(25) But lest anyone suppose that intercourse had taken place, he continues but he knew her not . Here it should be noted that the word, "know", is taken in two ways in Sacred Scripture: sometimes for knowledge, as in John (16:7): "And you shall know him and have seen him"; sometimes for carnal intercourse, as in Gen (4:1): "But Adam knew Eve, his wife," i.e., carnally.
But one might object that it does not say absolutely that he knew her not , but until she had borne a son . He knew later; hence, even Elvidius said: "Although the virgin conceived Christ, later she had other sons from Joseph." Therefore, Jerome says that "until" sometimes signifies something finite and determinate, as when I say: "I will not come, until I eat," because I signify that I will come after this; sometimes it signifies infinitely and indeterminately, for example: "He must reign, until he puts all enemies under his feet" (1 Cor 15:25). Does that mean that he will not reign after this? Not at all. But Scripture uses such a way of speaking, because it intends to remove what can be doubtful. For there could be a doubt, when the Blessed Virgin had brought forth, whether she had been known by Joseph before the birth of Christ, because the first should not have been a matter of doubt to anyone, because the angels sang: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will" (Lk 2:14). And therefore, this is what the evangelist intends. And Jerome's argument against Elvidius is excellent: "You say, Elvidius, that she did not know Joseph before the birth, because he had been warned in sleep by an angel. If, therefore, a warning in sleep was strong enough to keep him from knowing Mary, how much more the knowledge of the angels and the adoration of the shepherds and the Magi? Chrysostom, however, took "knowledge" for intellectual knowledge. He did not know how great was her dignity; but after she brought forth, he knew. Others say that from speaking with the Lord, Moses' face shone so brightly, that the children of Israel could not gaze upon his face (2 Cor 3:7). Therefore, if Moses had this from communing with God, much more did this Blessed Virgin, who carried him in her womb have such facial brilliance, that Joseph did not know her. But the first explanation is more to the letter.
Elvidius likewise says that the words are "until she brought forth her firstborn son." But "first" is said with respect to others that follow. Therefore, she had other sons. Jerome answers that it is a custom in Scripture to call firstborn all those whom others did not precede; thus it says in Ex (13:12) that the firstborn of the Jews were offered to the Lord. Jerome asks: Was it necessary to wait and not offer him to the Lord, until a second son was born? Therefore, the firstborn are those whom others did not precede; and that is the sense here.
Then he mentions the service he rendered. Luke (2:2) mentions this in greater detail, but Matthew touches it lightly. For thus the Holy Spirit wills that what one says, the other passes over in silence. He called his name Jesus . This name was quite renowned and desired among the ancients: "I will await your salvation, O Lord" (Gen 49:11); "I will rejoice in the Lord and exult in God, my Jesus" (Hab 3:18).
2—1
Mt 2:1-2
1. When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, 2. Saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him.
Having dealt with the birth of Christ, the evangelist now intends to make it manifest: first, by the testimony of the Magi; secondly by the testimony of the Innocents (v. 13).
In regard to the first he presents three things: first, the birth of Christ is announced; secondly, the place is inquired into (v. 3); thirdly, the person of Jesus is sought (v. 7).
In regard to the first he does three things: first, Christ's birth is declared and testimony given; secondly, the witnesses are introduced (v. 1b); thirdly, their testimony is given (v. 2).
In regard to the first he touches on four things: the birth, the name of the newborn, the place and the time.
(1) The first is mentioned, when he says, Now when Jesus was born . And it should be noted that Luke discusses the birth more fully, whereas Matthew discusses the adoration of the Magi more fully than Luke. The name is mentioned, when he says, Jesus ; the place, when he says, in Bethlehem of Judah , not of Judea, which the entire region of the people of Israel is called, but of Judah , i.e., that portion of the land which fell by lot to Judah. It is called "Bethlehem of Judah" to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem, which is in the tribe of Zebulun, which Joshua mentions (9:10).
Note that those three phrases, When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah in the days of Herod, the king , are fittingly placed. For Bethlehem signifies the Church, in which was born Jesus, the true bread, about which John (6:35) says: "I am the true bread which came down from heaven." Therefore, salvation comes to no one, unless he is in the Lord's house. In these is Christ, the Savior, born: "You shall call your borders salvation and your gates praise" (Is 60:18). And he added, the king , to distinguish him from another Herod: for he was the one under whom Christ was born; the other, who killed John, was a son of this Herod but was not a king.
But why does Scripture mention the time? There are two reasons: first, to show that Jacob's prophecy is fulfilled: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and he will be the desired of the nations" (Gen 49:10). For Herod was the first foreigner to reign in Judea. The second is that a more serious disease needs a greater and better physician. But the people of Israel at that time were suffering considerable distress under gentile rule; and therefore, they needed a very special consoler. For prophets were sent to them in their other afflictions, but now on account of the greatness of the affliction the Lord of the prophets was sent to them: "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul" (Ps 94:19).
Then the witnesses are presented and described in three ways: from their profession, from their origin and from the place where they give testimony. In regard to the first he says Magi [wise men] . In ordinary speech they are called "enchanters", but in the Persian tongue they are called philosophers and wise men [Magi]. They came to Jesus, because they recognized from Christ the glory of the wisdom they possessed. They are, indeed, the first fruits of the gentiles, because they were the first to come to Christ. According to Augustine, in their coming is fulfilled the word of Is (8:4): "Before the child knows how to cry 'my father' or 'my mother', the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria." For before Christ had spoken, he had removed the courage of Damascus and the riches and spoils of Samaria, i.e., idolatry. For they had removed idolatry and offered gifts. We should also remember that some Jews, namely, the shepherds, came to Christ; and some gentiles, namely, the Magi: for Christ is the cornerstone who made the two one.
Why the magi and shepherds? Because the shepherds were simple and the Magi sinners, to show that Christ receives both. The evangelist does not say how many Magi there were. But in view of the gifts there seem to have been three kings, although many others were represented in them: "The gentiles shall walk in your light" (Is 60:3).
Concerning the second, namely, the origin, he says, from the East . It should be noted that some take from the East to mean the "far East"; but then how would they come in such a few days? Some answer that they came miraculously; others that they had camels. But Chrysostom says that the star appeared to them for two years before the birth, and it was then that they prepared themselves and came to Jerusalem in two years and thirteen days. But it can be explained in another way as signifying a region near Jerusalem on the east; for they are said to have been of the sect of Balaam, who said: "A star shall come forth out of Jacob" (Num 24:17). This Balaam lived near the promised land on the east.
Then he mentions the place, came to Jerusalem . But why did they come to Jerusalem? For two reasons: one was that it was a royal city; hence they looked for the king of the Jews in the royal city. Furthermore, this happened according to God's plan, that testimony about Christ be given first in Jerusalem, as it says in Is (2:3): "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
(2) Then the testimony is presented, when it says, Where is he who is born king of the Jews? In this testimony they say three things: first, they announce the birth of a king; secondly, they mention the sign of this birth, we have seen his star in the East ; thirdly, they profess their pious intention, we have come to adore him .
They say, therefore, where is he? It should be noted that those Magi are the first-fruits of the nations and prefigure in themselves our condition. For they presuppose something, namely, the birth of Christ, and the look for something, namely, the place. We, indeed, have Christ by faith, but we look for something by hope: for we shall see him face to face: "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7).
But since they had heard of a king in Jerusalem, why did they say these things? For anyone who acknowledges another king in the king's city exposes himself to danger. But surely they did this through the zeal of faith. Hence, in them was announced that fearless faith suggested below (10:24): "Do not fear those who kill the body." Then they mention the sign of this birth, we have seen... Note that these words were the occasion of two errors: Some, as the Priscillianists, said that all of men's acts are performed and ruled by fate. And they confirm it by these words, we have seen his star . Therefore, he was born under some star. The other was the error of the Manichees, who deny fate and, consequently, this gospel. But both errors are rejected.
But before proceeding to explain the letter, let us see what fate is and how these things should be believed and how not. Note, therefore, that in human affairs we see many things happening by accident and by chance. But it happens that something fortuitous and by chance relative to a lower cause is not fortuitous when related to a higher cause. For example, if an employer sent three men for someone and none knows the other, if they all met, it would be by chance, so far as they are concerned; but relative to the employer's intention, it would not be chance. But according to this there were two opinions about fate. Some said that things of chance are not explained by a higher cause planning them; and they denied fate as well as all divine providence. And according to Augustine this was Cicero's opinion. But we say that things of chance are explained by a higher cause planning them. Since fate suggests something commanded and proclaimed beforehand, there is a difference of opinion about the source of this arrangement. For some say that it is due to the power of the heavenly bodies; in other words, fate is nothing more than the arrayal of the stars. Others explain contingent events by divine providence.
But the other opinion must be rejected. For human acts are not ruled by the arrangement of the heavenly bodies. This is clear for the present, as many valid reasons testify.
First, because it is impossible for a bodily force to act on a non-bodily force, for in the order of nature the lower cannot act on the higher nature. Now there are in the soul certain powers superior to the body and some equipped with bodily organs, such as the nutritive and the sense powers. Now, heavenly bodies, although they act directly on lower bodies and produce changes in them, can also act indirectly on powers equipped with organs. But they cannot act on powers equipped with organs by compelling them, but only by inclining them. For we say that this person is prone to anger, and this from heavenly causes; but directly, the choice as such is in the will. Hence, no disposition can be formed in the human body, such that the judgment of free will would not surpass it. Hence, anyone who would rank free will lower than the heavenly bodies would necessarily have to admit that the senses are not different from the intellect.
Secondly, because all divine worship is thereby excluded, because all things would occur by necessity; and so, even the direction of all governments would be ruined, because there would be no need to take counsel or provide for anything, and so on.