The Bible

 

Matthew 2:1-12 : The Visit of the Wise Men

Study

1 του G3588 T-GSM δε G1161 CONJ ιησου G2424 N-GSM γεννηθεντος G1080 G5685 V-APP-GSM εν G1722 P EP βηθλεεμ G965 N-P I της G3588 T-GSF ιουδαιας G2449 N-GSF εν G1722 P EP ημεραις G2250 N-DPF ηρωδου G2264 N-GSM του G3588 T-GSM βασιλεως G935 N-GSM ιδου G2400 G5628 V-2AAM-2S μαγοι G3097 N-NPM απο G575 P EP ανατολων G395 N-GPF παρεγενοντο G3854 G5633 V-2ADI-3P εις G1519 P EP ιεροσολυμα G2414 N-ASF

2 λεγοντες G3004 G5723 V-PAP-NPM που G4226 P T-I εστιν G2076 G5748 V-PXI-3S ο G3588 T-NSM τεχθεις G5088 G5685 V-APP-NSM βασιλευς G935 N-NSM των G3588 T-GPM ιουδαιων G2453 A-GPM ειδομεν G1492 G5627 V-2AAI-1P γαρ G1063 CONJ αυτου G846 P-GSM τον G3588 T-ASM αστερα G792 N-ASM εν G1722 P EP τη G3588 T-DSF ανατολη G395 N-DSF και G2532 CONJ ηλθομεν G2064 G5627 V-2AAI-1P προσκυνησαι G4352 G5658 V-AAN αυτω G846 P-DSM

3 ακουσας G191 G5660 V-AAP-NSM δε G1161 CONJ ηρωδης G2264 N-NSM ο G3588 T-NSM βασιλευς G935 N-NSM εταραχθη G5015 G5681 V-API-3S και G2532 CONJ πασα G3956 A-NSF ιεροσολυμα G2414 N-NSF μετ G3326 P EP αυτου G846 P-GSM

4 και G2532 CONJ συναγαγων G4863 G5631 V-2AAP-NSM παντας G3956 A-APM τους G3588 T-APM αρχιερεις G749 N-APM και G2532 CONJ γραμματεις G1122 N-APM του G3588 T-GSM λαου G2992 N-GSM επυνθανετο G4441 G5711 V-INI-3S παρ G3844 P EP αυτων G846 P-GPM που G4226 P T-I ο G3588 T-NSM χριστος G5547 N-NSM γενναται G1080 G5743 V-PPI-3S

5 οι G3588 T-NPM δε G1161 CONJ ειπον G2036 G5627 V-2AAI-3P αυτω G846 P-DSM εν G1722 P EP βηθλεεμ G965 N-P I της G3588 T-GSF ιουδαιας G2449 N-GSF ουτως G3779 ADV γαρ G1063 CONJ γεγραπται G1125 G5769 V- PI-3S δια G1223 P EP του G3588 T-GSM προφητου G4396 N-GSM

6 και G2532 CONJ συ G4771 P-2NS βηθλεεμ G965 N-P I γη G1093 N-VSF ιουδα G2448 N-GSM ουδαμως G3760 ADV ελαχιστη G1646 A-NSF ει G1488 G5748 V-PXI-2S εν G1722 P EP τοις G3588 T-DPM ηγεμοσιν G2232 N-DPM ιουδα G2448 N-GSM εκ G1537 P EP σου G4675 P-2GS γαρ G1063 CONJ εξελευσεται G1831 G5695 V-FDI-3S ηγουμενος G2233 G5740 V-PNP-NSM οστις G3748 -NSM ποιμανει G4165 G5692 V-FAI-3S τον G3588 T-ASM λαον G2992 N-ASM μου G3450 P-1GS τον G3588 T-ASM ισραηλ G2474 N-P I

7 τοτε G5119 ADV ηρωδης G2264 N-NSM λαθρα G2977 ADV καλεσας G2564 G5660 V-AAP-NSM τους G3588 T-APM μαγους G3097 N-APM ηκριβωσεν G198 G5656 V-AAI-3S παρ G3844 P EP αυτων G846 P-GPM τον G3588 T-ASM χρονον G5550 N-ASM του G3588 T-GSM φαινομενου G5316 G5730 V-PEP-GSM αστερος G792 N-GSM

8 και G2532 CONJ πεμψας G3992 G5660 V-AAP-NSM αυτους G846 P-APM εις G1519 P EP βηθλεεμ G965 N-P I ειπεν G2036 G5627 V-2AAI-3S πορευθεντες G4198 G5679 V-AOP-NPM ακριβως G199 ADV εξετασατε G1833 G5657 V-AAM-2P περι G4012 P EP του G3588 T-GSN παιδιου G3813 N-GSN επαν G1875 CONJ δε G1161 CONJ ευρητε G2147 G5632 V-2AAS-2P απαγγειλατε G518 G5657 V-AAM-2P μοι G3427 P-1DS οπως G3704 ADV καγω G2504 P-1NS-C ελθων G2064 G5631 V-2AAP-NSM προσκυνησω G4352 G5661 V-AAS-1S αυτω G846 P-DSM

9 οι G3588 T-NPM δε G1161 CONJ ακουσαντες G191 G5660 V-AAP-NPM του G3588 T-GSM βασιλεως G935 N-GSM επορευθησαν G4198 G5675 V-AOI-3P και G2532 CONJ ιδου G2400 G5628 V-2AAM-2S ο G3588 T-NSM αστηρ G792 N-NSM ον G3739 -ASM ειδον G1492 G5627 V-2AAI-3P εν G1722 P EP τη G3588 T-DSF ανατολη G395 N-DSF προηγεν G4254 G5707 V-IAI-3S αυτους G846 P-APM εως G2193 CONJ ελθων G2064 G5631 V-2AAP-NSM εστη G2476 G5627 V-2AAI-3S επανω G1883 ADV ου G3757 ADV ην G2258 G5713 V-IXI-3S το G3588 T-NSN παιδιον G3813 N-NSN

10 ιδοντες G1492 G5631 V-2AAP-NPM δε G1161 CONJ τον G3588 T-ASM αστερα G792 N-ASM εχαρησαν G5463 G5644 V-2AOI-3P χαραν G5479 N-ASF μεγαλην G3173 A-ASF σφοδρα G4970 ADV

11 και G2532 CONJ ελθοντες G2064 G5631 V-2AAP-NPM εις G1519 P EP την G3588 T-ASF οικιαν G3614 N-ASF ειδον G3708 G5627 V-2AAI-3P το G3588 T-ASN παιδιον G3813 N-ASN μετα G3326 P EP μαριας G3137 N-GSF της G3588 T-GSF μητρος G3384 N-GSF αυτου G846 P-GSN και G2532 CONJ πεσοντες G4098 G5631 V-2AAP-NPM προσεκυνησαν G4352 G5656 V-AAI-3P αυτω G846 P-DSM και G2532 CONJ ανοιξαντες G455 G5660 V-AAP-NPM τους G3588 T-APM θησαυρους G2344 N-APM αυτων G846 P-GPM προσηνεγκαν G4374 G5656 V-AAI-3P αυτω G846 P-DSM δωρα G1435 N-APN χρυσον G5557 N-ASM και G2532 CONJ λιβανον G3030 N-ASM και G2532 CONJ σμυρναν G4666 N-ASF

12 και G2532 CONJ χρηματισθεντες G5537 G5685 V-APP-NPM κατ G2596 P EP οναρ G3677 N-OI μη G3361 P T-N ανακαμψαι G344 G5658 V-AAN προς G4314 P EP ηρωδην G2264 N-ASM δι G1223 P EP αλλης G243 A-GSF οδου G3598 N-GSF ανεχωρησαν G402 G5656 V-AAI-3P εις G1519 P EP την G3588 T-ASF χωραν G5561 N-ASF αυτων G846 P-GPM

Commentary

 

Christmas Gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

By New Christian Bible Study Staff

The Adoration of the Magi, a Design for Bas Relief.

In the Christmas story, the wise men bring gifts to the Lord: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The gold is listed first, because it is the inmost - signifying good, e.g. the good that we do when we love the Lord and the neighbor.

The frankincense is next. It signifies rational truth, which is the set of true ideas that we know, not about external things like cars or cooking, but about what is really good, and what is really true.

These rational truths are built on earlier knowledges that we learn, before we have really made them our own. Those early knowledges about spiritual things - often learned in childhood - are represented by the myrrh.

In a way, these gifts are really a reciprocation. We can't actually give them to the Lord until the Lord has given them to us. We necessarily start out by learning and doing the Lord's law (myrrh). The Lord can then call up those memories to become rational truths (frankincense). Then, over time, and with effort, those truths can be transformed into good (gold). The wise men from the East had gone through this process of learning and becoming vessels that could receive truths and goods. They were able to perceive the Lord's birth, and find him, and bring gifts to him.