SECRETLY, quietly, without publicity — an adverb that takes its moral colour entirely from who is using it. It occurs twice in Matthew's opening chapters and nowhere else in his Gospel: Joseph, 'being righteous and unwilling to expose her to disgrace,' resolves to divorce Mary lathra (1:19) — quietly, to shield a woman from a public penalty; and Herod calls the magi lathra (2:7) — secretly, to fix the location of a child he intends to kill. ⚠ One word, two chapters, mercy and murder, and Matthew never comments on the pairing. → first discussed at Matt 2:7