Matthew 2:13-18
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:13-18: Verse-by-Verse Analysis
Verse 13: An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to take the child Jesus and his mother Mary to escape to Egypt. This shows the divine protection and guidance provided to the Holy Family.
Verse 14: Joseph obeys the angel’s command and takes Jesus and Mary to Egypt during the night. This demonstrates Joseph’s faith and obedience to God’s instructions.
Verse 15: The fulfillment of the prophecy that “Out of Egypt I called my son” shows how God’s plan and promises are fulfilled through the events surrounding Jesus’ birth and early life.
Verse 16: Herod’s cruel response to being outwitted by the Magi leads to his order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of two. This highlights the evil and ruthless nature of Herod’s rule.
Verse 17: The prophecy from Jeremiah about weeping and mourning in Ramah is fulfilled as the mothers in Bethlehem grieve for their slain children. This illustrates the tragic consequences of Herod’s actions.
Verse 18: The sorrow and lamentation of Rachel, a symbol of the grieving mothers, further emphasize the tragic loss of innocent lives due to Herod’s jealousy and fear of the newborn King.