriam eorum,

9 And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me.

et dixit ei : Hæc omnia tibi dabo, si cadens adoraveris me.

10 Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.

Tunc dicit ei Jesus : Vade Satana : Scriptum est enim : Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, et illi soli servies.

11 Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him.

Tunc reliquit eum diabolus : et ecce angeli accesserunt, et ministrabant ei.

Notes

    1. Then Jesus was led. Lit. “was led up ” — i.e. from the valley of the Jordan to the high mountain. St Mark uses the energetic expression : The Spirit drove him out into the desert .... and he was with beasts. A local tradition points to Quarantania, a district north-west of Jericho, as the scene of our Lord’s fasting and temptation.

    The district of Quarantania was infested with wild-boars, foxes, leopards, wolves, etc.

    to be tempted. The devil tempted our Lord on more than one occasion. St Paul explains why our Saviour submitted to such a humiliation.

(a) Wherefore it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high-priest before God, that he might be a propitiation for the sins of the people (Heb. ii. 17).

(b) For in that, wherein he himself hath suffered and been tempted, he is able to succour them also that are tempted (Heb. ii. 18). For we have not a high-priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities : but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin (Heb. iv. 14).

(c) And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered (Heb. v. 8).

by the devil. It is generally believed that the devil appeared in human form. The sacred writers seem to indicate as much, since —

(а) he approached our Lord,

(b) he asked Jesus to adore him,

(c) he took Him to the holy city,

(d) and to the high mountain.

    Christ could not be tempted from within, since He was free from concupiscence, nor could He experience such temptations as were the fruit of previous sins. The idea of a mere internal suggestion of evil, which some non-Catholic writers put forward, is not accepted by the Fathers of the Church. In the New Testament the word “ διαβόλος, ” here translated “ devil,” always refers to Satan himself. “ διαβόλος, ” signifies a slanderer ; one who casts (enmity) between (friends).

    Note. — Christ felt the attractiveness of the devil’s proposals, otherwise there would have been no temptation ; but He gave no consent, hence there was no sin.

    In every temptation yielded to, there are three stages : —

    (1) The suggestion, (2) the deliberate pleasure at the thought, (3) the consent of the will.

    Some commentators think our Lord was tempted during the whole of the forty days, but the more general opinion is that the temptation took place at the end, when Christ began to feel the pangs of hunger.

    2. And when he had fasted. Christ’s fast was an absolute fast, not the prescribed fast, in obedience to which the Jews abstained from food till after sunset. [Ed. Cf. Islam's Ramadan, taken from the Jewish practice]

    forty days. This number is frequently mentioned both in the Old and New Testament, e.g. —

    1. Old Testament. 

Moses and Elias fasted forty days.

The rain of the Deluge fell for forty days.

The Jews passed forty years in the desert.

    2. New Testament. 

Jesus was presented in the Temple after forty days.

Forty days elapsed between the Resurrection and the Ascension.

    afterwards he was hungry. St Luke makes the same statement : When they were ended he was hungry. It is generally believed that our Lord passed the forty days wandering about in the desert, absorbed in ecstatic prayer, and that during this time He did not feel the pangs of hunger.

    3. the tempter coming. Lit. “ The tempting one” (ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ).

    If thou be the Son of God. There is perhaps an allusion here to the Voice heard at Christ’s Baptism. St Augustine says, “ Satan tempted Christ in order to discover if He were the Messias ” (de Civit. Dei, xi. 21). Other commentators take the “if” to equal “since.”

    command that these stones, etc. There are fossils found in this desert. These are known as “septaria.” Some of these siliceous accretions assume the shape of fruit, and are known as “ Elijah’s melons.” They were popularly regarded as petrified fruits of the Cities of the Plain. Such deceptive semblances would intensify the pangs of hunger (Farrar, St Luke, p. 96).

    4. It is written. A quotation from Deut. viii. 3.

    Not in bread alone, etc. These words refer to the manna ; by His power, God was able to create a special food for the Israelites when ordinary bread was not to be had.

    Note. — St Luke places the temptation to ambition last, but it is probable that St Matthew gives the correct sequence in placing it as the second. St Luke gives no words which denote chronological sequence ; he inserts simply the word “ καὶ,” “ and,” between each stage of the temptation ; St Matthew, on the contrary, lays stress on the sequence ; hence we may conclude that he gives the exact order of the temptation : —

    Cf. 

and (καὶ) the tempter (iv. 3). 

then (Τότε) the devil, etc. (iv. 5). 

again (Πάλιν) the devil, etc. (iv. 8). 

then (Τότε) the devil left, etc. (iv. 11).

    Also from internal evidence we conclude that this temptation came last : —

1. It is the most violent, since the sovereignty of the world was offered, without the condition of the Passion (see Is. liii. 2-12).

2. The words “ Begone, Satan,” quoted by St Matthew, imply a dismissal of the devil.

    5. took him up.  “ We need not be surprised if He permitted Himself to be carried up into a mountain by Satan, since He permitted Himself to be crucified by members of Satan ” (St Greg, the Great).

    the pinnacle of the temple may signify —

1. The top of the Royal Porch, at the foot of which was a deep precipice.

2. The top of Solomon’s Porch.

3. The roof of the Holy Place, or of the Holy of Holies. The rest of the Temple consisted of open courts.

    Perhaps the suggestion was that Christ should precipitate Himself in presence of the assembled worshippers, and thus win their admiration and allegiance. Cf. When the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is (St John vii. 27).

    6. That he hath given, etc. Satan omits the words to keep thee in all thy ways. Cf. For he hath given his angels charge over thee : to keep thee in all thy ways (Ps. xc.11).

    7. Thou shalt not tempt, etc. This is a quotation from Dent. vi. 16. 

    8. a very high mountain.

    It is not known to which mountain Satan carried Jesus. It may have been Olivet, Thabor, Nebo, or a mountain out of Palestine. Our Lord’s vision of the kingdoms was not subjective, for the devil would have no power over the faculties of Christ’s soul.

    shewed him, etc. St Luke adds, in a moment of time.

all the kingdoms of the world. All the inhabited earth (omnia regna). St Matthew adds here, and the glory of them, but he omits these words in Satan’s offer.

    9. All these will I give thee. The devil, having artfully shewn how much he offered, now reveals his true purpose, and tempts to the sin of unlawful ambition. Homage to Satan and acknowledgment of his power is to be the price of all the kingdoms, and the glory of them. To tempt first by what is lawful, and then to suggest what is absolutely sinful, is his usual method.

    10. Begone, Satan. Some MSS. and versions add “behind me, Satan” (post me,  ὀπίσω μοῦ). [Ed. Cf. prayer on St Benedict's medal:

V. R. S. (Vade Retro Satana)

N. S. M. V. (Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana)

S. M. Q. L. (Sunt Mala Quæ Libas)

I. V. B. (Ipse Venena Biba! Amen.)]

    it is written. After the phrase it is written, we must understand “ in the Scriptures,” or “ in the Law.” Each time our Lord, when replying to Satan, quoted from the Septuagint version of the book of Deuteronomy. This text from Deut. vi. 13 embodies the first and great commandment.

    shalt thou serve. The Hebrew text reads shalt thou fear.

    11. The devil left him. Satan retired, all the temptation being ended (St Luke). He had exhausted his weapons, having appealed in vain to the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 St John ii. 16). Cf. Resist the devil and he will fly from you (St James iv. 7)

Additional Notes

    Our Lord begins His Mission of Redeemer by submitting to and triumphing over the devil and his temptations. Thus He atones for the weakness and disobedience of our first parents. He had been proclaimed the Messias by the Precursor and by God the Father ; therefore, as Moses the lawgiver and Elias the reformer began their work by a fast of forty days, so Jesus commences His Divine Mission by fasting, and by triumphing over Satan.

    1. Led by the Spirit. Cf. “ The Spirit drove him out into the desert ” (St Mark i. 12). The Holy Ghost, who dwelt in all His fulness in our Lord, influenced Him to act freely, but at the same time energetically.

    All the Synoptists mark this strong impulsion of the Spirit. “In” the Spirit is the more correct rendering than

“ by ” ( ἐν τῷ  πνεύματι).

    Into the desert. Our Lord probably did not remain all the forty days in the same place, since St Luke uses the imperfect tense (ἤγετο), i.e. “was being led.”

    To be tempted. To tempt has two meanings in the Scriptures : —

    1. to test with good intention. “ Try your own selves, if yoube in the faith” (2 Cor. xiii. 5).

    2. to test with evil intention : —

(а) To embarrass. “Others tempting him asked .... a sign” (St Luke xi. 16).

(b) To lead into sin. “ Every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured” (St James i. 14).

    3. If thou he the Son of God, etc. Theologians differ as to whether the devil knew Christ was the Son of God, or whether he tempted Him in order to ascertain it.

    Various arguments for and against have been put forward. The following are the principal : —

    I. Positive View.

1. The words “if thou be the Son of God ” mean “ since thou art the Son of God.”

2. The devils had witnessed the various miracles connected with our Lord’s infancy, and had heard the heavenly voice proclaim Him as the “ beloved Son ” of the Father.

3. The devils frequently bore testimony to Christ’s Divinity (see St Matt. viii. 29 ; St Mark i. 24 ;

    II. Negative View.

1. The word “if” implies real doubt.

2. God could easily have blinded the devils’ intelligence, that they should not perceive the meaning of these miracles, or He may have concealed them from the devils.

3. The testimony of the devils to Christ may have been prompted by fear or self-interest, rather than by a belief in His Divinity.

    St Paul’s words are brought forward by both sides : “ Which none of the princes of this world knew : for if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory ” (1 Cor. ii. 8). Those who hold the positive view see in these words a confirmation of it, on the ground that St Paul does not say that the devils were ignorant of the Divinity of Christ, but that they were ignorant of the Divine plan of Redemption by the death of Christ. Those who hold the negative view hold that these words favour it, as though St Paul had said : “ If they had known His Divinity, they would never have crucified Him.” The words “ princes of this world ” may refer to earthly princes, or to the devils, or to both. The general opinion is that the devils, later on, certainly knew our Lord to be God, and that the result of the Temptation helped to convince them of it.

    9. All these will I give thee. Satan had usurped “ the kingdoms of the world ” by his ascendency over man, and for a time God allowed him to retain possession of them within certain limits ; but they were not his to dispose of at will.

    Cf.

“Now shall the prince of this world he cast out” (St John xii. 31).

“ The prince of this world cometh, and in me he hath not anything ” (Ibid., xiv. 30).

“The rulers of the world of this darkness” (Eph. vi. 12).

“ The prince of the power of this air ” (Eph. ii. 2).

j 

First Temptation.    

    (a) Place: the desert, (b) Nature: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread ” (iv. 3). Satan tempts our Lord —

(1) to satisfy His hunger by wrong means,

(2) to ostentation of His divine power,

(3) to distrust of God’s providence.

    The devil probably wished to find out whether Jesus was the Son of God.

    (c) Our Lord's answer : “ It is written, not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God” (iv. 4). Jesus uses the “ sword of the Spirit,” i.e. the sacred Scriptures, to defeat the tempter. By his reply Jesus —

(1) Vindicates God’s honour, which the devil had indirectly attacked.

(2) He gives the devil no answer touching His own divinity.

(3) He teaches us how to resist temptation.

    The words not alone in bread doth man live are quoted textually from Deut. viii. 3, where Moses reminds the Israelites that God could nourish them by other means, if He thought fit.

Second Temptation.

    St Luke puts this temptation last ; St Matthew places it as the second.

    (a) Place : the pinnacle of the Temple. “ The devil took him up into the holy city and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple” (iv. 5). These words seem to imply that Jesus allowed Satan to carry Him bodily through the air.
    (b) Nature of the temptation : “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written : That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone” (iv. 6). This was a temptation to presumption. Notice that the devil uses Scripture in imitation of our Lord, but he misquotes it.

(c) Our Lord's answer : “ It is written again : Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (iv. 7). Again Jesus quotes Scripture, and gives Satan no assurance of His Divinity.

Third Temptation.

    (a) Place : “ a very high mountain ” (iv. 8). It is uncertain to which mountain Satan carried Jesus. Perhaps the devil worked a miracle and caused a visual image of all the kingdoms of the world to pass before Him “ in a moment of time,” for evidently from no mountain would it be possible to see all the kingdoms of the world. In this temptation, Satan appealed to Christ as the Messias, of whom it is said, “ He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth ” (Ps. lxxi. 8).

    (b) Nature : “ All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me ” (iv. 9). This was a temptation —

(1) to ambition,

(2) to avoid suffering and death, which were foretold as the means of acquiring this dominion (see Is. liii. 2-12).

    (c) Our Lord's answer : “ Begone, Satan : for it is written : The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.” These words are a quotation from Deut. vi. 13. Jesus shews his indignation ’when Satan attacks the honour of God : “ Begone, Satan,”

After the Temptation. (1) The devil being conquered, left Jesus “ for a time.’’ We are not told when he renewed his attacks, but we know that the lonely vigil in Gethsemani was one of the hours of “ the power of darkness.”

(2) Angels ministered to him. They supplied His bodily wants. One angel would have sufficed, but the host of angels that waited on our Lord marked His triumph over Satan more completely. The Evangelist does not relate how our Lord returned to the desert, whether by His own divine power or by the ministry of His angels, but we can hardly believe that when Jesus had defeated Satan, He would have allowed the fiend to carry Him back to the desert.

Lessons from the Temptation of Jesus.

    (1) To hold no useless parley with the devil.

    (2) To use the “ sword of the Spirit ” when tempted.

    (3) To pray with confidence to our Saviour, who was “ tempted in all points ” even as we are, and yet conquered by the same means that we have at our disposal.

    (4) To be on our watch even after a victory, knowing the respite is only for a time.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Baptism of Jesus (Matt. iii. 13-17)

St Matthew Chapter III : Verses 13-17

Contents

⮚Matt. iii. 13-17 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate)

⮚Notes on text

   

Matt. iii. 13-17

The Baptism of Jesus. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him.

Tunc venit Jesus a Galilæa in Jordanem ad Joannem, ut baptizaretur ab eo.

14 But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?
Joannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens : Ego a te debeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me?
15 And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all justice. Then he suffered him.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Sine modo : sic enim decet nos implere omnem justitiam. Tunc dimisit eum.
16 And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him.
Baptizatus autem Jesus, confestim ascendit de aqua, et ecce aperti sunt ei cæli : et vidit Spiritum Dei descendentem sicut columbam, et venientem super se.
17 And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Et ecce vox de caelis dicens : Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui.

Notes

    13. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee. Harmonizing the accounts given by the Synoptists, we have the following sequence of events : —

(1) Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee (St Mark i. 9).

(2) Jesus was baptized with all the people (St Luke iii. 21).

(3) St John hesitated about baptizing Jesus (St Matt. iii. 14).

(4) The baptism was by immersion (St Mark i. 10)

(5) After His baptism, Jesus prayed (St Luke iii. 21)

(6) Jesus saw the heavens opened (St Mark i. 10).

(7) The Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape (St Luke iii, 22).

    to the Jordan. One local tradition points out an ancient ford near Succoth as the spot where Jesus was baptized, another refers it to a ford near Jericho. The latter was easier of access.

    to be baptized by him. It may be asked why Jesus submitted to this rite. The following answers have been given to this question : —

(а) To sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin (St Ignatius).

(b) To repair by His obedience the evils caused by disobedience to the Law (St John Chrys.).

(c) To teach us that, since Christ submitted to the baptism of His servant, we, who are Christ’s servants, should rejoice to receive the baptism of our Master (St. Aug.).

(d) To give us an example of humility by accepting the rites and ceremonies prescribed for sinful men : He “ was reputed with the wicked ” (St Jerome).

    14. John stayed him. Lit. “John tried to hinder him” ( ὁ δὲ ⸀Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν). St John knew that Christ was sinless, and also he was conscious of bis own unworthiness to baptize Him. The words in the original imply that the Baptist tried to prevent Christ from descending into the water.

    I ought to be baptized by thee. St John knew that the baptism of penance, which be conferred, was but a type of a bigger and holier rite to which be bad previously referred as the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.

    It may be asked : How are we to reconcile these words with those found in St John i. 33 ? — “And I knew him not: but he, who sent me to baptize with water, said to me : He, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” The explanation generally accepted is, that most certainly the Precursor, from the moment when he leaped in his mother’s womb, knew Christ to be the Messias and the Incarnate God, but he did not know Him personally, until He came to be baptized. For Christ had spent part of His childhood in Egypt, and afterwards He had lived in seclusion at Nazareth, whereas St John, from childhood, had lived in the desert of Judea. As soon, therefore, as Jesus came to be baptized, the Precursor recognized Him by divine inspiration as the Messias. The sign of the Holy Spirit descending as a dove was given, not to enlighten the Precursor, but to confirm the witness borne by him to Christ, and to prove to the bystanders that the Precursor was sent by God. It is thus that St John Chrysostom, Euthymius, Theophylact, St Hilary, and Maldonatus explain this passage.

    15. Suffer it to be so now. Jesus intimates that it behoves Him thus to humble Himself; hereafter the relative positions of the Precursor and the Messias will be inverted.

    Note. — It is not known whether St John ever received the baptism of Christ, but the Fathers hold that he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit when yet unborn (St Luke i. 16), and the baptism of blood when he was martyred by Herod.

    to fulfil all justice, — i.e. it befitted Christ to accept the rites imposed on sinful men, and to be made like unto His brethren, in all except sin.

    16. Jesus being baptized. St Luke adds, and praying.

    the heavens were opened. It was not an instantaneous clearing up of the sky, as when after rain the sun shines forth, but “ a sudden brilliant light, apparently proceeding from the uppermost clouds, indicating that the Holy Ghost and the voice came from the heavens themselves.”

    “Wherefore were the heavens opened? To inform thee that at thy baptism this also is done, God calling thee to thy country on high, and persuading thee to have nothing to do with earth. And if thou see it not, yet never doubt it” (St Jn. Chrys.).

    as a dove. It was not a real dove, but a miraculous appearance which signified the coming of the Holy Ghost. “ The Dove of God bore witness to the Lamb of God.”

    17. a voice from heaven. During our Saviour’s lifetime a miraculous voice was heard three times : —

(a) At His Baptism : Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.

(b) At the Transfiguration : This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.

(c) In the Temple during Holy Week : I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

    Note the explicit mention of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. God the Father spoke from heaven. God the Son stood in the river. God the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape as a dove.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Preaching of St John the Baptist (Matt. iii. 1-12)

St Matthew Chapter III : Verses 1-12

Contents

⮚Matt. iii. 1-12 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate)

⮚Notes on text

   

Matt. iii. 1-12

John the Baptist preaching. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

1 And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea.
In diebus autem illis venit Joannes Baptista praedicans in deserto Judææ,

2 And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
et dicens : Poenitentiam agite : appropinquavit enim regnum cælorum

3 For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
Hic est enim, qui dictus est per Isaiam prophetam dicentem : Vox clamantis in deserto : Parate viam Domini : rectas facite semitas ejus.

4 And the same John had his garment of camels' hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Ipse autem Joannes habebat vestimentum de pilis camelorum, et zonam pelliceam circa lumbos suos : esca autem ejus erat locustæ, et mel silvestre.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan:
Tunc exibat ad eum Jerosolyma, et omnis Judaea, et omnis regio circa Jordanem;

6 And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
et baptizabantur ab eo in Jordane, confitentes peccata sua.

7 And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?
Videns autem multos pharisaeorum, et sadducæorum, venientes ad baptismum suum, dixit eis : Progenies viperarum, quis demonstravit vobis fugere a ventura ira?

8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.
Facite ergo fructum dignum pœnitentiæ.

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Et ne velitis dicere intra vos : Patrem habemus Abraham. Dico enim vobis quoniam potens est Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahæ.

10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.
Jam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita est. Omnis ergo arbor, quae non facit fructum bonum, excidetur, et in ignem mittetur.

11 I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.
Ego quidem baptizo vos in aqua in poenitentiam : qui autem post me venturus est, fortior me est, cujus non sum dignus calceamenta portare : ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu Sancto, et igni.

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
Cujus ventilabrum in manu sua : et permundabit aream suam : et congregabit triticum suum in horreum, paleas autem comburet igni inextinguibili.

Notes

    1. in those days. A common Hebrew idiom. The Evangelist probably refers to the time when Christ was dwelling at Nazareth, which has just been recorded, St Luke gives a more definite note of time. Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar^ Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee., and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina, under the high-priests Annas and Caiphas (iii. 1, 2).

    According to the generally received chronology, St John began his mission in the autumn of A.D. 26 (i.e. 779 A.U.C.). All the Evangelists give the mission of the Baptist, but only St Luke relates his miraculous birth.

    cometh John the Baptist preaching. St John waited for the express command of God, since we read, the word of the Lord was made unto John the son of Zachary, in the desert (St Luke iii. 2).

    in the desert of Judea. The Arabah, a deep valley north of the Jordan. Humboldt calls it “ the deepest and hottest chasm in the world,”

    The sirocco blows there continuously. The Baptist had been brought up in the desert. And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit ; and was in the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel (St Luke i. 80).

    “What a stir would be produced at the present day by the preaching of a man who, clothed with the authority of holiness, should proclaim with power the speedy coming of the Lord, and His impending judgment. Such was the appearance of John in Israel ” (Godet, St Luke, p. 175).

    2. Do penance. The Greek verb (Μετανοεῖτε) here translated “ do penance” signifies “a change of mind and heart.” In the Anglican version it is translated “ repentance.” By “ penance,” Catholics understand an interior sorrow for sin which must be manifested by exterior acts, such as avoiding the occasions of sin, and punishing ourselves for having offended God. The Latin “ pœnitentia ” does not only signify exterior acts of penance, nor does the Greek μετάνοια apply only to interior acts of sorrow for sin. Therefore both the Latin and Greek words, which we translate by “ penance ” or “ repentance,” agree in expressing sorrow for sin, proved by penitential works.

    the kingdom of heaven. Lit. “ the kingdom of the heavens” (ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.). St Matthew frequently uses this Talmudic expression, whereas the other Evangelists write the kingdom of God. Both refer to —

(а) The Catholic Church which Christ came to establish on earth.

(b) His reign in the individual soul of the Christian.

    The Baptist at once dispels the illusions of his hearers concerning a Messianic reign of temporal greatness.

    is at hand. Lit. “has come” (ἤγγικεν) and therefore is now actually present.

    3. A voice of one crying, etc. A reference to a herald preceding a monarch and proclaiming his coming.

    The Baptist applied these words to himself. He said ; I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness (St John i. 23).

    These words, quoted from the Septuagint (i.e. Greek version of the Old Testament), are taken from the message God sent to His people to comfort them by the promise of a Messias who should forgive sins. The message begins thus : Be comforted, be comforted, my people, saith your God. Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her : for her evil is come to an end, her iniquity is forgiven : she hath received of the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. The voice of one crying in the desert : Prepare ye the way of the Lord, etc. (Is. xl. 1-3).

    Prepare ye the way of the Lord. St John exhorted his hearers to do this by confessing their sins, and bringing forth worthy fruits of penance.

    make straight his paths. An allusion to the Eastern custom of sending out workmen to prepare the roads for the passage of a monarch.

    It consisted in filling valleys, levelling hills, and making devious paths straight and even.

    4. camels’ hair. A rough cloth made from coarse camels’ hair. St John the Baptist led a life of penance, hence his clothes and food were of the poorest.

    leathern girdle. The rich wore expensive girdles ; the poor used a plain leathern strap such as the Arabs of the desert still wear.

    locusts. A rather large- winged insect, considered “ clean” by the Jews. The food of the poor. The locusts were dried in the sun, and sometimes made into cakes.

    wild honey was found in quantities in the clefts of the rocks in the desert ; or the term may mean the tree-honey, a gum found exuding from certain trees.

    5. Then went out to him, etc. The multitudes came from —

    (a) J erusalem and all J udea and all the country about Jordan (iii. 5).

    (b) Bethania beyond the Jordan (St John i. 28). This place is now unknown. They went to the desert where St John was preaching and baptizing. We read of three places, but there would have been others : —

1. The desert of Judea, probably the traditional site near Jericho.

2. Bethania beyond the Jordan. The site is now unknown.

3. Ennon, near Salim (St John iii. 23), on the border between Samaria and Judea. Since the days of Malachias, 400 years earlier, no prophet had risen up ; hence the eagerness of the people to see and hear the Precursor.

    Note. — It is probable that the Baptist’s ministry coincided with a sabbatical year, hence the vast multitudes were freed from agricultural labours. Every seventh year the land was allowed to lie fallow, and no agricultural work was done. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and, six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and shalt gather the fruits thereof : But in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath to the land, of the resting of the Lord : thou shalt not sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. What the ground shalt bring forth of itself, thou shalt not reap : neither shalt thou gather the grapes of the first-fruits as a vintage : for it is a year of rest to the land (Lev. xxv. 3-5).

    country about Jordan. This applies to both sides of the river, from Jericho to the Dead Sea on the right bank, and from Bethnimra to the brook of Gired on the left bank. St John probably baptized in the valley of the Jordan at different stations. St Luke alone mentions the journeys of St John ; the other Evangelists only speak of the multitudes that went out to him. He came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins (St Luke iii. 3).

    6. And were baptized by him. They did not receive the Sacrament of Baptism, but a penitential rite to prepare them for the preaching of Christ.

    This baptism of penance could not itself take away sin. When the Baptist’s disciples became Christians they were re-baptized.

    Cf. And he said : In what then were you baptized ? Who said : In John’s baptism. Then Paul said : John baptized the people with the baptism of penance saying. That they should believe in him who was to come after him, that is to say, in Jesus. Having heard these things they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts xix. 3, 4, 5).

    confessing their sins, — i.e. “ declaring their deeds.” These words do not refer to the Sacrament of Penance, which was not as yet instituted. The Law of Moses prescribed a detailed confession of certain sins, e.g. unjust or rash oaths. Leviticus : Let him do penance for his sin, and offer of the flocks an ewe lamb or a she-goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin (v. 5, 6).

    St Luke describes the different classes of people who came to St John the Baptist, and the different advice he gave to each (see iii. 10-15).

    7. Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism. They came to listen to his preaching, but the Pharisees, as a class, certainly did not accept the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him (St Luke vii. 30).

    Ye brood of vipers. The word vipers expresses crafty wickedness. Jesus also applied it to them. You serpents, generations of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell ? (xxiii. 33). Perhaps there is an allusion to the devil, the infernal serpent. Cf. You are of your father the devil (St John viii. 44). When the dry stalks are set on fire in the autumn, the vipers in the grass try to escape from the flames (Holtzmann).

    who hath shewed you, etc. ? Who has persuaded you that the mere ceremony of baptism, without true repentance, will suffice to assure your salvation? This is the meaning generally given to these words.

    Other interpretations are —

(a) The words are employed negatively, — i.e. no one has warned you how to escape God’s judgments. Cf. Ilotv tvill you jlee from the judgment of hell?

(b) St John rejoices that the proud, depraved Pharisees and Sadducees are in earnest about their salvation.

    The next two verses favour the first explanation ; but whichever meaning we take, the same necessity remains — to flee from the wrath to come.

    8. fruit worthy of penance. As proofs of their inward sorrow. The heart of man is the tree, his deeds are the fruit. St Luke gives the plural, “ fruits.” The Baptist goes on to enumerate some of these fruits.

    The Rabbis had various “ sayings ” on this subject : —

“ If Israel would only repent one day, the Son of David would come forthwith.”

“All the stages are past, and all depends solely on repentance and good works.”

    9. We have Abraham for our father. The Jews boasted of being the children of Abraham, without troubling to do the works of Abraham (St John viii. 39). Cf. They answered him : We are the seed of Abraham . . . . Abraham is our father (St John viii. 33 and 39). St John was but confirming the teaching of the prophets.

    Cf. Her princes have judged, for bribes, and her priests have taught for hire, and her prophets divined for money : and they leaned upon the Lord, saying: Is not the Lord in the midst of us ? no evil shall come upon us (Micheas iii. 11). Make your ways and your doingsgood: .... if you will execute judgment between a man and his neighbour, if you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, . ... I will dwell with you in this place (i.e. the Temple) (Jer. vii. 3-7).

    of these stones to raise up children. There is here a play upon the Hebrew words “ banim,” “ children,” and “ abanim,” “ stones.” In Isaias, God is represented as saying : Look unto the rock whence you are hewn . . . . look unto Abraham your father (li. 1, 2). The words these stones would be accompanied by an energetic gesture, as the Baptist pointed to the loose rocks and pebbles on the banks of the Jordan. In the children to Abraham, whom God could raise up, we have a reference to the conversion of the Gentiles. Note that all the metaphors employed are derived from the desert ; vipers, trees, fruit, stones.

    10. now the axe is lead. There is need of haste, for the ventura ira (wrath to come) is near at hand, and the unfruitful trees will be cut down.

    Cf. Behold, for three years 1 come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and I find none. Cut it down therefore ; why cumbereth it the ground ? (St Luke xiii. 7). In Palestine trees were valued only for their fruit, and barren trees were speedily removed.

    11. I indeed baptize. St John’s baptism was only an external rite, a sign that the recipient was penitent, whereas the baptism of the Messias was a means of sanctification and purification of souls. Hence St John proclaims that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled, since the Holy Ghost is now poured out on those who believe in Christ and receive His baptism. Cf. —

Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high (Is. xxxii. 15).

I will put a new spirit in their bowels (Ezec. xi. 19).

I have poured out my spirit upon all the house of Israel (Ezec. xxxix, 29) .

I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh (Joel ii. 28).

    Our Lord Himself explains these words of St John the Baptist, and refers them to the descent of the Holy Ghost. John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts i. 5).

    he that shall come after me. Notice the successive stages in the proclamation of the herald :—

    (a) There shall come one mightier than 1.

    (b) There hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.

    (c) Behold the Lamb of God. This is he of whom 1 said : After me there cometh, etc. (St John i. passim). St John the Baptist was born about six months before our Lord. As no .Tew was allowed to preach before his thirtieth year, Jesus l)egan His Public Life about six months later than St John.

    mightier than I. Note the Baptist’s humility : Jesus is the mighty God.

whose shoes I am not worthy to hear. St Luke has : The latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose (iii. 16). The Baptist, speaking frequently, would naturally vary his expressions. The thought is the same. “ I am not worthy to perform for the Messias a service which the slave renders to his lord.”

    In the East, the slaves removed and carried their masters’ sandals when they entered into a temple or banqueting-hall.

    shoes. Better, “sandals.”

    in the Holy Ghost. A reference to the work of the Holy Ghost in the soul, which He first purifies, and then enkindles with the love of God and zeal for souls.

    Cf. I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled ? (St Luke xii. 49). In Baptism we receive the Holy Ghost, and in Confirmation He comes to the soul and imparts His sevenfold gifts.

    and fire. Four different interpretations have been given of these words.

    They signify —

(a) Purgatory (Origen, St Hilary, St Jerome).

(b) Trials and persecutions (St Bede).

(c) Hell fire (some modern non-Catholic writers).

(d) The purifying and enkindling of the soul by the Holy Ghost (St John Chrysostom, Zigabenus, a Lapide, etc.).

    The third view given has little weight, for nowhere in Scripture is the word “baptism” used to denote hell fire.

    The last interpretation is the one most generally accepted, since —

(a) The Holy Ghost descended on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues.

(b) St Matthew uses the expression in the Holy Ghost and fire as though these terms were synonymous.

(c) The prophets compare the action of the Holy Ghost to a purifying fire. Cf . The Lord shall wash away the blood of J erusalem . ... by the spirit of burning (Is. iv. 4). Behold he cometh .... for he is like a refining fire (Mai. iii. 1, 2). (Abridged from Maas, S.J., Comm. St Matt.)

    12. fan. A winnowing shovel made of osiers, by which the threshed corn was tossed up against the wind in order to separate the grain from the husks.

    his floor. This cleansing consisted in gathering up the grain, and burning the stalks, husks, etc. The threshing-floor in the East consists of a hardened circular area on which the grain is strewn, and then beaten with flails or trodden out by oxen. The corn is then separated by means of fans, and stored in underground pits or in natural caverns.

    The refuse, when burnt, is used as manure. The farmer sets fire to it windward, and as long as there is any chaff to consume, the fire burns. 

    barn here signifies (1) the Catholic Church, (2) Heaven. 

    chaff. The wicked are often compared to chaff. Cf. All that do wickedly shall he stubble : and the day that cometh shall set them on fire (Mai. iv. 1). I will scatter them with a fan in the gates of the land (Jer. XV. 7). “ Christ compares the visible Church, which is the world, with an area, a circular threshing-floor, where chaff and grain, good and bad, now lie mingled together, till He who will winnow them shall come. And thus He teaches us faith, patience, constancy, charity, zeal and fear” (Wordsworth, Greek Testament).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per te, Maria.

Egypt & the Massacre of the Innocents (Matt. ii. 13-23)

St Matthew Chapter II : Verses 13-23

Contents

⮚Matt. ii. 13-23 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate)

⮚Notes on text

   

Matt. ii. 13-23

The flight into Egypt. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

13 And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.

Qui cum recessissent, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens : Surge, et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus, et fuge in Ægyptum, et esto ibi usque dum dicam tibi. Futurum est enim ut Herodes quærat puerum ad perdendum eum.

14 Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:

Qui consurgens accepit puerum et matrem ejus nocte, et secessit in Ægyptum : et erat ibi usque ad obitum Herodis :

15 That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Ut adimpleretur quod dictum est a Domino per prophetam dicentem : Ex Ægypto vocavi filium meum.

The Massacre of the Innocents. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

16 Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

Tunc Herodes videns quoniam illusus esset a magis, iratus est valde, et mittens occidit omnes pueros, qui erant in Bethlehem, et in omnibus finibus ejus, a bimatu et infra secundum tempus, quod exquisierat a magis.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:

Tunc adimpletum est quod dictum est per Jeremiam prophetam dicentem :

18 A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Vox in Rama audita est ploratus, et ululatus multus : Rachel plorans filios suos, et noluit consolari, quia non sunt.

The return from Egypt. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,

Defuncto autem Herode, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph in Ægypto,

20 Saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child.

dicens : Surge, et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus, et vade in terram Israel : defuncti sunt enim qui quaerebant animam pueri.

21 Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Qui consurgens, accepit puerum, et matrem ejus, et venit in terram Israel.

22 But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee.

Audiens autem quod Archelaus regnaret in Judæa pro Herode patre suo, timuit illo ire : et admonitus in somnis, secessit in partes Galilææ.

23 And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene.

Et veniens habitavit in civitate quae vocatur Nazareth : ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per prophetas : Quoniam Nazaræus vocabitur.

Notes

    13. after they were departed. It is probable that the apparition of the angel to Joseph took place immediately after the departure of the magi, for naturally the news of the arrival of these strangers and of their visit to the Holy Family would speedily have been noised abroad in a small hamlet such as Bethlehem, and this publicity would have constituted a danger for the Infant Jesus.

    to Joseph. The angel was sent to the head of the family, to St Joseph ; yet he was the least in dignity. From this we learn a lesson of obedience and humility to those placed over us.

    Arise. There was to be no delay, since the danger was imminent, and the flight into Egypt was to be the means of saving the life of the Infant Saviour.

    fly into Egypt. Egypt lay beyond the jurisdiction of Herod, and there was a highway which led thither.

    be there until I shall tell thee. St Joseph was to practise absolute resignation to the will of God.

    Herod will seek the child. Lit. “purposes to seek the child” (μέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον).

    to destroy him. This was Herod’s set purpose (τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό.) from the moment he had heard of Christ’s birth.

    14. Who arose, and took the child, etc. Notice St Joseph’s prompt and unquestioning obedience.

    by night. Orientals were in the habit of setting out on a journey before daybreak in order to escape the heat of the day, but it is probable that the Holy Family travelled earlier still. By so doing they would be less likely to meet other travellers.

    retired into Egypt. There were two roads leading from Jerusalem to Egypt, one through Gaza and the other through Hebron. The distance was about 120 miles, and the journey took from eight to ten days. According to the most ancient and the local traditions, the Holy Family went to Heliopolis, known as “ On ” to the Old Testament writers, and called “ Matarea ” by the Arabs. The city stood on the eastern bank of the Nile, near the Delta.

    The Apocryphal Gospels narrate various miracles in connection with the flight into Egypt, and among others, the legend that all the idols in Egypt fell when the Holy Family entered Egypt, but these miracles are not authentic. This one in particular is based on a literal application of a prophecy concerning the ultimate conversion of the Egyptians. Cf. Behold the Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud, and will enter into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egyp>t shall melt in the midst thereof. (Is. xix. 1).

    until the death. The duration of the sojourn in Egypt is unknown. Various periods have been suggested, varying between a few months and eight years.

    15. That it might be fulfilled, etc. Herod, like Augustus, was the unconscious instrument in bringing about the fulfilment of a prophecy. The words quoted applied, both historically and literally, to the Jews. The Septuagint reads, not “ my son,” but “ my sons.”

    We frequently find this name given to the Israelites. Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, my first-born (Exod. iv. 22). The words quoted by the Evangelist were only fully accomplished in a secondary application when Joseph was bidden to return into the land of Israel at the expiration of the term of their exile.

    16. Herod perceiving that he was deluded, etc. Lit. “ perceiving that he was made a sport of” (ἐνεπαίχθη). The Evangelist takes Herod’s standpoint and relates what passed in the tyrant’s mind. Doubtless he waited for the return of the magi ; then he made inquiries, and finally learned that he had been outwitted. To a tyrant such as Herod this must have seemed intolerable ; and some dire act of vengeance on his part was the natural consequence of the magi’s course of action.

    and sending. Herod’s agents were probably selected from one of the four bands of men who were mentioned by Josephus as taking part in the obsequies of the king, i.e. a Thracian band, a company of Germans, a band of Galatians (composed of Gauls and Celts), and his own bodyguard. Members of these bands could be sent at any time to execute despotic acts of vengeance planned by Herod. It was thus that Herod Antipas had St John the Baptist executed (see St Mark vi. 14).

    killed all the men-children. An obsolete expression for “ male children.” Some anti Christian writers have objected that since the Jewish historian Josephus does not mention this incident, it cannot be true, but he omits far more important events in the life of our Lord. Josephus wrote about ninety years after the birth of Christ ; and since it was his policy to interpret the prophecies concerning the Messias in favour of Vespasian and of the Roman empire, he would naturally abstain from relating any incident relating to our Lord.

    Macrobius, a pagan historian of the fourth century, writes thus “ Augustus was informed that, among the boys under two years of age whom Herod, the king of Judea, had ordered to be slain in Syria, his own son had been slain. Hearing this, the emperor remarked It is better to be Herod’s pig (τὸν ὗν) than Herod’s son (τὸν ὑιὸν ).” Augustus was misinformed as regards the murder of Antipater, for he perished in full manhood before the birth of Christ ; but at least the historian’s words prove that the massacre of the innocents was well known to the ancient pagan world.

    Note. — It is generally thought that about 15 to 20 children were slain ; for if we take the population of Bethlehem and its environs as consisting of about 1000 families, this would give approximately a birth-rate of 36 per year. Deducting the female children and allowing for premature deaths, we arrive at about 10 boys for each year ; and as those under two years were massacred, the number may have been about 20, as stated. Certainly the number of 14,000 given by the Greek liturgies far exceeds the truth.

    from two years old and under. As we do not know the exact time of the appearance of the star, we cannot determine precisely what is meant by these words. They may mean children that had just entered on their second year and those who were under one year old, or they may refer to all those who had completed their second year.

    17. Then was fulfilled, etc. The words quoted are rather a record of an historical event than a prophecy ; but inasmuch as they can be applied to the lamentation of the mothers of Bethlehem, they are prophetic in the wider sense of the word. They had been partially and provisionally fulfilled, in the first instance, in the murder by the Babylonians of the children of Judæa, particularly in the region where Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, was buried (Gen. xxxv. 17-20). But the prophecy now received its full and final accomplishment. “ The Holy Spirit, speaking by St Matthew, teaches us in these first two chapters (see i. 22, ii. 23. Cf. viii. 17, xii. 17, xiii. 35, xxi. 4, xxvii. 9, 35) that the prophecies spoken by Himself are not exhausted at once, but they flow in a perennial stream through successive ages, till they arrive at their height and springtide in Christ.”

    19. But when Herod was dead. Not necessarily immediately after Herod’s death, which occurred in 750 A.U.C., after a reign of thirty-seven years of tyranny and crimes.

    20. they are dead that sought the life of the child. By an idiomatic use, the plural is used for the singular.

    22. Archelaus reigned. Lit. “reigned as king ” (βασιλεύει). Archelaus was not a king, but an ethnarch, although it seems probable that he was addressed as “king” by courtesy. Josephus tells us that “There was presently an acclamation made to Archelaus as king, and the soldiers came by bands, and their commanders with them, and promised the same good will .... which they had exhibited to Herod ” (Antiq., xvii. 8, 2). An ethnarch had less authority than a king. Archelaus governed the provinces of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea.

    he was afraid to go thither. Notice the prudence of St Joseph. His fears were not ungrounded, for Archelaus was no sooner in power than he massacred 3000 Jews at a paschal solemnity (see Josephus, Antiq., xvii. 9. 3).

    the quarters of Galilee. Galilee was the most despised province of Judea, and Nazareth was its poorest city. Antipas, Herod’s half-brother, governed this province. Though a tyrant like his father, Antipas was less cruel than Archelaus.

    23. And coming he dwelt. This is the last time St Joseph’s name occurs in connection with our Lord. Tradition asserts that he died shortly after this event.

    We infer that St Joseph died during the hidden life of our Blessed Lord, since —

1. He is not mentioned as taking part in any of the events of the Public Life of Christ.

2. During the three years of Christ’s Ministry we sometimes find our Blessed Lady at Capharnaum.

3. The Nazarenes, during His Public Life, speak of Christ as the Carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, etc., but St Joseph is not mentioned.

4. Jesus, when dying, bequeathed his Blessed Mother to St John, which seems to prove that St Joseph was dead.

    St Joseph is invoked as the patron of a happy death, since his last moments were blessed by the presence of Jesus and Mary.

    he shall he called a Nazarite. This is perhaps a copyist’s error for “ Nazarene,” since we do not read of our Lord being called a Nazarite, nor did He take the Nazarite vow, whereas He was reproached with being a Nazarene. 

[Ed. Cf. And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Scripsit autem et titulum Pilatus, et posuit super crucem. Erat autem scriptum : Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum.  [John xix. 19]; And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. Ego autem respondi : Quis es, Domine? Dixitque ad me : Ego sum Jesus Nazarenus, quem tu persequeris.  [Acts Of Apostles xxii. 8]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per te, Maria.