Commentators highlight that Herod's fury at being 'mocked' by the Magi drove him to an act of extreme and irrational cruelty. His rage, fueled by pride and fear, escalated from wanting to kill one child to slaughtering many. Scholars like Albert Barnes use this as a powerful illustration of how unchecked anger can lead to far more evil than one initially intends, showing the destructive nature of sin when combined with power.