"Three Wise Men and their Gifts"

[Scott Shahan]

John Calvin:

Their presents show whence they came: for there can be
no doubt that they brought them as the choicest
productions of their country. We are not to
understand, that each of them presented his own
offering, but that the three offerings, which are
mentioned by Matthew, were presented by all of them in
common. Almost all the commentators indulge in
speculations about those gifts, as denoting the
kingdom, priesthood, and burial of Christ. They make
gold the symbol of his kingdom,--frankincense, of his
priesthoods,-- and myrrh, of his burial. I see no
solid.ground for such an opinion. It was customary, we
know, among the Persians, when they offered homage to
their kings, to bring a present

in their hands. The Magi select those three for the
produce of which Eastern countries are celebrated;
just as Jacob sent into Egypt the choicest and most
esteemed productions of the soil.

"Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels,
and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a
little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds,"
(Genesis 43:11.)
Again, in rendering homage, according to the custom of
Persia, to him whom they still regarded as an earthly
King, they offered the productions of the soil. Our
duty is, to adore him in a spiritual manner: for the
lawful and reasonable worship which he demands is,
that we consecrate first ourselves, and then all that
we have, to his service.

 

[reformedman]

nice

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

The Bible does not say how many wise men there were.

 

[Scott Shahan]

The Bible does not say how many wise men there were.

Thank you Andrew for pointing that out. You are most definetly Right!! Where do we get the idea of 3 wise men? Is it because of three different gifts that Calvin mentions?

Scott

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Thank you Andrew for pointing that out. You are most definetly Right!! Where do we get the idea of 3 wise men? Is it because of three different gifts that Calvin mentions?

Scott

I think many people look at the number of gifts and make an assumption about the number of givers. There is also a common misperception that the Magi are kings. John Henry Hopkins' hymn "We Three Kings" feeds that misperception.

Matthew Henry:

II. Who and what these wise men were; they are here called Magoi—Magicians. Some that it in a good sense; the Magi among the Persians were their philosophers and their priests; nor would they admit any one for their king who had not first been enrolled among the Magi; others think they dealt in unlawful arts; the word is used of Simon, the sorcerer (Acts viii. 9, 11), and of Elymas, the sorcerer (Acts xiii. 6), nor does the scripture use it in any other sense; and then it was an early instance and presage of Christ's victory over the devil, when those who had been so much his devotees became the early adorers even of the infant Jesus; so soon were trophies of his victory over the powers of darkness erected. Well, whatever sort of wise men they were before, now they began to be wise men indeed when they set themselves to enquire after Christ.

This we are sure of, 1. That they were Gentiles, and not belonging to the commonwealth of Israel. The Jews regarded not Christ, but these Gentiles enquired him out. Note, Many times those who are nearest to the means, are furthest from the end. See ch. viii. 11, 12. The respect paid to Christ by these Gentiles was a happy presage and specimen of what would follow when those who were afar off should be made nigh by Christ. 2. That they were scholars. They dealt in arts, curious arts; good scholars should be good Christians, and then they complete their learning when they learn Christ. 3. That they were men of the east, who were noted for their soothsaying, Isa. ii. 6. Arabia is called the land of the east (Gen. xxv. 6), and the Arabians are called men of the east, Judg. vi. 3. The presents they brought were the products of that country; the Arabians had done homage to David and Solomon as types of Christ. Jethro and Job were of that country. More than this we have not to say of them. The traditions of the Romish church are frivolous, that they were in number three (though one of the ancients says that they were fourteen), that they were kings, and that they lie buried in Colen, thence called the three kings of Colen; we covet not to be wise above what is written.

 

[JonathanHunt]

The 'three' idea is one of the Christmas 'myths' that is handy to debunk when you want to encourage folks to examine scripture more seriously.

JH