Commentators explain that while Herod was the main threat, the angel's phrase 'they are dead' could be a figure of speech (plural for singular). More significantly, it echoes God's command to Moses in Exodus 4:19, 'all are dead that sought thy life,' drawing a powerful parallel between Moses and Jesus as deliverers of God's people. Some scholars also suggest 'they' could include Herod's cruel son, Antipater, who died around the same time.