Herod’s horrid attitude towards Christ resulted in some horrible conduct in which he ordered the slaying of young children in Bethlehem. Creed and conduct go hand in hand, and those who reject Christ are not going to be known for their noble behavior.
1. The Provoking for the Slaying (Matthew 2:16) Herod intended all along to get rid of the Christ-child; the provoking here has more to do with the timing of his murderous conduct than just his murderous conduct.
The mocking of the wise men. “When he saw that he was mocked of the wise men” (Matthew 2:16). The mocking of the wise men was not by their talk but by their travel. They did not travel back to Herod in Jerusalem as he wanted them to do; but instead they traveled home a different route, as we have already noted. They obeyed God in not going back to Herod, and obeying God always mocks evil. And evil does not react to this mocking kindly, of course. This action mocked Herod’s authority and Herod’s plans and to him it threatened his throne. And being extra sensitive to slights, he took quick action.
The madness of the king. “Herod … was exceeding wroth” (Matthew 2:16). The history of Herod’s rule is filled with his mad rages at any thing that opposed him—even his own family. And in his madness, he became brutal and shed much blood. Many rulers in history have been like Herod. Their madness will be tamed in the fires of hell, however.
2. The Place of the Slaying (Matthew 2:16)
“Slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof” (Matthew 2:16). Herod ordered the slaying of young children in the town of Bethlehem and the surrounding areas (“coasts” means borders or surrounding neighborhoods). This area was about five miles from Jerusalem where Herod abode.
3. The Persons for the Slaying (Matthew 2:16)
Herod had a special target for his murderous acts in Bethlehem and its vicinity.
The age of the persons. “Two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men” (Matthew 2:16). As we noted earlier, Herod “inquired of them [the magi] diligently what time the star appeared” (Matthew 2:8). That would tell the approximate age of the child “born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) and help Herod to know what age of children to slay.
The amount of the persons. Since the population of Bethlehem and its “coasts” was small, the number of male children “two years old and under.” would not be many. The typical reader often thinks in terms thousands being slain by Herod here. But scholars say the slain would not number more than twenty. The small amount does not lessen the tragedy, however.
4. The Purpose of the Slaying (Matthew 2:16)
“He was exceeding wroth” (Matthew 2:16). Why did Herod get so upset that he would kill all these young children? The answer is rather obvious. Herod wanted no rivalries to his throne. He was also a “king” (he had gotten the title of “king” from the Roman senate by political manipulation); so because of the area he ruled was Jewish, he was virtually the “king of the Jews.” Thus the announcement of a babe being born who was “King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) did not set well with him. So knowing only to kill his enemies, he ordered the slaying of the young children. Since the magi did not return to him, he had to slay all children two and under to make sure he got the Christ-child.
5. The Prophecy About the Slaying (Matthew 2:17, 18)
“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet” (Matthew 2:17, 18). This is the second of the three fulfilled prophecies mentioned in this second chapter of Matthew.
The site in the prophecy. “Rama” (Matthew 2:18). This town is Ramah, which is located near Jerusalem. It was a town especially associated with the prophet Samuel (I Samuel 19:18. 25:1). When Nebuzardan of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, he brought all his prisoners to Ramah and there disposed of them as he pleased. Some were permitted to stay in the land but many others were carried away to Babylon. Thus the town would be associated with much sorrow; and being close to Bethlehem, it would suffice for the fulfillment of prophecy.
The symbolism in the prophecy. “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning” (Matthew 2:18). This prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 had its primary reference to the Israelites in the sorrow of their being taken captive to Babylon. Thus the prophecy, like the previous one about coming out of Egypt, was one of typology or symbolism about Christ. Many prophecies in the Old Testament had two applications—one to some specific event for the Israelites and the second to Christ in the form of typology. This gives us a precedence to see much of Christ in the Old Testament.
The sorrow in the prophecy. “Lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not” (Matthew 2:18). The sorrow of going into captivity is as bad as death in terms of separation. The sorrow described here is extremely great. It would especially be bad for the mothers to see their children separated permanently from them and shipped to a foreign land. The mothers are spoken collectively and fittingly as Rachel in the text; for when she gave birth to Benjamin near Bethlehem, the birth was very difficult and she died as a result of the birthing experience. In the sorrow of her dying moments, she named the son “Benoni” (Genesis 35:18), which means son of sorrow. Jacob changed the name to Benjamin.
6. The Portrayal of the Slaying (Matthew 2:16)
While Herod’s deed was atrocious, our day is more bloody; for abortion makes Herod’s deed look tame in comparison. Abortion has killed millions upon millions, while Herod only killed a couple dozen at the most. Because of the refusal to stop abortion, the rulers of our land have more blood on their hands than Herod. The same goes for the doctors and other people involved with abortion. Even the gas chambers of Nazi Germany look tame in comparison to abortion. God’s judgment is the most certain sequence of all the abortion activity.
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