Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 2:19-20

"But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child`s life." — Matthew 2:19-20 (ASV)

Eusebius of Caesarea: For the sacrilege Herod had committed against the Savior and his wicked slaughter of the infants, divine vengeance hastened his end. His body, as Josephus relates, was attacked by a strange disease, so that the prophets declared his afflictions were not human ailments but visitations of divine judgment. ¹

Filled with a mad fury, he commanded the leaders and nobles from all parts of Judea to be seized and imprisoned. He ordered that as soon as he breathed his last, they should all be put to death, so that Judea, though unwillingly, would mourn at his passing.

Just before he died, he murdered his son Antipater, in addition to two other sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, whom he had put to death earlier. Such was the end of Herod, noted in the Evangelist's words, when Herod was dead, and such was the punishment inflicted upon him.

St. Jerome: Many err here from an ignorance of history, supposing that the Herod who mocked our Lord on the day of His passion was the same as the Herod whose death is related here. But the Herod who was then made friends with Pilate was the son of this Herod and the brother of Archelaus. For after Archelaus was banished to Lyons in Gaul, his brother Herod was made ruler in his place, as we read in Josephus.

Pseudo-Dionysius: See how Jesus Himself, though far above all celestial beings and coming to our nature without changing, did not shun the ordinance of the humanity He had taken upon Himself. Instead, He was obedient to the arrangements of His Father, which were made known by angels. For it was by angels that the Son's retreat into Egypt—ordained by the Father—was declared to Joseph, as was His return to Judea. ²

Pseudo-Chrysostom: See how Joseph was appointed to minister to Mary. When she went into Egypt and returned, who would have provided this essential service for her if she had not been betrothed? For outwardly, Mary nourished and Joseph defended the Child; but in reality, the Child supported His mother and protected Joseph.

He was told, Return into the land of Israel; for He went down into Egypt as a physician, not to remain there, but to help it in its sickness of error. The reason for the return is given in the words, They are dead, etc.

St. Jerome: From this we see that not only Herod, but also the priests and scribes, had sought the Lord's death at that time.

Remigius of Auxerre: But if many people sought His destruction, how could they all have died in such a short time? As we have related above, all the great men among the Jews were slain at Herod's death.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: This is said to have been done by the counsel of God because they conspired with Herod against the Lord, as it is said, Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Remigius of Auxerre: Alternatively, the Evangelist uses a figure of speech in which the plural is used for the singular. These words, the Child's life, overthrow those hereticsⁱ who taught that Christ did not take a soul, but had His divinity in place of a soul.

The Venerable Bede: The slaughter of the infants for the Lord's sake, Herod's death soon after, and Joseph's return to the land of Israel with the Lord and His mother all serve as a figure. This figure shows that all persecutions brought against the Church will be avenged by the death of the persecutor, peace will be restored to the Church, and the saints who had hidden themselves will return to their own places.

Alternatively, the return of Jesus to the land of Israel on Herod's death shows that, at the preaching of Enoch and Elijah, the Jews will receive the true faith when the fire of their present jealousy is extinguished.^{i 3}

1. Eccles. Hist., 1, 8
2. Dion. De Cael. Hierarch. 4
3. Hom. in Nat. Innocent