13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Section Overview
The naive reader’s mind boggles at the thought of a king murdering all the male children in a town so close to the capital. The cruelty seems unthinkable, and in an age when the media report atrocities almost immediately, readers might think no king could act that way. But Herod reigned in different times, and his murder of innocent children is, sadly, all too consistent with accounts of the man. This passage closely follows the events of Matthew 2:1–12. When Herod heard of the birth of a king, he tried to make the magi unwitting informants, asking them to find the child and report his location so that he could worship too (v. 8). But when an angel revealed Herod’s true intent, the magi took another route home, leaving Herod frustrated but still bent on killing Jesus (vv. 12, 16).
Section Outline
I.D. The Rage of Herod and the Protection of God (2:13–23)
1. Flight to Egypt (2:13–15)
2. The Slaughter in Bethlehem (2:16–18)
3. The Return to Nazareth (2:19–23)
The structure of 2:13–23 is straightforward. After the wise men depart (v. 12), the Lord warns Joseph of Herod’s murderous intent, and the family flees to Egypt (vv. 13–15). Next, Herod slays all the young males of Bethlehem (vv. 16–18). Then Herod dies, and the family returns to Nazareth (vv. 19–23). At the end of each section, Matthew notes that the events have fulfilled a prophetic word.
Response
The patterns of Scripture might lead faithful readers to expect Jesus to face violent opposition. There is always war between God and Satan. As a result, the work of Christ is compared to battle in Matthew 12:29; Colossians 2:15; and Hebrews 2:14–15, as is the life of the believer (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7). As rightful King, Jesus enters the realm of a usurper. Satan, foreseeing his own defeat, attacks Jesus at once in the latest manifestation of a long spiritual battle.
After Adam and Eve fell, the Lord predicted and instituted combat between the Serpent and the seed of the woman. He put enmity between the Serpent and the woman, and between their offspring (Gen. 3:14–15). That enmity manifested itself in strife between Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, and the descendants of Jacob and the Egyptians. A genocidal pharaoh attempted to eradicate Israel by killing all of her male children. This pharaoh was merely the first in a line of kings bent on wiping God’s people from the earth. The Canaanites (Judges), Philistines (1 Samuel), Assyrians, and Babylonians (1–2 Kings) followed. Goliath tried to slay David, the Lord’s anointed, in the name of his gods. Herod continues this war when he attempts to kill the infant Jesus. Later, Roman and Jewish authorities will take Herod’s role. After the resurrection, authorities try to silence the gospel by attacking the apostles (Acts 3–5).
Satan always seeks to destroy the work of God and of his Christ. Revelation says that Satan wanted to devour the child from the beginning (Rev. 12:4). But the child must shepherd the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5). Satan’s doom is sealed in Revelation 18–20. But, at present, Satan’s rage remains. Jesus is defeating him and will defeat him “by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11). In the meantime, the battle continues. Discerning disciples are vigilant, prepared for spiritual battle (Eph. 6:10–20).