Section 2:16–18
King Herod killed the children
In this section, Matthew showed another way that scripture was fulfilled. Herod killed the children in and around Bethlehem, and so caused much mourning in that area.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The Killing of the children (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Herod Kills the Baby Boys (New Century Version)
Paragraph 2:16–18
2:16a
When: The storyline resumes here. The narrative jumps back to the time soon after Joseph, Mary, and Jesus began their journey to Egypt (2:14). You may want to do one of the following:
• Indicate here that the narrative returns to an earlier time. For example:
⌊Soon⌋ after Joseph began the journey to Egypt with the child and his mother,…
• Indicate in 2:14 that Joseph began the journey and indicate that 2:15 temporarily jumps forward in time.
Herod saw: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saw indicates that Herod knew that the wise men had deceived him.
Here are some other ways to translate this verb:
realized (New International Version)
-or-
found out (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
knew/understood
that he had been outwitted by the Magi: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as outwitted also means “deceived.” The wise men outwitted Herod in the sense that they did not follow his command to return to him and tell him about the child (2:8). God warned them not to go back to Herod. So they did not participate in Herod’s evil plan to kill the child. This word does not indicate that, from the beginning, the wise men intended to “deceive” Herod in an evil way.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
that the wise men were more clever than he thought
-or-
that the Magi were not going to return
This verb is passive.
Here are some other ways to translate this verb:
• As a passive verb. For example:
he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
he saw that he had been deceived by the Magi
• As an active verb. For example:
Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him (New Century Version)
2:16b
he was filled with rage: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he was filled with rage means that Herod “became very angry.”
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
⌊he⌋ became enraged
-or-
he was very angry (Contemporary English Version)
2:16c
Sending orders, he put to death all the boys: It is implied that Herod sent his soldiers to kill all the boys. In some languages, it will be natural to include this implied information. For example:
he gave orders ⌊to his soldiers/men⌋ to kill all the boys
all the boys: Herod was only concerned about male children who were two years old and younger. You should use a term appropriate for that age group. For example:
baby boys
-or-
young boys
2:16d
in Bethlehem and its vicinity: The phrase its vicinity refers to the villages and settlements near Bethlehem.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
in and around Bethlehem (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
in Bethlehem and in the area near it
-or-
in ⌊the town of⌋ Bethlehem and its surrounding communities/towns
who were two years old and under: The phrase two years old and under includes boys from two years old all the way down to newborns.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
two years old and younger (Good News Translation)
-or-
newborns up to two years old
2:16e
according to the time he had learned from the Magi: The clause according to the time he had learned from the Magi indicates that Herod calculated how old the child would have been based on the date that the wise men gave him. The wise men probably first saw the star less than two years before. But Herod wanted to make sure that his soldiers killed Jesus. So he told them to kill boys as old as two years.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
This was based on what he had learned from the wise men. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
He calculated this age from the time that the astrologers had first seen the star.
-or-
He estimated this age based on the wise men’s words.
General Comment on 2:16c–e
It may be more natural in your language to have 2:16e before 2:16c. For example:
and 16ecounting from the time he had learned from the wise men, 16che gave orders to kill all the boys 16din Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under
The soldiers did as Herod ordered. It may be more natural in your language to include that implied information at the end of 2:16:
…⌊And they did so.⌋
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