The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

VERS. XXVII.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

HOW doth this agree with v. 42. and with Mat. II. 5, 6. They doubted not in∣deed, but he should give the first manifestation of himself from Bethlehem, but then they suppos'd he would be hid again, and after some space of time make a new ap∣pearance from what place no one could tell.

l 1.1 Jewish Authors tell you that Christ before their times had indeed been born in Bethle∣hem, but immediately snatcht away they knew not whether, and so hid that he could not be found. We related the whole story before in our notes at Mat. II. 1.

Their conceptions in this thing we have explain'd to us in Midras Schir m 1.2, My beloved is like a Roe or a young hart, Cant. II. 9. A Roe appears and is hid, appears and is hid again. So our first Redeemer [Moses] appear'd and was hid, and at length appear'd again.—So our latter Redeemer [Messiah] shall be reveal'd to them, and shall be hid again from them; and how long shall he be hid from them? &c. A little after, In the end of forty five days he shall be re∣veal'd again, and cause Manna to descend amongst them.

They conceive a twofold manifestation of the Messiah, the first in Bethlehem, but will straightway disappear and lye hid. At length he will shew himself, but from what place, and at what time that will be, no one knew. In his first appearance in Bethlehem he should do nothing that was memorable; in his second was the hope and expectation of the Na∣tion. These Jews therefore, who tell our Saviour here, that when Christ cometh no man knoweth whence he is, whether they knew him to have been born at Bethlehem or no, yet by his wonderful works they conceive this to have been the second manifestation of him∣self; and therefore only doubt whether he should be the Messiah or no, because they knew the place [Nazareth] from whence he came; having been taught by Tradition that Messiah should come the second time from a place perfectly unknown to all men.

Notes

• l 1.1

  Hierosol. Bera∣coth, fol. 5. 1. & Midras E∣chah, fol. 68. 3.
• m 1.2

  Fol. 16. 4.