Matthew 2:13

The Escape to Egypt

2:13 After they had gone, an ¹  angel of the Lord ²  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 ³  is going to look for the child to kill him.”

Matthew 2:9

2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again ⁴  the star they saw when it rose ⁵  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

Matthew 2:11

2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down ⁶  and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, ⁷  and myrrh. ⁸ 

Matthew 2:20

2:20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”

¹ tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

³ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.

⁴ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

⁵ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

⁷ tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

⁸ sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).

⁹ sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.