Matthew 2:19-20

The Return to Nazareth

2:19 After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 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.”

Joshua 3:13

3:13 When the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Ruler of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.”

Joshua 3:17

3:17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.

Joshua 4:10

4:10 Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people was accomplished, in accordance with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people went across quickly,

Joshua 4:18

4:18 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land, the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage. 10 

Daniel 3:25-26

3:25 He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!” 11  3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, 12  “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire. 13 

Acts 16:36

16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 14  “The magistrates have sent orders 15  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” 16 

sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4 b.c., his kingdom was divided up among his three sons: Archelaus, who ruled over Judea (where Bethlehem was located, v. 22); Philip, who became tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis (cf. Luke 3:1); and Antipas, who became tetrarch of Galilee.

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).

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

tn Heb “the soles of the feet.”

tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.”

tn Or “rest in.”

tn Heb “the waters of the Jordan, the waters descending from above, will be cut off so that they will stand in one pile.”

tn Heb “and all Israel was crossing over on dry ground until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

tn Heb “and the soles of the feet of the priests were brought up to the dry land.”

10 tn Heb “and the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went as formerly over their banks.”

11 sn The phrase like that of a god is in Aramaic “like that of a son of the gods.” Many patristic writers understood this phrase in a christological sense (i.e., “the Son of God”). But it should be remembered that these are words spoken by a pagan who is seeking to explain things from his own polytheistic frame of reference; for him the phrase “like a son of the gods” is equivalent to “like a divine being.”

12 tn Aram “answered and said.”

13 tn Aram “from the midst of the fire.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.

14 tn The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.

15 tn The word “orders” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

16 tn Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.