Matthew 2:16-18
Christian Standard Bible
The Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.(A) 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping,[a] and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they are no more.[b](B)
Matthew 2:16-18
New English Translation
16 When Herod[a] saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men[b] to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing,[c]
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted, because they were[d] gone.”[e]
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:16 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
- Matthew 2:16 tn Or “soldiers.”
- Matthew 2:18 tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later mss (C D L W Γ Δ 0233 ƒ13 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M) have a quotation in Matthew which conforms to that of the LXX (θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμός; thrēnos kai klauthmos kai odurmos). But such assimilations were routine among the scribes; as such, they typically should be discounted because they are both predictable and motivated. The shorter reading, without “lamentation and,” is thus to be preferred, especially since it cannot easily be accounted for unless it is the reading that gave rise to the other reading. Further, it is found in the better mss along with a good cross-section of other witnesses (א B Z 0250 ƒ1 lat co).
- Matthew 2:18 tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
- Matthew 2:18 sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.
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