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NASB | Matthew 2:16 ¶ Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 2:16 ¶ Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by the magi, was extremely angry, and he sent [soldiers] and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi. |
Bible Question:
Giam, Where did they go in Matt 2:22-23? Does this mean they left for Eygpt (vv 13-14) from Bethlehem (Judea) or Nazareth (Galilee)? |
Bible Answer: Hi Searcher! Matthew 2:22-23 is when they HAD COME BACK from Egypt! See verse 14: they departed into egypt from wherever. And then when Herod was dead, verse 19, they bypassed judea due to herod's son being in power, v.22, and went back to Naz:23. Now as to from where they departed to Egypt: from Betlehem or from Nazareth. It wd seem to me that they had left from Naz, their home town, Luke 2:4, to which they wd have naturally returned after going to the temple 40 days after Christ's birth, Luke 2:21-22, 39, and remained there for at least one year, or for just more than one year, with NO threat to Christ's life for that whole first year, until the wise men came and alarmed herod, matthew 2:1-8, which wd tend to prove that the family was NOT still in Bethlehem and so wd not have had to flee from there: when the wise men took off for bethlehem: Herod himself sent then there! matthew 2:6,8, the star kept going!verse 9. if Herod had his spies waiting for them in Bethlehem, as he probably had, they wd have been waiting in vain for the magi never turned up: for the star kept going north to naz rather than south to beth! So it wd seem that they had returned to naz, Luke 2:39, and had been there for just over one year, when and where the wise men wd have found the young child "in the house," Matthew 2:11, at least one year after JC's birth, Matthew 2:7, 17 and from where the wise men then continued on north and east away from jerusalem and so escaped from herod who was down south. I also say naz because of matthew 2:7 and 17: based on what herod asked the wise men specifically, he realised that they first had seen the star about one year before he talked to them. To him, it wd have seemed that the baby had been born when the star first appeared! So since WE know that the babe was born in Bethlehem, there wd have been no reason for the family to have stayed there for nearly or just over one year when their home town was nazareth! See? Then of course, that is why to cover all bases herod then killed all kids under 2! That is why Christ is thot to be about 2 or under 2 or between 1 and 2 when the magi arrived. See? In other words, if the wise men had told herod that they first saw the star 6 months ago, he wd have killed all boys under one year of age. But since thay told him that had seen the star about 12 months ago, he just killed all boys under two.... just to be safe. On other words, the time that Heord had over-estimated out as the top outer limit of Christ's age, and the time that Christ had been back in Nazareth is approximately the SAME TIME, with Herod's estimate being the greater of the two!! See? BUT, Searcher, that is just my idea. Any other idea u have is just as valid as long as your scenario includes all the facts in Luke and Matthew! Right? smile Love and Respect, Giam |