Christ is circumcised

A. M. 4001.
B. C. 4.
CXCIV. i.

a

ST. LUKE.

d

and presented in the temple.

AM.
B. C. 4.

CXCIV. 1.

21 ¶ And when eight days were 23 (As it is written in the law of 401. An. lymp. accomplished for the circumcising of the Lord, Every male that openeth An. Olymp the child, his name was called 'JE- the womb shall be called holy to the SUS, which was so named of the angel, before Lord ;) he was conceived in the womb.

24 And to offer a sacrifice, according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same

These simple men having satisfactory evidence of the truth of the good tidings, and feeling a divine influence upon their own minds, returned to the care of their flocks, glorifying God for what he had shewn them, and for the blessedness which they felt. "Jesus Christ, born of a woman, laid in a stable, proclaimed and ministered to by the heavenly host, should be a subject of frequent contemplation to the pastors of his church. After having compared the predictions of the prophets with the facts stated in the evangelic history, their own souls being hereby confirmed in these sacred truths, they will return to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard in the gospel history, just as it had been told them in the writings of the prophets; and preaching these mysteries with the fullest conviction of their truth, they become instruments in the hands of God, of begetting the same faith in their hearers, and thus the glory of God, and the happiness of his people are both promoted." What subjects for contemplation! what matter for praise!

Verse 21. When eight days were accomplished] The law had appointed, that every male should be circumcised at eight days old, or on the eighth day after its birth, Gen. xvii. 12. and our blessed Lord received circumcision in token of his subjection to the law, Gal. iv. 4. v. 3.

Exod. 13. 2. & 22. 29. & $4. 19. Num. 3. 13. & 8. 17. & 18. 15. • Lev. 12. 2, 6, 8.

omitted the article entirely, leaving the meaning indeterminate. As there could be no moral defilement in the case, and what was done, being for the performance of a legal ceremony, it is of little consequence, which of the readings is received into the text.

The purification of every mother and child, which the law enjoined, is a powerful argument in proof of that original corruption and depravity, which every human being brings into the world. The woman to be purified, was placed in the east gate of the court, called Nicanor's gate, and was there sprinkled with blood: thus she received the atonement. See Light foot.

Verse 24. And to offer a sacrifice] Neither mother nor child was considered as in the Lord's covenant, or under the divine protection, till these ceremonies prescribed by the law, had been performed.

A pair of turtle doves, &c.] One was for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering: see Lev. xii. 8. The rich were required to bring a lamb: but the poor and middling classes were required to bring either two turtle doves, or two pigeons. This is a proof that the holy family were not in affluence. Jesus sanctified the state of poverty, which is the general state of man, by passing through it. Therefore the poor have the gospel preached unto them; and the poor are they who principally receive it.

His name was called JESUS] See on Matt. i. 21. and John i. 29. Verse 22. Days of her purification] That is, thirty-three days after what was termed the seven days of her uncleanness--forty days in all for that was the time appointed by the law, after the birth of a male child. See Lev. xii. 2, 6. 1 The MSS. and Versions differ much in the pronoun in this place some reading auTns, HER purification; others avrov, HIS purification; others aurav, THEIR purification; and others AUTOTY, the purification of THEM both. Two Versions and two of the Fathers omit the article. Autwy, their, and avtov, his, have the greatest authorities in their support, and the former is received into most of the modern editions. A needless scrupulosity was, in my opinion, the origin of these various readings. Some would not allow that both needed purifica- | Virgin, and for the circumcision of the most holy Jesus. tion, and referred the matter to Mary alone. Others thought

Though neither Mary nor her son needed any of these purifications, for she was immaculate, and He was the Holy One; yet had she not gone through the days of purification according to the law, she could not have appeared in the public worship of the Most High, and would have been considered as an apostate from the faith of the Israel of God: and had not He been circumcised and publicly presented in the temple, he could not have been permitted to enter either synagogue or temple; and no Jew would have heard him preach, or had any intercourse or connexion with him. These reasons are sufficient to account for the purification of the holy

Verse 25. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem] This Reither could be supposed to be legally impure, and therefore man is distinguished because of his singular piety. There

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant de

27 And he came by the Spirit into the tem- part in peace, according to thy word:

According to thy word] It was promised to him, that he should not die till he had seen the Lord's anointed, ver. 26. Verse 26. It was revealed unto him] He was divinely in- and now having seen him, he expects to be immediately disformed, x:xenpatioμnov-he had an express communication from missed in peace into the eternal world; having a full assurance God concerning the subject. The secret of the Lord is with and enjoyment of the salvation of God. Though Simeon them that fear him. The soul of a righteous and devout man, means his death, yet the thing itself is not mentioned; for. a proper habitation for the Holy Spirit. death has not only lost its sting, but its name also, to those see death] They that seek shall find who have even by faith, seen the Lord's anointed.

CXCIV. 1.

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30 For mine eyes

CXCIV. 1.

31 Which thou hast prepared before spoken against; the face of all people;

35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts

b

glory of thy people Israel.

33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

34 And Simcon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for

may be revealed.

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

a Isai. 5. 10. ch. 3. 6. Isai. 9. 2. & 42.6 & 49. 6. & 60. 1, 2, 3. Matt. 4. 16. Acts 13. 47. & 28, 28.— Isai. 8. 14. Hos. 14. 9. Matt.

21. 44. Rom. 9. 52, 33. 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24. 2 Cor. 2. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 7, 8.— Acts 28. 27. Ps. 42. 10. John 19. 25.

Verse 30. Thy salvation] That saviour, which it became || ter alone the Jews expected him; the consequence should be, the goodness of God to bestow upon man; and which the they would reject him, and so fall by the Romans. See Rom. necessities of the human race required. Christ is called our xi. 11, 12. and Matt. xxiv. But in the fulness of time, there salvation, as he is called our life, our peace, our hope; i. e.|| shall be a rising again of many in Israel. See Rom. xi. 26. he is the author of all these, to them who believe.

Verse 31. Which thou hast prepared] O topaoas-which thou hast MADE READY before the face, in the presence of all people. Here salvation is represented under the notion of at feast, which God himself has provided for the whole world; and to partake of which, he has invited all the nations of the earth. There seems a direct allusion here to Isai. xxv. 6, &c. "In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things," &c. Salvation is properly the food of the soul, by which it is nourished unto eternal life: he that receiveth not this, must perish for ever.

And for a sign] A mark or butt to shoot at-a metaphor taken from archers. Or perhaps Simeon refers to Isai. xi. 10-12. There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ENSIGN of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek :—intimating that the Jews would reject it, while the Gentiles should flock to it as their ensign of honour, under which they were to enjoy a glorious rest.

be re

That the thoughts (or reasonings) of many hearts may vealed.] I have transposed this clause, to the place to which I believe it belongs. The meaning appears to me to be this: The rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish rulers, will suffi

the world, and not that horrour which comes from God: because they rejected Jesus, merely for the reason that he did not bring them a temporal deliverance. So the very Pharisees, who were loud in their professions of sanctity and devotedness to God, rejected Jesus, and got him crucified, because his kingdom was not of this world. Thus the reasonings of many hearts were revealed.

Verse 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles] wg #5 Toxa-ciently prove, that they sought the honour which comes from avy dvara light of the Gentiles, for revelation. By Moses and the prophets, a light of revelation was given to the Jews, in the blessedness of which the Gentiles did not partake. By Christ and his apostles, a luminous revelation is about to be given unto the Gentiles, from the blessedness of which, the Jews in general, by their obstinacy and unbelief, shall be long excluded. But to all true Israelites it shall be a glory, an evi- || dent fulfilment of all the predictions of the prophets, relative to the salvation of a lost world: and the first offers of it shall be made to the Jewish people, who may see in it the truth of their own scriptures indisputably evinced.

Verse 33. Joseph and his mother marvelled] For they did not as yet fully know the counsels of God, relative to the salvation which Christ was to procure; nor the way in which the purchase was to be made :-but to this, Simeon refers in the following verses.

Verse 34. This child is set for the fall] This seems an allusion to Isai. viii. 14, 15. Jehovah, God of Hosts, shall be for a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to both houses of Israel; and many among them shall stumble and full, &c. As Christ did not come as a temporal deliverer, in which charac

Verse 35. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also] Probably meaning, Thou also, as well as thy son, shalt die a martyr for the truth. But as this is a metaphor used by the most respectable Greek writers, to express the most pungent sorrow, it may here refer to the anguish Mary must have felt, when standing beside the cross of her tortured son: John xix. 25.

Verse 36. Anna, a prophetess] It does not appear that this person was a prophetess in the strict sense of the word, i, e. one who could foretell future events; but rather a holy woman, who, from her extensive knowledge and deep experience in divine things, was capable of instructing others; according to the use of the word goruw, 1 Cor. xiv. S. He that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, and to exhor

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was to be brought
or ransom price.
In Jerusalem.] It is probable she went about from house to
house, testifying the gospel of the grace of God. In the
margin of our common version, Israel is put instead of Jeru-
salem, which the translators thought was nearly as eligible as
the word they received into the text. This marginal reading
is supported by several MSS. all the Arabic and Persic ver-
sions, the Vulgate, and most copies of the Itala. Were this

about by an atonement, or expiatory victim,
See on chap. i. 69.

The tribe of Asher] This was one of the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel, several families of which had returned from their idolatry unto God, in the time that Hezekiah proclaimed the pass-over in Jerusalem, which is mentioned 2 Chron. xxx. 1-11. Though her family might have been a distinguished one in Jerusalem, yet we find that it was her very exemplary piety that entitled her to be thus honour-reading to be received, it would make a very essential alteraably mentioned in the sacred history. It is an honourable thing indeed to have one's name written in the sacred records; but to be written in the book of life, is of infinitely greater moment.

Seven years] She was a pure virgin when married, was favoured with her husband but seven years, and was now in all, taking in the time of her virginity, marriage, and widowhood, eighty-four years of age. At such an age, it might be supposed she was reasonably exempted from performing the severer duties of religion: but her spirit of piety continued still to burn, with a steady and undiminished flame.

Verse 37. Departed not from the temple] Attended constantly at the hours of prayer, which were nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. See Acts ii. 15. iii. 1. It | does not appear that women had any other functions to perform in that holy place.

With fastings] She accompanied her devotion with frequent fastings, probably not oftener than twice in the week; for this was the custom of the most rigid Pharisees: see chap.

xiii. 12.

Verse 38. Coming in that instant] Aurn rn wea, at that very time-while Simeon held the blessed Redeemer in his arms, and was singing his departing and triumphal song.

Gave thanks likewise] She, as well as Simeon, returned God public thanks, for having sent this Saviour to Israel. Spake of him] Of the nature and design of his mission; and the glory that should take place in the land.

To all them that looked for redemption] As Daniel's seventy weeks were known to be now completed, the more pious Jews were in constant expectation of the promised Messiah. They were expecting redemption, Aurgery; such a redemption as

tion in the meaning of the text; as it would intimate, that this excellent woman travelled over the land of Israel, proclaiming the advent of Christ. At all events, it appears that this widow was one of the first publishers of the gospel of Christ, and it is likely that she travelled with it from house to house, through the city of Jerusalem, where she knew they dwelt, who were expecting the salvation of God.

Verse 39. They returned into Galilee] But not immediately: for the coming of the wise men, and the retreat of Joseph with his family into Egypt, happened between this period of time, and his going to Nazareth in Galilee.--Bp. PEARSE. But it is very likely, that as soon as the presenta tion in the temple, and the ceremonies relative to it, had been accomplished, that the holy family did return to Galilee, as St. Luke here states; and that they continued there, till Herod's bloody purpose was discovered to them by the Lord; which probably took some time to bring it to its murderous crisis, after the departure of the Magi. After which, they fled into Egypt, where they continued till the death of Herod; and it is probable, that it is of a second return to Nazareth, that St. Matthew speaks, chap. ii. 23.

Verse 40. The child grew] As to his body-being in perfect health.

Waxed strong in spirit] Ilis rational soul became strong and vigorous.

Filled with wisdom] The divinity continuing to communicate itself more and more, in proportion to the increase of the rational principle. The Reader should never forget, that Jesus was perfect man, as well as God.

And the grace of God was upon him.] The word xagis, not only means grace in the common acceptation of the word,

Went a day's journey] Knowing what a treasure they possessed, how could they be so long without looking on it? Where were the bowels and tender solicitude of the mother?* Let them answer this question who can.

And they sought him] Avrouw, they earnestly sought him. They are now both duly affected with a sense of their great loss and great negligence.

Kinsfolk and acquaintance.] Those of the same family and neighbourhood went up to Jerusalem together, on such 00

casions.

(some blessing granted by God's mercy to those who are sin-pany and Mary not seeing him with her, might imagine he ners, or have no merit) but it means also favour or approba- | was with Joseph. tion and this sense I think the most proper for it here, when applied to the human nature of our blessed Lord; and thus our translators render the same word, ver. 52. Even Christ himself, who knew no sin, grew in the favour of God; and as to his human nature, increased in the graces of the Holy Spirit. From this we learn, that if a man were as pure and as perfect as the man Jesus Christ himself was, yet he might nevertheless increase in the image, and consequently in the favour of God. God loves every thing and person, in proportion to the nearness of the approaches made to his own perfections. Verse 41. His parents went—every year] This was their constant custom, because positively enjoined by the law, Exod. xxiii. 17. But it does not appear, that infants were obliged to be present; and yet all the men-children are positively ordered to make their appearance at Jerusalem thrice || in the year, Exod. xxxiv. 23. And our Lord being now twelve years old, ver. 42. accompanies his parents to the feast. Probably this was the very age, at which the malechildren were obliged to appear before the Lord at the three public festivals-the feast of unleavened bread, of weeks, and of tabernacles. According to the Jewish canons, it was the age at which they were obliged to begin to learn || a trade.

Verse 43. Had fulfilled the days] Eight days in the whole : one was the pass-over, and the other seven, the days of unleavened bread. See on Matt. xxvi. 2.

Verse 45. Seeking him.] Zntourtes autov―or rather, seeking him diligently, avanτOUYTES. This is the reading of BCDL. six others, Vulgate, and nine copies of the Itala. If they sought earnestly when they first found him missing, there is little doubt that their solicitude and diligence must be greatly increased, during his three days' absence: therefore the word which I have adopted on the above authority, is more likely to be the true reading, than the TOUTES of the common text, which simply signifies seeking; whereas the other strongly marks their solicitude and diligence.

Verse 46. Suting in the midst of the doctors] The Rabbins; who were explaining the law and the ceremonies of the Jewish religion to their disciples.

Asking them questions.] Not as a scholar asks his teacher, to be informed but as a teacher, who proposes questions, to his scholars, in order to take an occasion to instruct them.

In the time of Josephus, the Jewish teachers were either very ignorant or very humble: for he tells us, that “when be was about fourteen years of age, the chief priests, and the

Verse 44. Supposing him to have been in the company] Some have supposed that the men and women marched in separate companies on these occasions, which is very likely; and that sometimes the children kept company with the men; some-principal men of the city, were constantly coming to him, times with the women. This might have led to what otherwise seems to have been inexcusable carelessness in Joseph and Mary. Joseph not seeing Jesus in the men's company, might suppose he was with his mother in the women's com

to be more accurately instructed in matters relative to the law." See his Life, sect. ii. If this were true, it is no wonder to find them now, listening with the deepest attention, to such teaching as they never before heard.