Matthew 2:19
Angel tells Joseph in a dream that Herod is dead.
After King Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, who was still in Egypt. This verse, Matthew 2:19, marks the moment Joseph learns that the danger has passed. Herod had previously ordered the Massacre of the Innocents to kill the infant Jesus, but Joseph and his family had been warned and fled to Egypt. The angel’s message here fulfills the promise made earlier in Matthew 2:13. The verse uses the historic present tense, and it is the third time in the Gospel that an angel contacts Joseph in a dream, following Matthew 1:20 and Matthew 2:13. Herod the Great likely died in March or April of 4 BC, when Jesus was about two years old. Matthew does not describe Herod’s death, which is detailed by the historian Josephus. John Calvin viewed this verse as evidence that obedience and patience, as shown by Joseph, lead to reward. Church fathers such as Eusebius and Jerome also commented on the verse, noting that Herod’s death was a divine punishment and clarifying that the Herod who later mocked Jesus was a different person—Herod’s son.
- book
- Gospel of Matthew
- chapter
- 2
- verse
- 19
- subject
- Angel's message to Joseph
- context
- Return from Egypt after Herod's death
Lore & Background
In this verse, Joseph, who had fled to Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus to escape King Herod's Massacre of the Innocents, is contacted by an angel in a dream. The angel informs him that Herod has died and it is now safe to return. The verse mirrors the wording of Matthew 2:13, where the angel first warned Joseph to flee.
Reader's Guide
Matthew 2:19 marks a turning point in the infancy narrative, ending the period of exile in Egypt. The verse does not describe Herod's death, which is vividly related by the historian Josephus, but simply notes its occurrence. John Calvin interpreted this verse as evidence that obedience to God's commands, as Joseph demonstrated by fleeing and remaining in Egypt, is eventually rewarded. The verse is the third instance in the Gospel of Matthew where an angel contacts Joseph in a dream, the others being at Matthew 1:20 and Matthew 2:13. Church fathers such as Eusebius and Jerome commented on the historical context, noting that the Herod who died was Herod the Great, distinct from his son who later mocked Jesus during his passion.
Did You Know?
- Herod the Great is believed to have died in March or April of 4 BC.
- This verse copies much of the wording of Matthew 2:13.
- John Calvin saw this verse as evidence that obedience to God is eventually rewarded.
- Jerome noted that many mistakenly confuse the Herod who died here with the Herod who mocked Jesus during his passion.
More in Angels in Christianity 1-24
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