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In this lesson:
Escape to Egypt. Study Tip: Learning more about the old prophecies, the Jewish Mosaic Law, and the Old Testament (Old Covenant) helps us better understand the New Testament (New Covenant). Always click on the Old Testament links and read the blue "Margin Notes;" they are important tools that help us understand God's plan for us. |
The Flight to Egypt.
By Italian painter Vittore Carpaccio (1465-1525). |
Who was -
Jeremiah -
Jeremiah, sometimes called Jeremy or Jeremias Matthew 16:14), was a Hebrew prophet and the author of two Old Testament books: "The Lamentations of Jeremiah" and "The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah." Jeremiah was from the village of Anathoth (Jeremiah 1:1), three miles northeast of Jerusalem. God chose him as a prophet before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5). Jeremiah lived during the sixth and seventh centuries BC and was known as the "weeping prophet." His story is one of perseverance. He faced opposition from his fellow Jews and even his own family (Jeremiah 12:6) for prophesying that, unless Israel renounced its idolatry, it would fall into the hands of its enemies. Four successive Jewish kings ignored Jeremiah's calls to repent. King Jehoiakim tried several times to have him killed (Jeremiah 36:26), and Irijah, the captain of the guard, arrested him (Jeremiah 37:13-15). As Jeremiah predicted, God punished Israel for its sins. The Babylonians defeated the Israelites and destroyed Jerusalem. Many Jews, including King Jehoiakim, were taken to Babylon as slaves. Jeremiah eluded the Babylonians and fled to Egypt. He also predicted that Israel's captivity would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11) and that Babylon would eventually be destroyed. Both of these prophecies came true. You can learn more in "The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah."
Rachel -
Rachel was Jacob's (the patriarch of Israel) second wife and the mother of his two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob's first wife, Leah, had six sons - Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun - and one daughter, Dinah. Jacob also had two sons with Leah's servant Zilpah, Gad and Asher, and two more with Rachel's servant Bilhah, Dan and Naphtali. The twelve tribes of Israel are named after Jacob's sons. Because of this, Rachel is considered one of the four matriarchs of Judaism, and her name is synonymous with Israel. Rachel died in childbirth and was buried near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:17-20, 48:7).
Archelaus -
Archelaus, the son of King Herod the Great and Malthace, was educated in Rome. After King Herod's death, the Roman Emperor Caesar gave Archelaus part of his father's kingdom and he ruled Idumea, Judea, and Samaria for nearly ten years. His brother, Herod Antipas, received Galilee and Perea. Herod Antipas is known for beheading John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-11; Mark 6:21-28) and for mocking Jesus (Luke 23:11). Archelaus, like his brother, had a reputation for cruelty. His harsh reputation is likely why Mary and Joseph avoided Judea when they returned to Israel from Egypt with the infant Jesus (Matthew 3:22). Eventually, the Romans removed Archelaus from power, took away his wealth, and sent him into exile in Gaul.
Jeremiah -
Jeremiah, sometimes called Jeremy or Jeremias Matthew 16:14), was a Hebrew prophet and the author of two Old Testament books: "The Lamentations of Jeremiah" and "The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah." Jeremiah was from the village of Anathoth (Jeremiah 1:1), three miles northeast of Jerusalem. God chose him as a prophet before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5). Jeremiah lived during the sixth and seventh centuries BC and was known as the "weeping prophet." His story is one of perseverance. He faced opposition from his fellow Jews and even his own family (Jeremiah 12:6) for prophesying that, unless Israel renounced its idolatry, it would fall into the hands of its enemies. Four successive Jewish kings ignored Jeremiah's calls to repent. King Jehoiakim tried several times to have him killed (Jeremiah 36:26), and Irijah, the captain of the guard, arrested him (Jeremiah 37:13-15). As Jeremiah predicted, God punished Israel for its sins. The Babylonians defeated the Israelites and destroyed Jerusalem. Many Jews, including King Jehoiakim, were taken to Babylon as slaves. Jeremiah eluded the Babylonians and fled to Egypt. He also predicted that Israel's captivity would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11) and that Babylon would eventually be destroyed. Both of these prophecies came true. You can learn more in "The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah."
Rachel -
Rachel was Jacob's (the patriarch of Israel) second wife and the mother of his two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob's first wife, Leah, had six sons - Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun - and one daughter, Dinah. Jacob also had two sons with Leah's servant Zilpah, Gad and Asher, and two more with Rachel's servant Bilhah, Dan and Naphtali. The twelve tribes of Israel are named after Jacob's sons. Because of this, Rachel is considered one of the four matriarchs of Judaism, and her name is synonymous with Israel. Rachel died in childbirth and was buried near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:17-20, 48:7).
Archelaus -
Archelaus, the son of King Herod the Great and Malthace, was educated in Rome. After King Herod's death, the Roman Emperor Caesar gave Archelaus part of his father's kingdom and he ruled Idumea, Judea, and Samaria for nearly ten years. His brother, Herod Antipas, received Galilee and Perea. Herod Antipas is known for beheading John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-11; Mark 6:21-28) and for mocking Jesus (Luke 23:11). Archelaus, like his brother, had a reputation for cruelty. His harsh reputation is likely why Mary and Joseph avoided Judea when they returned to Israel from Egypt with the infant Jesus (Matthew 3:22). Eventually, the Romans removed Archelaus from power, took away his wealth, and sent him into exile in Gaul.
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The King James Bible
The King James Bible
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Matthew 2:13-23
Joseph's second dream 13 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 called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. |
Margin notes:
"Out of Egypt have I called my son." (2:15) - This verse shows another prophecy coming true. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the Old Testament said He would spend time in Egypt and then Nazareth (Hosea 11:1). The Israelites came out of Egyptian slavery; Jesus came out of Egypt to free us from the slavery of sin. "He was mocked of the wise men." (2:16) - Means "(Herod) was tricked by the wise men." "Exceeding wroth." (2:16) - "Infuriated." "Slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof." (2:16) - "Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area." "Rama." (2:18) - A small village north of Bethlehem. "Rachel weeping for her children." (2:18) - Rachel was Jacob's wife. Her name is synonymous with Israel (see above). This verse is a paraphrase of Jeremiah 31:15, a 600-year-old prophecy of the coming sorrow that would grip Rama, Bethlehem, and the surrounding area after King Herod slaughtered their children in a futile attempt to kill the infant Jesus. "Because they are not." (2:18) - "Because they are dead." "In the room of his father Herod." (2:22) - "In place of his father, Herod." "He was afraid to go thither." (2:22) - "He was afraid to go there." "He turned aside into the parts of Galilee." (2:22) - "He went to Galilee instead." Galilee was a small area in Palestine that ran forty-five miles from its northern tip at Mount Hermon to its southern boundary near Mount Carmel and Mount Gilboa. Galilee boasted about two hundred small villages, including Nazareth. Galilee was crossed by several highways that ran between the Euphrates and Nile Rivers. Galileans had a distinct accent and were considered so disreputable that they were forbidden to testify in legal proceedings. "He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth." (2:23) - This is more evidence that Jesus was the Christ. The Old Testament prophesied over six hundred years earlier that the Messiah would live in Nazareth. Nazareth was a small village in lower Galilee (Luke 1:26), in northern Israel. Archaeologists estimate that Nazareth covered less than ten acres and had a population of about 700. It sat approximately seventy-five miles north of Jerusalem and fourteen miles west of the Sea of Galilee, along the southern ridges of Lebanon. The village sat in a mountain basin and enjoyed mild temperatures and ample rainfall. Jesus was born in Bethlehem but grew up in Nazareth. While most of Galilee was Gentile, Nazareth was a Jewish village with an active synagogue that Jesus likely attended. A main road between Egypt and Asia ran near Nazareth, bringing many travelers and merchants to the area. In Jesus' day, people looked down on Nazarenes as second-class citizens (John 1:46). Despite being raised there (Matthew 2:21-23; Mark 1:9), the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus when He returned to teach (Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-4). His former neighbors even tried to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:16-30). In medieval times, a Muslim army destroyed the village, and little of the original Nazareth remains. The town was later rebuilt nearby and now has a population of about 80,000. "He shall be called a Nazarene." (2:23) - This seems to be a quote from the Old Testament, yet no such reference exists. What does exist are prophecies that the Messiah would be despised (e.g., Psalms 22:6; Isaiah 53:3). In the early years of the church, "Nazarene" was a derogatory name for a Christian. Christians were often called "the sect of Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5). This is still true today in parts of Palestine and Syria. |
New Living Translation
Matthew 2:13-23
The Escape to Egypt
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15 and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt."
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men's report of the star's first appearance.
17 Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 "A cry was heard in Ramah-
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead."
The Return to Nazareth
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
20 "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead."
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod's son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.
23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: "He will be called a Nazarene."
The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
The Escape to Egypt
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15 and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt."
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men's report of the star's first appearance.
17 Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 "A cry was heard in Ramah-
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead."
The Return to Nazareth
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
20 "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead."
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod's son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.
23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: "He will be called a Nazarene."
The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Key verses from this passage
"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." (2:13)
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men." (2:16)
"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." (2:13)
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men." (2:16)
Today's Questions:
1. Why did King Herod kill all the young boys in the Bethlehem area? (2:16)
2. Why did God warn Joseph to flee from Herod and not the other parents in Bethlehem? (2:13)
Keep yourself from sin by holding God's word in your heart (Psalm 119:11).
Answers: (Do you agree?)
1. King Herod feared that the newborn Messiah would threaten his authority. After learning from the wise men that the Messiah was between six and twenty months old, he ordered all boys up to the age of twenty-four months old to be killed. Herod did not realize that Jesus came not to take his throne, but to offer eternal life to everyone, including him.
2. Sometimes God steps in directly, but often He allows human cruelty to play out. While inhumanity saddens God, He lets these events happen so we can learn from them. God did not stop Herod’s terrible plan to kill the children in the Bethlehem area, but He protected Jesus to keep His promise that a Messiah would bring salvation to the world.
Application thought for the day:
What can we learn from this passage about following God’s instructions?
1. Why did King Herod kill all the young boys in the Bethlehem area? (2:16)
2. Why did God warn Joseph to flee from Herod and not the other parents in Bethlehem? (2:13)
Keep yourself from sin by holding God's word in your heart (Psalm 119:11).
Answers: (Do you agree?)
1. King Herod feared that the newborn Messiah would threaten his authority. After learning from the wise men that the Messiah was between six and twenty months old, he ordered all boys up to the age of twenty-four months old to be killed. Herod did not realize that Jesus came not to take his throne, but to offer eternal life to everyone, including him.
2. Sometimes God steps in directly, but often He allows human cruelty to play out. While inhumanity saddens God, He lets these events happen so we can learn from them. God did not stop Herod’s terrible plan to kill the children in the Bethlehem area, but He protected Jesus to keep His promise that a Messiah would bring salvation to the world.
Application thought for the day:
What can we learn from this passage about following God’s instructions?
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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen, published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Atlas of the Bible" edited by Joseph L. Gardner, published by Readers Digest, Pleasantville, New York; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The New Testament" Recovery Version published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The New Scofield Reference Bible' published by Oxford University Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2026 evolke
© 2026 evolke