Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 2]
singular means dawn as the verb (\aneteilen\) does in Mt 4:16
(Septuagint). The Magi ask where is the one born king of the
Jews. They claim that they had seen his star, either a miracle or
a combination of bright stars or a comet. These men may have been
Jewish proselytes and may have known of the Messianic hope, for
even Vergil had caught a vision of it. The whole world was on
tiptoe of expectancy for something. Moulton (_Journal of
Theological Studies_, 1902, p. 524) "refers to the Magian belief
that a star could be the _fravashi_, the counterpart or angel
(cf. Mt 18:10) of a great man" (McNeile). They came to worship
the newly born king of the Jews. Seneca (_Epistle_ 58) tells of
Magians who came to Athens with sacrifices to Plato after his
death. They had their own way of concluding that the star which
they had seen pointed to the birth of this Messianic king. Cicero
(_De Divin_. i. 47) "refers to the constellation from which, on
the birthnight of Alexander, Magians foretold that the destroyer
of Asia was born" (McNeile). Alford is positive that no miracle
is intended by the report of the Magi or by Matthew in his
narrative. But one must be allowed to say that the birth of
Jesus, if really God's only Son who has become Incarnate, is the
greatest of all miracles. Even the methods of astrologers need
not disturb those who are sure of this fact.
2:3 {He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him} (\etarachth•
kai p•sa Ierosoluma met' autou\). Those familiar with the story
of Herod the Great in Josephus can well understand the meaning of
these words. Herod in his rage over his family rivalries and
jealousies put to death the two sons of Mariamne (Aristobulus and
Alexander), Mariamne herself, and Antipater, another son and once
his heir, besides the brother and mother of Mariamne
(Aristobulus, Alexandra) and her grandfather John Hyrcanus. He
had made will after will and was now in a fatal illness and fury
over the question of the Magi. He showed his excitement and the
whole city was upset because the people knew only too well what
he could do when in a rage over the disturbance of his plans.
"The foreigner and usurper feared a rival, and the tyrant feared
the rival would be welcome" (Bruce). Herod was a hated Idumaean.
2:4 {He inquired of them where the Christ should be born}
(\epunthaneto par' aut•n pou ho Christos genn•tai\). The
prophetic present (\genn•tai\) is given, the very words of Herod
retained by Matthew's report. The imperfect tense (epunthaneto)
suggests that Herod inquired repeatedly, probably of one and
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