Just as it is true of Bible critics today, for many years of the 19th-century Bible critics claimed that King Belshazzar, who is named in the book of Daniel, never existed. (Dan. 5:1) It was the common practice then as it is now, even though there have been thousands of archaeological finds that support the Bible, if archaeologists have not found evidence, then a place never existed, or a person never existed. However, that came to an end in 1854 in the case of Belshazzar. Why?
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)
reasonable (3:17d)
The sense is, that he who is under the influence of the wisdom which is from above, is not a stiff, stern, obstinate, unyielding man. He does not take a position, and then hold it whether right or wrong; he is not a man on whom no arguments or persuasions can have any influence. He is not one who cannot be affected by any appeals which may be made to him on the grounds of patriotism, justice, or benevolence; but is one who is ready to yield when truth requires him to do it, and who is willing to sacrifice his own convenience for the good of others.
What Matthew has done here at 11:10 is combine Malachi 3:1 and Exodus 23:20. The first half of Matthew’s quotation is identical to the Greek Septuagint of Exodus 23:20. The second half of Matthew’s quotation is not identical to the Greek Septuagint of Malachi 3:1.
