Matthew 2:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

NIV: So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

NASB: So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.

CSB: So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt.

NLT: That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,

KJV: When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

NKJV: When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

Joseph has now seen an angel of the Lord in two powerful dreams. In both he was given specific instructions from God. The first time, God told him to go through with his marriage to Mary even though she was pregnant (Matthew 1:20). Joseph learned that the child she carried was from the Holy Spirit and would save His people from their sins. The boy was Immanuel, "God with us."

Joseph obeyed immediately. Instead of breaking off the betrothal or even waiting for the betrothal time to be finished he took Mary into his home immediately as his wife, though he did not consummate their relationship until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:24–25). They settled for a time in Bethlehem until one day a group of wise men and a large entourage showed up at their house. The impressive travelling wise men worshiped their son as a king and gave Him expensive gifts (Matthew 2:11–12).

After they left, the angel returned to Joseph in a dream with new instructions: Run to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child. Alerted by the wise men, Herod saw Jesus as a potential threat to his throne. To protect his power, he would kill the boy.

Again, Joseph demonstrates his faith by obeying immediately. He packed up Jesus and Mary and left for Egypt by night. Travelling by night not only provided the cover of darkness to the young family, it also shows how urgent Joseph was to obey God and protect his family. It's likely the gifts of the wise men helped pay for this unexpected journey. Joseph and Mary likely saw this as another evidence that God was providing for and protecting them.

In that era, Bethlehem was around a one- or two-day trip from the borders of Herod's authority. Crossing that boundary to the south would put the family in Egypt. Going further would take them to the Nile Delta, where there was a large Jewish community. So an emergency escape into Egypt was a logical choice. It was still a Roman province, but it was outside of Herod's control. Many Jewish people lived in Egypt.

This experience of fleeing to Egypt for safety echoed the experience of the early Israelites who fled to Egypt from famine on several occasions (Genesis 12:10; 42:1–2), eventually becoming slaves to the Egyptians (Exodus 1:8–11).

Matthew 2:13–15 tells how Joseph, Mary, and Jesus ended up in Egypt. In this context, ''Egypt'' means the territories beyond Herod's control, such as the Nile Delta. After the wise men leave Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord appears in Joseph's dreams once more with specific instructions. He is ordered to take the family to Egypt. Herod wants the child dead, so they are not to return until Herod dies and the angel gives them further direction. Joseph obeys, leaving in haste to reach territory outside of Herod's control. Matthew connects Jesus' return from Egypt to Hosea 11:1, where the prophet speaks of God calling His son Israel out of Egypt.

King Herod is surprised and troubled by the arrival of wise men from the east. They have come looking for a newborn king of the Jews. Herod directs the men to Bethlehem to find the boy for him. The wise men find and worship Jesus. Rather than cooperating with the wicked Herod, the wise men slip away. An angel warns Joseph to flee to Egypt with his family before Herod kills all the boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger to protect his throne. After Herod's death, an angel sends Joseph back to Israel and then God directs him to settle with Mary and Jesus in Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

Chapter 1 established the genealogy and miraculous conception of Jesus Christ. Sometime after Jesus' birth, a group of wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem. They have been tracking a star that points to the birth of the king of the Jews. They find and worship Jesus, then leave without telling the wicked king, Herod, where to find the boy. Warned by an angel, Joseph flees with Jesus and Mary to Egypt before Herod orders the execution of all the boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger. When notified by an angel again, they return to Israel and settle in Nazareth, in the northern region of Israel known as Galilee. This leads into chapter 3, which leaps forward to Jesus' adulthood, and the ministry of John the Baptist.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.