◄ Matthew 2:16 ►
When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.
Study Bible
When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi,

Herod the Great, known for his paranoia and tyrannical rule, was appointed King of Judea by the Romans. The Magi, wise men from the East, had visited Herod seeking the newborn "King of the Jews." Herod's fear of losing his throne led him to deceitfully ask the Magi to report back to him. However, warned in a dream, the Magi returned home by another route, thus outwitting Herod. This event highlights the divine protection over Jesus and the failure of human schemes against God's plans.

1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness…
Job 5:12-13 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands…
Psa 33:10 The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations;…

he was filled with rage.

Herod's reaction is consistent with his historical character. Known for his violent and ruthless nature, Herod had previously executed several family members whom he suspected of treason. His rage here is a manifestation of his fear and insecurity about losing power. This emotional response sets the stage for the tragic events that follow, illustrating the lengths to which Herod would go to eliminate perceived threats.

Gen 4:5-8 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering.…
Est 3:5-6 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down…
Dan 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned…

Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity

Bethlehem, a small town in Judea, is significant as the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5:2). Herod's orders to kill all male children in Bethlehem and surrounding areas reflect his desperation to eliminate Jesus. This massacre, known as the "Massacre of the Innocents," is not recorded in secular history but aligns with Herod's known brutality. The event fulfills the prophecy of Rachel weeping for her children (Jeremiah 31:15), symbolizing the sorrow of Israel.

Exo 1:16 When you help the Hebrew women give birth,…
Jer 31:15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah…
2Ki 11:1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son…

who were two years old and under,

Herod's decision to target boys two years old and under was based on the timeline provided by the Magi regarding the star's appearance. This suggests that Jesus could have been up to two years old at the time of the Magi's visit. The age range indicates Herod's attempt to ensure the elimination of the child he perceived as a threat, showing his thoroughness in trying to secure his reign.

1Sa 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote…
Hos 13:16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled…
Psa 137:9 Blessed is he who seizes your infants…

according to the time he had learned from the Magi.

The Magi's visit and their report about the star's timing were crucial in Herod's calculation. This detail underscores the Magi's role in the narrative and the divine orchestration of events. The star, a celestial sign, guided the Magi to Jesus and played a part in fulfilling God's plan, despite Herod's intentions. This phrase highlights the intersection of divine revelation and human action in the unfolding of biblical prophecy.

Dan 2:21 He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings…
Act 1:7 Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons…
Gal 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Herod the Great
The ruling king of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth, known for his tyrannical rule and paranoia about losing his throne.

2. The Magi
Wise men from the East who visited Jesus after His birth, seeking the "King of the Jews" and inadvertently alerting Herod to Jesus' existence.

3. Bethlehem
A small town in Judea, prophesied as the birthplace of the Messiah, and the location of the tragic massacre ordered by Herod.

4. The Massacre of the Innocents
The event where Herod ordered the killing of all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem, attempting to eliminate the threat to his throne.

5. Jesus
The central figure of the New Testament, whose birth and early life were marked by divine intervention and fulfillment of prophecy.
Teaching Points
The Sovereignty of God
Despite Herod's evil intentions, God's plan for Jesus' life was not thwarted. This reminds us that God's purposes prevail over human schemes.

The Cost of Power and Paranoia
Herod's actions demonstrate the destructive nature of unchecked power and fear. We must guard against allowing fear to drive us to harm others.

The Innocence of the Victims
The massacre of the innocents calls us to reflect on the value of life and the tragedy of innocent suffering, urging us to advocate for the vulnerable.

Fulfillment of Prophecy
The events surrounding Jesus' early life fulfill numerous prophecies, affirming the reliability of Scripture and God's faithfulness to His promises.

Trust in Divine Protection
Just as God protected Jesus, we can trust in His protection and guidance in our lives, even amidst trials and threats.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Herod's reaction to the Magi's visit reflect the dangers of pride and fear in leadership?

2. In what ways does the massacre of the innocents challenge us to respond to injustice and protect the vulnerable in our society today?

3. How does the fulfillment of prophecy in Matthew 2:16 strengthen your faith in the reliability of Scripture?

4. What parallels can you draw between Herod's actions and other biblical or historical attempts to thwart God's plans?

5. How can we find comfort in God's sovereignty and protection when facing personal trials or threats?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 31:15
This Old Testament prophecy is directly connected to the events in Matthew 2:16, as it foretells the mourning in Ramah, symbolizing the sorrow in Bethlehem due to Herod's massacre.

Exodus 1:22
The order by Pharaoh to kill Hebrew male infants parallels Herod's decree, highlighting a recurring theme of tyrannical rulers attempting to thwart God's plans.

Revelation 12:4-5
This passage symbolically describes the dragon's attempt to devour the male child, echoing Herod's attempt to kill Jesus.
Sermons
Holy InnocentsJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Matthew 2:16
Instances of Infantile MurderDr. Jamieson.Matthew 2:16
The Holy InnocentsS. Mease, D. D., Archdeacon Pott.Matthew 2:16
The Slaughter of the InnocentsH. Melvill, B. D.Matthew 2:16
Childhood of JesusMarcus Dods Matthew 2:1-23
The Providence that Befriended the Earliest Life of JesusP.C. Barker Matthew 2:13, 19, 22
A Notable Instance of the Vicarious in the Human Lot and in SufferingP.C. Barker Matthew 2:16-18
Providence in EvilJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 2:16-18
The InnocentsW.F. Adeney Matthew 2:16-18
People
Archelaus, Herod, Jeremiah, Jeremias, Jeremy, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Rachel
Places
Bethlehem, Egypt, Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Nazareth, Ramah
Topics
Accordance, Accurately, Acting, Age, Angry, Ascertained, Bethlehem, Beth-lehem, Borders, Boys, Care, Carefully, Coasts, Countryside, Date, Death, Deceived, Determined, Diligently, Enquired, Enraged, Exact, Exactly, Exceeding, Exceedingly, Finding, Forth, Furious, Got, Greatly, Herod, Inquired, Kill, Killed, Learned, Mages, Magi, Male, Massacred, Mocked, Neighbourhood, Orders, Outwitted, Rage, Realized, Region, Round, Seeing, Slew, Surrounding, Thereof, Tricked, Trifled, Vicinity, Wise, Wise-men, Wroth
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 2:16

     5104   Moses, foreshadower of Christ
     5276   crime
     5277   criminals
     5366   king
     5561   suffering, nature of
     5658   boys
     5714   men
     5824   cruelty, examples
     5948   shrewdness
     8279   innocence, examples
     8739   evil, examples of
     8744   faithlessness, as disobedience
     9021   death, natural

Matthew 2:1-18

     2515   Christ, birth of

Matthew 2:1-23

     5652   babies
     8131   guidance, results

Matthew 2:13-20

     8729   enemies, of Christ

Matthew 2:16-18

     5348   injustice, nature and source
     5567   suffering, emotional
     5568   suffering, causes
     5899   lament

Library
The First-Fruits of the Gentiles
'Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him. 3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5. And they said …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The King in Exile
'And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him. 14. When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt; 15. And was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Sermon for Epiphany
(From the Gospel for the day) This Sermon on the Gospel for the day, from St. Matthew, showeth how God, of His great faithfulness hath foreseen and ordained all sufferings for the eternal good of each man, in whatever wise they befall us, and whether they be great or small. Matt. ii. 11.--"And they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense and myrrh." NOW consider first the myrrh. It is bitter; and this is a type of the bitterness which must be tasted before a man can find God, when he first …
Susannah Winkworth—The History and Life of the Reverend Doctor John Tauler

History of the Interpretation.
1. AMONG THE JEWS. This History, as to its essential features, might, a priori, be sketched with tolerable certainty. From the nature of the case, we could scarcely expect that the Jews should have adopted views altogether erroneous as to the subject of the prophecy in question; for the Messiah appears in it, not in His humiliation, but in His glory--rich in gifts and blessings, and Pelagian self-delusion will, a priori, return an affirmative answer to the question as to whether one is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

One Argument which Has Been Much Relied Upon but not More than Its Just Weight...
One argument which has been much relied upon (but not more than its just weight deserves) is the conformity of the facts occasionally mentioned or referred to in Scripture with the state of things in those times, as represented by foreign and independent accounts; which conformity proves, that the writers of the New Testament possessed a species of local knowledge which could belong only to an inhabitant of that country and to one living in that age. This argument, if well made out by examples, is …
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
(Jerusalem and Bethlehem, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 1-12. ^a 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem [It lies five miles south by west of Jerusalem, a little to the east of the road to Hebron. It occupies part of the summit and sides of a narrow limestone ridge which shoots out eastward from the central chains of the Judæan mountains, and breaks down abruptly into deep valleys on the north, south, and east. Its old name, Ephrath, meant "the fruitful." Bethlehem means "house of bread." Its modern …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Flight into Egypt and Slaughter of the Bethlehem Children.
(Bethlehem and Road Thence to Egypt, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 13-18. ^a 13 Now when they were departed [The text favors the idea that the arrival and departure of the magi and the departure of Joseph for Egypt, all occurred in one night. If so, the people of Bethlehem knew nothing of these matters], behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise [this command calls for immediate departure] and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt [This land was ever the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Child Jesus Brought from Egypt to Nazareth.
(Egypt and Nazareth, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 19-23; ^C Luke II. 39. ^a 19 But when Herod was dead [He died in the thirty-seventh year of his reign and the seventieth of his life. A frightful inward burning consumed him, and the stench of his sickness was such that his attendants could not stay near him. So horrible was his condition that he even endeavored to end it by suicide], behold, an angel of the Lord [word did not come by the infant Jesus; he was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 17), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The visit and Homage of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt
With the Presentation of the Infant Saviour in the Temple, and His acknowledgment - not indeed by the leaders of Israel, but, characteristically, by the representatives of those earnest men and women who looked for His Advent - the Prologue, if such it may be called, to the third Gospel closes. From whatever source its information was derived - perhaps, as has been suggested, its earlier portion from the Virgin-Mother, the later from Anna; or else both alike from her, who with loving reverence and …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Child-Life in Nazareth
THE stay of the Holy Family in Egypt must have been of brief duration. The cup of Herod's misdeeds, but also of his misery, was full. During the whole latter part of his life, the dread of a rival to the throne had haunted him, and he had sacrificed thousands, among them those nearest and dearest to him, to lay that ghost. [1084] And still the tyrant was not at rest. A more terrible scene is not presented in history than that of the closing days of Herod. Tormented by nameless fears; ever and again …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

He Division of the Land.
T The Jewish writers divide the whole world into "The land of Israel," and "Without the land": that is, the countries of the heathen. Both which phrases the book of the gospel owns: "The land of Israel," Matthew 2:20: and it calls the heathens, "those that are without," 1 Corinthians 5:13; 1 Timothy 3:7, &c. And sometimes the unbelieving Jews themselves, as Mark 4:11. They distinguish all the people of the world into "Israelites," and "the nations of the world." The book of the gospel owns that phrase …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Chronology of the Life of Christ.
See the Lit. in §14, p. 98, especially Browne, Wieseler, Zumpt, Andrews, and Keim We briefly consider the chronological dates of the life of Christ. I. The Year of the Nativity.--This must be ascertained by historical and chronological research, since there is no certain and harmonious tradition on the subject. Our Christians aera, which was introduced by the Roman abbot Dionysius Exiguus, in the sixth century, and came into general use two centuries later, during the reign of Charlemagne, puts …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Heathenism.
Literature. I. Sources. The works of the Greek and Roman Classics from Homer to Virgil and the age of the Antonines. The monuments of Antiquity. The writings of the early Christian Apologists, especially Justin Martyr: Apologia I. and II.; Tertullian: Apologeticus; Minucius Felix: Octavius; Eusebius: Praeparatio Evangelica; and Augustine (d. 430): De Civitate Dei (the first ten books). II. Later Works. Is. Vossius: De theologia gentili et physiolog. Christ. Frcf. 1675, 2 vols. Creuzer (d. 1858): …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

All My Prefaces to the Books of the Old Testament, Some Specimens of which I Subjoin, are Witnesses for Me on this Point; and it is Needless to State the Matter Otherwise than it is Stated in Them.
I have received letters so long and eagerly desired from my dear Desiderius [3137] who, as if the future had been foreseen, shares his name with Daniel, [3138] entreating me to put our friends in possession of a translation of the Pentateuch from Hebrew into Latin. The work is certainly hazardous and it is exposed to the [3139] attacks of my calumniators, who maintain that it is through contempt of the Seventy that I have set to work to forge a new version to take the place of the old. They thus …
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

The Great Slaughters and Sacrilege that were in Jerusalem.
1. Accordingly Simon would not suffer Matthias, by whose means he got possession of the city, to go off without torment. This Matthias was the son of Boethus, and was one of the high priests, one that had been very faithful to the people, and in great esteem with them; he, when the multitude were distressed by the zealots, among whom John was numbered, persuaded the people to admit this Simon to come in to assist them, while he had made no terms with him, nor expected any thing that was evil from …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

In Judaea
If Galilee could boast of the beauty of its scenery and the fruitfulness of its soil; of being the mart of a busy life, and the highway of intercourse with the great world outside Palestine, Judaea would neither covet nor envy such advantages. Hers was quite another and a peculiar claim. Galilee might be the outer court, but Judaea was like the inner sanctuary of Israel. True, its landscapes were comparatively barren, its hills bare and rocky, its wilderness lonely; but around those grey limestone …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Supplementary Note to Chapter ii. The Year of Christ's Birth.
The Christian era commences on the 1st of January of the year 754 of the city of Rome. That our Lord was born about the time stated in the text may appear from the following considerations-- The visit of the wise men to Bethlehem must have taken place a very few days after the birth of Jesus, and before His presentation in the temple. Bethlehem was not the stated residence of Joseph and Mary, either before or after the birth of the child (Luke i. 26, ii. 4, 39; Matt. ii. 2). They were obliged to …
William Dool Killen—The Ancient Church

Two Famous Versions of the Scriptures
[Illustration: (drop cap B) Samaritan Book of the Law] By the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, on the coast of Egypt, lies Alexandria, a busy and prosperous city of to-day. You remember the great conqueror, Alexander, and how nation after nation had been forced to submit to him, until all the then-known world owned him for its emperor? He built this city, and called it after his own name. About a hundred years before the days of Antiochus (of whom we read in our last chapter) a company of Jews …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

The King's Herald.
"On Jordan's banks the Baptist's cry Announces that the Lord is nigh; Awake and hearken, for he brings Glad tidings of the King...." When the Saviour of the world was about to enter upon His public ministry, the Jewish nation was startled with the cry, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (S. Matt. iii. 2). Such was God's call to His people of old time, to prepare themselves to take part in the fulfilment of the promises, on which their faith and hopes were founded. The fulness of the times had come; …
Edward Burbidge—The Kingdom of Heaven; What is it?

Commencement of the Legends Concerning Jesus --His Own Idea of his Supernatural Character.
Jesus returned to Galilee, having completely lost his Jewish faith, and filled with revolutionary ardor. His ideas are now expressed with perfect clearness. The innocent aphorisms of the first part of his prophetic career, in part borrowed from the Jewish rabbis anterior to him, and the beautiful moral precepts of his second period, are exchanged for a decided policy. The Law would be abolished; and it was to be abolished by him.[1] The Messiah had come, and he was the Messiah. The kingdom of God …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Blessed are they that Mourn
Blessed are they that mourn. Matthew 5:4 Here are eight steps leading to true blessedness. They may be compared to Jacob's Ladder, the top whereof reached to heaven. We have already gone over one step, and now let us proceed to the second: Blessed are they that mourn'. We must go through the valley of tears to paradise. Mourning were a sad and unpleasant subject to treat on, were it not that it has blessedness going before, and comfort coming after. Mourning is put here for repentance. It implies …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Messianic Prophecies in the Pentateuch.
In the Messianic prophecies contained in Genesis we cannot fail to perceive a remarkable progress in clearness and definiteness. The first Messianic prediction, which was uttered immediately after the fall of Adam, is also the most indefinite. Opposed to the awful threatening there stands the consolatory promise, that the dominion of sin, and of the evil arising from sin, shall not last for ever, but that the seed of the woman shall, at some future time, overthrow their dreaded conqueror. With the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Birth of Jesus.
(at Bethlehem of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 1-7. ^c 1 Now it came to pass in those days [the days of the birth of John the Baptist], there went out a decree [a law] from Cæsar Augustus [Octavius, or Augustus, Cæsar was the nephew of and successor to Julius Cæsar. He took the name Augustus in compliment to his own greatness; and our month August is named for him; its old name being Sextilis], that all the world should be enrolled. [This enrollment or census was the first step …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour, …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

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