031. Chapter 10 - Notes on the Youth of Jesus

Chapter 10 - Notes on the Youth of Jesus Herod and the Infants of Bethlehem

Herod was the second son of Antipater, an Idumaean (descendant of Esau). His mother was Cyprus, an Arabian. He became King of the Jews through favor of the Romans. Able and courageous, but jealous and cruel, he became half insane toward the close of his life and tried to murder everybody who seemed to threaten his throne. He killed his wife Mariamne and three of his sons. He killed his son Antipater just five days before his own death. He commanded a large group of the nobles among the Jews to be assembled and killed at his death in order that there should be a sufficient amount of mourning. All of this agrees perfectly with the brief picture as given by Matthew. Nevertheless, Keim, J. Weiss, Meyer, Pflieiderer et al. attempt to deny the account of the slaughter of the infants. Meyer says it is a myth because Herod would have sent a guard with the Magi. The perversity of unbelief! The story is not true because the foresight of Herod did not equal the afterthought of a modern German critic! Herod chose craft rather than force. He evidently felt the extraordinary devotion of the Wisemen would lead them to give up the search rather than expose the Child to danger, if soldiers or any show of force should arouse their suspicions as to his real intention.

Much is made of the silence of Josephus concerning this slaughter of infants. But his general silence concerning Christ destroys the force of this objection. Ryder remarks that it is not surprising that Josephus should not have made a catalogue of all of the evil deeds of Herod. Bethlehem was probably a small village so that not many children were slain.

Prophesies

Matthew calls attention to three Old Testament prophecies concerning the youth of Jesus. “Out of Egypt did I call my son” (Hosea 11:1) refers primarily to the leading of Israel out of Egypt. But Matthew points out that the word of the prophet is fulfilled in the return of Jesus from Egypt. How strikingly the words apply to Jesus! The prophecy of Jeremiah concerning Rachel’s weeping for her children is another example of a double fulfillment (Jeremiah 31:15). The primary reference is to the carrying away of Israel to Babylon. The prophet boldly represents Rachel as weeping over the destruction of her descendants. What a dramatic figure! It is as if Rachel were coming forth from her tomb near Bethlehem where she had been buried centuries before, robed in white and bowed in silent anguish! Matthew shows that in the slaughter of the infants there is another fulfillment of this same prophecy. There is nothing incongruous in a prophecy referring to more than one event and having more than one fulfillment. The third reference is the citation of “the prophets” that He should be a “Nazarene.” No such explicit prophecy is to be found in any of the prophets. Some hold that Nazareth comes from a word meaning “Watcher” or “Saviour.” But it is more likely that Nazareth comes from the Hebrew Netzer (root) which is used by Isaiah as referring to the Messiah. He speaks of the “root” that shall spring up out of the dry ground (Isaiah 11:1). A third suggestion as to what Matthew means by this citation is that all the prophecies which depict contempt and suffering for the Christ find their fulfillment in this despised place in which He was reared. Either of the latter suggestions would explain the reference of Matthew.

Nazareth

Nazareth is sixty miles north of Jerusalem and twenty miles southwest of Capernaum. It lies on the slope of a ridge and is entirely surrounded by mountains. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the writings of Josephus or the Talmud. This is additional proof that it was an insignificant town. The population was small and the soil of the neighborhood very poor. European capital has built here in modern times the largest town of Galilee. The only source of water supply is from a spring underneath the floor of the Greek church. The little village, though so secluded, was close to Roman roads. The main artery of commerce over the mountains from Galilee to the Sea passed within two or three miles. Roman ruins are near the village.

McGarvey speaks of Nazareth as “a place whose inhabitants were of bad repute, but one whose poverty of soil naturally led to poverty of morals and intelligence.” The reputation of Nazareth is disputed among scholars. Some hold that “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” means only that the village was small and unimportant in the eyes of the citizens of the flourishing town of Bethsaida. The fact that Joseph and Mary were from Nazareth shows that not all the people were bad. However, the form of Nathanael’s question and the reception given Jesus during His ministry both argue strongly for an unsavory reputation.