Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Matthew 2:19

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“And Herod having died, behold, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appears to Joseph in Egypt” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew cited Jeremiah 31:15 concerning the prophecy about Rachel mourning for her children. With that now complete, he next records, “And Herod having died.”

Herod’s death was recorded by Flavius Josephus and others in antiquity. The Expositor’s Greek Testament, citing several sources, says –

“Herod died in 750 U. C. in his 70th year, at Jericho, of a horrible loathsome disease, rotten in body as in soul, altogether an unwholesome man.”

As for the timing, it is debated how long this period was, but most agree it was only a few months after the killing of the children in Bethlehem, though some argue as much as six or seven years. Regardless of the exact time spent there, eventually, Matthew next records, “behold, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appears to Joseph in Egypt.”

This is now the third time a messenger of the Lord has appeared to him. This time, however, it is outside of the land of Canaan. This should not be remarkable as the Lord can appear anywhere and at any time, but it demonstrates that the Lord does, in fact, speak to His people outside of Canaan. This is in contradistinction to some claims over the millennia that the Lord does not do so.

The Bible is filled with such instances, and such ridiculous claims should not ever be entertained. As for the departed Herod, Albert Barnes shares the following –

“Herod left three sons, and the kingdom was at his death divided between them. To Archelaus was given Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; to Philip, Batanea and Trachonitis; to Antipas, Galilee and Perea.

“Each of these was also called Herod, and these are the individuals who are so frequently referred to in the New Testament during the ministry of the Saviour and the labors of the apostles.”

Life application: Translation of Scripture involves more than just conveying words or expressions between languages. It takes careful consideration, consistency, and a watchful eye to ensure that each word or phrase is actually translated. Eyes can skip easily over words or phrases, something quite common when similar words are used within a single verse.

As for consistency, when the context is the same, words should be similarly translated. Otherwise, a false sense of what is being conveyed can come about. However, this is not something that is always possible. There are multiple words that can have similar meanings, and there are many possible meanings for some individual words.

Moreover, when there are translation committees that handle individual portions of Scripture, the biases and preferences of each committee will often show through. It may be that one committee may have a book to translate, but individuals within a committee may be responsible for one or two chapters.

This can lead to real inaccuracies slipping through the cracks. For example, the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says –

“Our translators, somewhat capriciously, render the same expression ‘the angel of the Lord,’ Mt 1:20; 2:13; and ‘an angel of the Lord,’ as here.”

The exact term in Greek is aggelos kyriou, or “angel Lord.” Notice what JFB is referring to in the KJV –

1:20 – the angel of the Lord
2:13 – the angel of the Lord
2:19 – an angel of the Lord

The first two instances insert a presupposition, “the angel of the Lord.” In the Old Testament, that generally is referring to the Lord. In the third instance, an unnamed angel representing the Lord is signified.

The first two have inserted words without italicizing them to indicate they are not in the original and they are clearly wrong. The KJV is famous for this willy-nilly type of inconsistency in both testaments, and so the reader can be led down incorrect paths of thinking about what the text is saying.

Someone could come to the unfounded conclusion that “the angel of the Lord” appears to Joseph only in the land of Canaan, but then He directs one of His subordinates to appear outside of the land. That would be a ridiculous assumption, but this is what happens when faulty translation occurs.

Be sure to not get caught up in reading one translation and assume it is the only God-inspired translation. Be studious and diligent to check things out before making final conclusions about matters of theology.

Lord God, help us to be wise and studious concerning Your word. It is so very precious, and so may You be with us as we read it, contemplate it, and tell other people things that we have learned from it. Above all, thank You for Jesus our Lord who is the One Scripture is pointing us to. Yes, thank You for our precious Savior, Jesus. Amen.