At the beginning of the second chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew we read that, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Magi came to Jerusalem from the east (μάγοι) asking where they could find the born king of the Jews (Mt 2:2:ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων). Terrified, Herod gathers all the chief priests and scribes and asks them where the Messiah was born (Matthew 2:4: ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται). They reply that the birthplace of the Messiah should be Bethlehem, arguing that this is what the prophecy says: (6a) καὶ σύ, Βηθλέεμ γῆ ἰούδα, ction ὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμbit σιν ἰούδα · ἐκ σ σοῦ γὰρ ἐελελσεται (6b)ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ (Mt 2:6). In the words of ἡγούμενος ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ (Mt 2,6b) we have an obvious reference to 2 Samuel 5:2. There we read that all the tribes of Israel came together in Hebron to David and declared that God said to David: Ισραηλ, καὶ σὺ ἔσει εἰς ἡγούμενον ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ (2 Samuel 5:2; cf. 2 Samuel 7:8 and 1 Chronicles 11:2)
.
The wise men ask about the newborn king of the Jews, and Jesus is already there at the beginning of the Gospel is referred to as “the son of David (Matthew 1:1). We can, therefore, on based on this reference, I can say with great certainty that the mystery child, who was born in Bethlehem, is theologically a “new David”. In the book of Micah in a passage that is dated by scholars to the time of the Babylonian captivity, or 586–538 B.C.E. (Rogerson, 2003, p. 705), prophet says: (1a) ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐελεύden ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος. (2a) διὰ τοῦτο δώσει αὐτοὺς ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης τέξετα (Micah 5:1a-2a). The prophet predicts that the coming Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the traditional city of the Davidic monarchy.

In words: Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται… (Mt 2:6a) Matthew clearly refers to καὶ σύ, Βηθλεεμ οἶκος τοῦ Εφραθα, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ιουδα· ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται… (Mi 5:1a). This is an inaccurate quote, changing strangely ὀλιγοστός to οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη, no less obvious. In its light, Jesus appears to the coming Messiah who is to restore the Davidic kingdom of Israel. The quote ends after the verb ἐξελεύσεται24, followed by the words
from 2 Sam 5:2 (see above). Is Matthew alluding only to these words from the Book? Micah, which he quotes directly, i.e. only to Micah 5:1a?

In the text of the Book of Micah, immediately after ἐξελεύσεται, we read: (1b) τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ ισραηλ, (1c) καὶ αἱ ἔοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ ’ἀρχῆς ἐ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος (2a) διὰ τοῦτο δώσει αὐτοὺς ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης τέξεται . Although these words are not directly quoted by Matthew, it is hard to imagine that the author of the Gospel did not want them to be recalled in the memory of the reader. This is indicated by the following observations:
– “τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ισραηλ” (Mi 5,1b) coincides semantically from “ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ” (Mt 2:6b)
– “ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης τέξεται” (Mi 5,2a), as already pointed out by Raymond E. Brown, perfectly fits the context of the whole scene, whichafter all, there is the birth of Jesus-Messiah from Mary. You should also return attention to the word similarity (verb τίκτω) to the wise men’s question: (Mt 2:2). The verb τίκτω in the Gospel according to Matthew, it refers only to the birth of Jesus (Mt 1:21.23.25), unlike the verb γεννάω (obviously in thepassivum), which also describes other people (Mt 19:12; 26:24; cf. Mt 1:1-16).
– In addition, in Mi 5.3 – which somehow completes the thematic and lexical clamp analogies – there are also words ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύι κυρίου, which find a parallel in ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ (Mt 2:6b).

So we see that the words in Micah follow the verb ἐξελεύσεται fit perfectly into the evangelical context. We can therefore assume that Micah 5:1b-2a, although not mentioned expressis verbis in the hypertext of Mt 2:6, is implicitly an integral part of it; especially in the context where the reader, starting reading from the pedigree of Jesus, which is not His biological pedigree, he asks himself who the newborn child is.

Between the information about the Messiah’s power (Micah 5:1b) and the information about “the who is to give birth to him” (Micah 5:2a), there are words about his origin3: αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος (Micah 5:1c).

What do these mysterious words mean?
W. Edward Glenny convincingly shows that in the original context of the book of Micah, these words refer to the beginning of David’s dynasty. The promised Messiah will be “David redivivus who will complete what was begun with David” (Edward Glenny, 2015, p. 112) and: “The ‘goings forth’ of
this descendant of David began with David, and thus he continues and fulfills the destiny of David” (ibid., p. 112).
But how could Matthew himself have understood these words six centuries later in reference to Jesus? Does the Messiah-Jesus derive its origin “in David”,
or do these words point to His even earlier origin?

The 22nd chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew helps us to answer, which shows how the author understood the relationship between David and Jesus Christ Mt 22:41-46.

It is clear from Jesus’ words that the Messiah does not trace his origin to David. The origin of Christ is shrouded in a mystery that has dimension
so paradoxical that “from that day on, no one dared to question him anymore”. In light of this, we see that it is very unlikely that for Matthew’s words about the Messiah referring to Jesus (αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος) indicated his descent from David. If so, then in fact, the Scriptures can only refer to one “beginning” (ἀρχή), namely, the monumental opening of the Mosaic Pentateuch: Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν (Genesis 1:1). Not deciding if the Messiah here stands, as they wanted, inspired by the development of Christology, later Christian writers, “on the side of God” (and therefore “in front of” ἀρχή), or “on the side of or “on the side of creatures” (so “after” ἀρχή), we can conclude that the concept of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ is very likely implicitly present in the Gospel according to Matthew.

Based on text ” An epiphany in the intertext…” Jan Kozłowski

Merry Christmas