Matthew 2:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

NIV: 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.'

NASB: Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.'

CSB: After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him."

NLT: 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.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

It must have been enormously confirming for Mary and Joseph, and perhaps confusing, when wealthy Gentile wise men from the east showed up at their door to worship their child Jesus as a king. Both Mary and Joseph had been visited by angels with messages about Jesus' identity and purpose (Matthew 1:18–20; Luke 1:34–35). Still, the arrival of outsiders who also believed this must have bolstered their faith about what God was doing in their lives.

Mary and Joseph would need faith to carry them through what was coming. After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in yet another dream. This time, the news was troubling. Joseph's new mission was to take Jesus and Mary and run away to Egypt. The wicked king wants to destroy their child! Herod had been alerted by the wise men's quest that a "King of the Jews" had been born in Israel. He clearly understood this to be a reference to the promised and long-awaited Messiah who would save Israel and rule over the nation. Instead of welcoming the idea of Israel's savior sent from God, he decided to try to eliminate the threat to his power and throne. The only way to do that was to kill the boy (Matthew 2:16–18).

In this context, "Egypt" means nearby territories such as the Nile Delta, where Herod had no authority. The family is ordered to stay in Egypt until this angel tells them it is safe to return to Israel.

The next verse shows that Joseph's faith held strong. He once again believed and obeyed.

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.