Innocents*, Slaughter of the — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Herod the Great’s massacre of all the boys under two years old in Bethlehem and its vicinity (Mt 2:16-18). Herod slaughtered “the holy innocents” in an effort to destroy the child about whom the Magi had told him.

Show passage in OET: MAT 2:16–18

OET-RV MAT 2:16

16 When King Herodes (Herod) realised that he’d been tricked by the watchers of signs, he got very angry and gave orders that all the sons in Beyt -Lehem (Bethlehem) and its districts that were two years old and younger be killed, because that was the period that he’d found out from the watchers of signs.

OET-RV MAT 2:17

17 That fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Yirmiyah (Jeremiah), who said:

OET-RV MAT 2:18

18 The sound of terrible weeping and mourning was heard in Ramah;
⇔ Rahel (Rachel) weeping for her children, and she didn’t want to be comforted,
⇔ because her children were no more.

OET-LV MAT 2:16

16 Then Haʸrōdaʸs, having _seen that he _was _mocked by the wise _men, was _enraged exceedingly and having _sent _out, he _killed all the boys which in Baʸthleʼem/(Bēyt-leḩem) and in all the regions of _it from two _year and lower, according _to the time which he _ascertained from the wise _men.

OET-LV MAT 2:17

17 Then the message was _fulfilled having _been _spoken through Yeremias/(Yirmə^yāh) the prophet saying,

OET-LV MAT 2:18

18 A_voice in Ɽama/(Rāmāh) was _heard, weeping and great mourning, Ɽaⱪaʸl/(Rāḩēl) weeping for _the children of _her, and was_ not _wanting to _be _comforted, because they _are not.

Jump to OET MAT 2:16–18 section.

Although Matthew does not specify Herod’s motive, secular historians record ample evidence of Herod’s jealousy for his throne. He feared his own family as rivals of his power to such an extent that he put his wife and several of his sons to death. His kingdom, rife with messianic hopes and speculations, did produce some claimants. Herod himself made that association with the Magi’s quest for one born “King of the Jews” (Mt 2:2). Adding to his instability, a painful form of arteriosclerosis made the king subject to fits of delirium and rage.

Show passage in OET: MAT 2:2

OET-RV MAT 2:2

2 and asked, “Where’s the one born as king of the Yehudim (Jews)? We saw his star in the east and we came to worship him.”

OET-LV MAT 2:2

2 saying:
Where is the one, having _been _born king of _the Youdaiōns?
For/Because we _saw the star of _him in the east and we _came to _prostrate before _him.

Jump to OET MAT 2:2 section.

Matthew probably had several reasons for including the story in his Gospel. For one thing, its use follows Matthew’s pattern of citing OT prophecies (in this case, Jer 31:15). Also, the incident accounts for the sojourn of Jesus’ family to Egypt and their subsequent settling in Nazareth (Mt 2:13-15, 19-23 OET MAT 2:13–15 · OET MAT 2:19–23).

Show passage in OET: JER 31:15

OET-RV JER 31:15

15 Yahweh says this,
⇔ “A voice is heard in Ramah, wailing,
⇔ bitter weeping.
⇔ Rahel (Rachel) is weeping over her sons.
⇔ She refuses to be comforted over her sons,
⇔ because he is no more.”

OET-LV JER 31:15

15 Thus YHWH he _says a _voice in_Rāmāh is_heard a _wailing weeping _of bitterness(es) Rāḩēl is_weeping on her/its_sons/descendants she _has _refused to_be _comforted on her/its_sons/descendants if/because he_is_not.

Show passage in OET: MAT 2:13–15; MAT 2:19–23

OET-RV MAT 2:13

13 After they’d departed, one of Yahweh’s messengers appeared to Yosef (Joseph) in a dream and said, “Leave now and take the child and his mother, and flee to Mitsrayim (Egypt). Remain there until I tell you, because King Herodes (Herod) will soon search for the child in order to kill him.”

OET-RV MAT 2:14

14 So Yosef got ready during the night and took the child and his mother and departed for Mitsrayim.

OET-RV MAT 2:15

15 They stayed there until Herodes’s death, in order to fulfil what Yahweh had said through the prophet Hoshea (Hosea): “I called my son out of Mitsrayim.”

OET-RV MAT 2:19

19 After King Herodes (Herod) died, one of Yahweh’s messengers appeared to Yosef (Joseph) in Mitsrayim (Egypt) in a dream

OET-RV MAT 2:20

20 and said, “Get ready and take the child and his mother back to Yisrael (Israel), because the ones wanting to kill him have died.”

OET-RV MAT 2:21

21 So Yosef packed up and took the child and his mother and went back to Yisrael.

OET-RV MAT 2:22

22 However, when he heard that Arkelaos was now reigning over Yehudah (Judea) (instead of his father Herodes), and also having been warned in a dream, he left Yehudah and went north to the Galil area.

OET-RV MAT 2:23

23 Once he got there, he settled into a town called Nazaret (Nazareth), and so what had been spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He’ll be called a person from Nazaret.”

OET-LV MAT 2:13

13 And having _withdrawn from _them, see, a_messenger of_the_master is _appearing in a_dream to_ the _Yōsaʸf/(Yōşēf) saying:
Having _been _raised, take the little _child and the mother of _him, and be _fleeing into Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim), and be there until wishfully I _may _tell to _you, because/for Haʸrōdaʸs is _going to _be _seeking the little _child which to _destroy him.

OET-LV MAT 2:14

14 And which having _been _raised, he _took the little _child and the mother of _him by _night and withdrew into Aiguptos,

OET-LV MAT 2:15

15 and he _was there until the death of _Haʸrōdaʸs, in _order _that the message may _be _fulfilled having _been _spoken by the_master through the prophet saying:
I _called the son of _me out _of of _Aiguptos.

OET-LV MAT 2:19

19 But the Haʸrōdaʸs having _died, see, a_messenger of_the_master is _appearing in a_dream to_ the _Yōsaʸf in Aiguptos

OET-LV MAT 2:20

20 saying:
Having _been _raised, take the little _child and the mother of _him, and be _going into the_land of _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl), because/for the ones seeking the life of _the little _child have _died.

OET-LV MAT 2:21

21 And he having _been _raised, took the little _child and the mother of _him, and came _in into the_land of _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl).

OET-LV MAT 2:22

22 But having _heard that Arⱪelaos is _reigning the over _Youdaia instead _of Haʸrōdaʸs the father of _him, he _was _afraid to _go _away there, and having _been _warned in a_dream, he _withdrew into the districts of_ the _Galilaia/(Gālīl),

OET-LV MAT 2:23

23 and having _come, he _dwelt into a_city being _called Nazaret, so _that the message may _be _fulfilled having _been _spoken through the prophets, he _will _be _being _called that A_from _Nazaret.

Jump to OET JER 31:15 section.

Jump to OET MAT 2:13–15 section. · OET MAT 2:19–23 section.