OT § 105

Further, the same prophet foretold even the place in which Christ was to be born: "But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from old, from ancient days."

By designating Bethlehem, they [the Jews] were like the builders of Noah's ark, providing others the means of escape, yet themselves perishing in the flood. Like milestones, they showed the way but were incapable of walking along it. They were asked where the Christ was to be born. They answered, "In Bethlehem of Judah. For thus it was written by the prophet"—they were repeating from memory, you see, what had been written about this by Micah: "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are not the least among the leaders of Judah; for from you shall come forth the king who is going to be the shepherd of my people Israel."

According to prophecy, Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judah, at the time, as I said, when Herod was king in Judea. At Rome, the republic had given way to the entire empire, and the emperor Caesar Augustus had established a worldwide peace. Christ was born a visible man of a virgin mother, but he was a hidden God because God was his Father. So the prophet had foretold: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son; and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is interpreted, God with us." To prove that he was God, Christ worked many miracles, some of which—as many as seemed necessary to establish his claim—are recorded in the Gospels. Of these miracles the very first was the marvelous manner of his birth.

This is Micah the seventh in order, who also was privileged to prophesy concerning the coming of the Lord Christ, and he says: And thou Bethlehem, the house of Ephratha, art the least to be among the thousands of Judah. From thee, there shall come forth to me one who shall be for a ruler over Israel, whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting. The chief priests and scribes of the Jews, taking this passage, when Herod asked them where the Christ should be born, replied, In Bethlehem of Judaea, upon which he sent the Wise Men away to Bethlehem.

It is enough for piety for you to know, as we have said, that God has one only Son, one naturally begotten, who did not begin to be when he was born in Bethlehem but is before all ages. For listen to the prophet Micah: "And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, are little to be among the thousands of Judah. From you shall come forth for me a leader who shall feed my people Israel; and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity." Therefore do not fix your attention on him as coming from Bethlehem simply but worship him as begotten eternally of the Father. Admit no one who speaks of a beginning of the Son in time, but acknowledge his timeless beginning, the Father.

"But you, O Bethlehem, you are too little for what you are." That is, even though in comparison with your enemies you are little in force and number and incapable to lead "the thousand of Judah," yet, thanks to the help that I give you, the powerful ruler will be able to make war against them. For I have destined him to that from the beginning, through the promises already made to David. This is said with the usual reference to Zerubbabel, but its true meaning has been revealed in Christ, because when he appeared, all the promises made to Abraham and David were fulfilled.

The text says, "His origin is from the beginning," the beginning, that is, according to the promises made to Abraham and David.

(Version 2.) And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. LXX: And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are small among the thousands of Judah; out of you shall come forth for me one who will be ruler in Israel, and his goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity. In the Gospel according to Matthew (Mat. II), when the magi from the East came and Herod asked the scribes where the Christ, the Lord, was to be born, they are said to have responded: In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. It is clear to me, even without my speaking, that the testimony does not agree with the Hebrew or the Septuagint interpreters. And I believe that Matthew, wanting to accuse the Scribes and priests of negligence in regard to the reading of divine Scripture, also placed it in this way, as has been said by them. Furthermore, those who assert that in almost all testimonies taken from the Old Testament there is such an error, that either the order is changed, or the words, and sometimes even the sense itself is different, testify not from a written book, but from their memory, which is sometimes mistaken, to the apostles and evangelists. Therefore, let us explain the Hebrew: And you, Bethlehem, that is, the house of bread, which is called Ephratha, are indeed the least among the cities of Judah, and compared to so many thousands, you are hardly a small village; but from this small village will come forth Christ, who is the ruler in Israel. And do not think that he is only from the lineage of David, to whom I promised, saying: I will set upon your throne the fruit of your womb (Ps. CXXXI, 11), the assumption of flesh does not hinder the divine majesty: for he is born of me before all ages, and as the creator of time, he is not bound by it. He is the one of whom I said in another psalm: Before Lucifer I begot you (Ps. 109:3). For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). This was in the beginning with God. And therefore his coming forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. That Bethlehem itself is Ephrath, the book of Genesis shows, in which Scripture records: Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem (Gen. 35). And in both names it signifies a sacrament: for the house is called bread, because of the living bread, which came down from heaven (John VI). And Ephrata, which translates as seeing madness, because of Herod's insanity, since he was deceived by the wise men, he was very angry, and sent and slew all the children in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. And because of the great amount of bloodshed, a voice was heard in the heights, lamentation and weeping, Rachel weeping for her children (Jer. XXXI). We read according to the Septuagint, specifically in the book of Joshua, where three cities and towns of Judah are described, among others, including: Thaeco, Ephratha, which is Bethlehem, Phagor, Aetham, Culon, Tami (also called Tatami), Soris, Caraem, Gallim, Baether, and Manocho, eleven cities, and their villages (Josue XV). This is not found in the Hebrew text, nor in any other interpreter, and whether it was erased from the ancient books by the malice of the Jews so that Christ would not appear to have been born from the tribe of Judah, or whether it was added by the Septuagint without clear knowledge, we do not know for certain. Nevertheless, we can confirm this from the book of Judges, that Bethlehem is in the tribe of Judah, for it is written: 'And there was a Levite man, living in the farthest parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. And his concubine was angry with him, and she went back to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah' (Judges 19:1). It is well said, Bethlehem in Judah, to distinguish it from Bethlehem, which is situated in Galilee, as I found in the same volume of Jesus. Ephratha can sound in our language as fruitful, abundant, and fruitful, and it also shows in the mystery, which is the house of bread.

It was another prophet, again, who pointed out the place where he would be born. For Micah said, "And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means the least among the princes of Judah. For out of you will come the leader who will shepherd my people, Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity." He revealed his existence before all ages. When he said "there will come the leader who will shepherd my people, Israel," he revealed Christ's birth in the flesh.

Now 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, Saying, 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. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And 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. [Micah 5:2] Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And 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.

Now this patently resembles the prologue to the Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God." It also resembles what was said by God through blessed David, "From the womb before the daystar I begot you." This person, then, who was before time, who was in the beginning with God, who is God the Word, with his origins from that source from the beginning, receives his birth according to the flesh (the text says) in you [Bethlehem], making you famous and illustrious, even though unimportant among Judah's thousands.

But now, the same star which led the magi to the place where the infant God was to be found with his virgin mother could of course have led them right to the very city. But it withdrew, and didn't appear at all to them again, until the Jews themselves had been questioned about the city where Christ was to be born. This was to oblige them to name it themselves, on the evidence of divine Scriptures, and to say themselves, "In Bethlehem of Judah. For so it is written, 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah; for from you shall come forth the leader who will rule my people Israel.' " What else can divine Providence have meant by this, but that among the Jews would remain only the divine Scriptures by which the nations would be instructed, they themselves being blind? This evidence they would carry about with them not as an assistance to their own salvation but as evidence of ours. Because today it may happen that when we bring forward prophecies about Christ, uttered long before and now made clear by the events that have fulfilled them, the pagans whom we wish to gain will say that they weren't foretold so long ago but have been composed by us after the event, so that what has later occurred may be thought to have been previously prophesied. Then we can cite the volumes owned by the Jews, to clear the doubts of the pagans, who were already prefigured in those magi, whom the Jews instructed from the divine books about the city in which Christ was born, without themselves either seeking or acknowledging him.

"He shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth." This is what the prophet calls Jerusalem. This means he will abandon them to the afflictions of captivity until the time of the return. This means that these predictions will not come true before they are back from their captivity. Henana of Adiabene says "she who is in labor" means Jerusalem because she is in the pains of labor, which are her afflictions, and waits the birth of her salvation, until according to her expectations it sets to her return and her pains' end. But in the same manner they will endure different difficulties until the Virgin gives birth to Christ.

(Verse 3) Because of this, He will give them until the time when she who is in labor gives birth, and the rest of his brothers shall return to the children of Israel. LXX: Therefore, He will give them until the time of the one giving birth: she shall give birth, and the rest of his brothers shall return to the children of Israel. Because from Bethlehem, which is Ephrathah, Christ the ruler has come forth in Israel, and his coming forth was not only at the time when he was seen in the flesh, but from the beginning of eternity, or from the beginning of the age. Because He always spoke through the prophets, and the word of God became incarnate in their hands (the hands of the saints): therefore, He will give the Jews, and He will permit them to rule until the time of childbirth, when that is fulfilled: Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry out, you who are not in labor; for the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the one who has a husband (Isaiah 54:1, LXX). For when the barren woman has borne seven, and she who had many children is weakened, and through the offense of the Jewish people, the fullness of the Gentiles enters, then all Israel will be saved, and the remnant of his brothers will be converted to the children of Israel; and when the prophet Elijah comes, which means, God is Lord, he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (Luke 1:17), and the last people will be joined to the ancient, so that they may truly be called the sons of Abraham, when they believe in the one whom Abraham saw and rejoiced (John 8). But what is the time in which the barren woman will give birth? I believe it is the time spoken of by Isaiah: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you' (Isaiah 49:8). And Paul, understanding this as referring to the time of Christ, says: 'Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation' (2 Corinthians 6:2). I think this also symbolically demonstrates what is written in Ecclesiastes: 'A time to be born, and a time to die' (Ecclesiastes 3:2), which refers to the time when the synagogue, which was barren, gave birth to the people of the Gentiles but lost its own children. Nevertheless, it can also be understood differently: The Lord will give the temple and Jerusalem, and the Jews, until the time when the virgin gives birth, who after giving birth and receiving the spoils of Samaria and the power of Damascus, with the people of Judah being killed, the remnant of Israel will be saved. And the brothers of Christ, that is, the apostles, will turn to the faith of the prophets and patriarchs, who announced the coming of Christ, and the prophecy of the psalm will be fulfilled: You were born for your fathers sons, and so on (Ps. 44, 17).

(Verse 4) And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of his God: and they shall be converted, for now he shall be magnified even to the ends of the earth. LXX: And he shall stand, and shall see, and shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, and they shall be in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now they shall be magnified even to the ends of the earth. Afterward the sun of justice shall rise to the heights of heaven, and shall come to the borders of the people: and he shall give his light to everyone, and shall be made manifest in his power: and the residue shall be turned into the children of Israel. Then shall the Lord our God appear to them: and they shall pass in a cloud, and shall come to the places mentioned before: the Lord our God shall enlighten them, and shall perpetuate the work of his justice in peace. (Psalm 22, 1) But He feeds them, not only in the strength of the Lord, but also in the exaltation of the name of His God, when He says to the Father: Holy Father, keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are: while I was with them, I kept them in Your name: those whom You have given Me, I have guarded, and none of them has perished (John 17:11). And they will turn, or as Symmachus interprets it better, they will dwell. Jasubu () enim verbum Hebraicum utrumque significat. Habitabunt autem in Ecclesia Domini, quiamagnificatus est Christus usque ad terminum terrae. Sive, juxta LXX, quia magnificabuntur (( Al. magnificantur)) ipsi cum pastore suo usque ad extremum terrae, ut in omnem terram exeat sonus eorum et in fines orbis terrae verba eorum (Ps. XVIII) .

Evidently [the Hebrew leaders] understood [the prophecy] in a carnal manner, just as Herod did, and reckoned that Christ's kingdom would be like the powers in this world. They hoped for a temporal leader, while Herod feared an earthly rival. "Herod, you are trapped in a useless fear. In vain do you attempt to rage against the child you suspect. Your realm does not encompass Christ, nor does the Lord of the world care about the meager limits within which you wield the rod of your power. He whom you do not wish to see reign in Judea reigns everywhere. You yourself would reign more happily if you would submit to his rule. Why not turn into honest service that which you resolve to do in falsehood and guile? Go with the wise men and worship the true king in humble adoration. But more inclined as you are toward the Jewish blindness, you do not imitate the faith of these Gentiles. You turn your perverse heart to cruel wiles. Yet you are not going to kill the one you fear, nor will you harm those whom you eliminate."