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The Visit of the Magi and the Star

Matt 2:1–12 · Infancy and childhood

Scripture

Matthew 2:1–12

ow when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

King James Version · public domain

Mateu 2:1–12

dhe Jisuj si lindi ndë Vithleemë të Judhesë, ndë ditt të mbretit Irodh, ja ca magjistarë nga të-lindurit’e djellit erthnë ndë Jerusalim, 2e thoshinë, Ku është mbret’ i Judhenjvet që ka lindurë? sepse pam’ yllin’ e ati ndë të-lindurit të djellit, e erthmë që t’i falemi. 3Edhe mbreti Irodh kur dëgjoj, udroth edhe gjithë Jerusalimi bashkë me atë. 4Edhe si mblodhi gjithë krye-priftërt’ edhe shkronjësit e gjindjesë, pyeste të marrë vesh prej atyre, ku lint Krishti. 5Edhe ata i thanë ati, Ndë Vithlehemë të Judhesë; sepse kështu është shkruarë me anë të profitit, 6“Edhe ti, Vithlehemë, dheu i Judhesë, asfare nukë je m’ e-vogëla ndër zotërinjt të Judhesë; sepse prej teje dotë dalë një i-parë, i-cili dotë kullosnjë llauzinë t’im Israil.” 7Atëhere Irodhi thirri fshehurazi magjistarëtë, e mori vesh mirë nga ata kohën’ e yllit që ishte dukurë; 8Edhe dyke dërguarë ata ndë Vithlehemë, tha, Shkoni e vëzhgoni mirë për djalënë; edhe si t’a gjeni, të më epni zë, që të vinj edhe unë e t’i falem ati. 9Edhe ata si dëgjuanë mbretnë vanë; edhe ja ylli që kishinë parë ndë të-lindurit të djellit tek shkonte përpara atyre, gjersa erdhi e qëndroj sipër tek ishte djali. 10Edhe ata kur panë yllinë, ugëzuanë gëzim të-math fort. 11Edhe si erthnë ndë shtëpit, gjetnë djalënë bashkë me t’ëmën’ e ti Mari, edhe ranë mbë dhe e i ufalnë ati, edhe si hapnë thesarët’ e tyre, i prunë ati dhurëti, ar e livan e smirnë. 12Edhe si udëftye atyre nga Perëndia nd’ëndërrë të mos kthenenë tek Irodhi, nga një tjatër’ udhë shkuanë ndë vëntt të tyre.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

Gold, as paid to a mighty King; frankincense, as offered to God; myrrh, as to one who is to die for the sins of all.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo, on the wise men (Catena Aurea on Matthew)

The Visit of the Magi and the Star (Matthew 2:1–12)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homilies 6 and 8 (on Matthew 2:1–12) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.VI_1.html

On what manner of star it was that led them, and why it was no common star:

that this star was not of the common sort, or rather not a star at all, as it seems at least to me, but some invisible power transformed into this appearance, is in the first place evident from its very course. For there is not, there is not any star that moves by this way, but whether it be the sun you mention, or the moon, or all the other stars, we see them going from east to west; but this was wafted from north to south; for so is Palestine situated with respect to Persia.

On the treasures opened before the Child, and the gifts offered not as to a man but as to God (Homily 8):

Yet they not only worship, but also open their treasures, and offer gifts; and gifts, not as to a man, but as to God. For the frankincense and the myrrh were a symbol of this.

St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395)

On the wise men and the vanity of fate (on Matthew 2:1–12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.ii.html

On the emptiness of a life ruled by fate, and the free will the star could not take away:

How vain moreover is prayer for those who live by fate; Divine Providence is banished from the world together with piety, and man is made the mere instrument of the sidereal motions. For these they say move to action, not only the bodily members, but the thoughts of the mind. In a word, they who teach this, take away all that is in us, and the very nature of a contingency; which is nothing less than to overturn all things. For where will there be free will? but that which is in us must be free.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

On the wise men, the first-fruits of the Gentiles (on Matthew 2:1–12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.ii.html

On the wise men as the first-fruits of the Gentiles, drawn with the shepherds to the one Corner-stone:

What were these Magi but the first fruits of the Gentiles? Israelitish shepherds, gentile Magians, one from far, the other from near, hastened to the one Corner-stone.

On the threefold gift, confessing the King, the God, and the man who would die:

Gold, as paid to a mighty King; frankincense, as offered to God; myrrh, as to one who is to die for the sins of all.

St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

Commentary on Micah, on the prophecy of Bethlehem (on Matthew 2:1–12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.ii.html

On the sense of Micah's prophecy, that out of little Bethlehem should come the Ruler of Israel:

Thou, Bethlehem, of the land of Judah, or Ephrata, ... though thou art a small village among the thousand cities of Judah, yet out of thee shall be born Christ, who shall be the Ruler of Israel, who according to the flesh is of the seed of David, but was born of Me before the worlds.

St. Leo the Great (c. 400–461)

Sermons on the Feast of the Epiphany, Sermons 31 and 33 (on Matthew 2:1–12) From his Sermons on the Feast of the Epiphany, NPNF translation. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf212.ii.v.xvii.html

On the adoration of the wise men and the meaning of their three gifts:

They adore the Word in flesh, the Wisdom in infancy, the Power in weakness, the Lord of majesty in the reality of man: and by their gifts make open acknowledgment of what they believe in their hearts ... The incense they offer to God, the myrrh to Man, the gold to the King, consciously paying honour to the Divine and human Nature in union

On their returning to their own country by another way (Sermon 33):

Now when the wise men had worshipped the Lord and finished all their devotions, according to the warning of a dream, they return not by the same route by which they had come. For it behoved them now that they believed in Christ not to walk in the paths of their old line of life, but having entered on a new way to keep away from the errors they had left

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 10 (on Matthew 2:1–12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.ii.html

On the mystical sense of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in the life of the believer:

Wisdom is typified by gold ... By frankincense, which is burnt before God, the power of prayer is intended ... In myrrh is figured mortification of the flesh. To a king at his birth we offer gold, if we shine in his sight with the light of wisdom; we offer frankincense, if we have power before God by the sweet savour of our prayers; we offer myrrh, when we mortify by abstinence the lusts of the flesh.

On the return by another way, and our own return to Paradise:

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.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew (CCEL, NPNF1-10) · Catena Aurea on Matthew, ch. 2 (CCEL) · Leo the Great, Sermons on the Epiphany (CCEL, NPNF2-12)