Matthew 2:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

His fever, likened to that of a furnace, was a result of his passions leading him toward illicit desires; the unbearable itching was a consequence of his belief in false teachers who flattered him; the frequent pains in his insides arose because he failed to sing, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name" (Psalms 102:1); the swelling in his body mirrored that of one suffering from a water-related illness, due to his disregard for the pure, life-giving waters of the Fountain that leads to eternal life; the abdominal bloating was because he did not restrain his anger and was unmerciful to those under his authority; worms infested his body due to his participation in shameful acts; he could only breathe standing up because he did not rise each morning to worship the Lord whose favor had placed him in power; his shortness of breath came from inhaling not the fragrance of love but the foul scent of hidden strife; and all his limbs seemed disjointed, as he had caused the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem. The measure one uses will be the measure used against him from above—by this standard, a person sins and then faces torment (Prem. 11:17). Josephus notes that Herod was an Idumean on his father’s side and Arabian on his mother’s. Africanus and others engaged in thorough research assert that he was the son of Antipater, who was the father of Herod the Ascalonite, a priest in the temple of Apollo. It is said that as a child, Antipater was captured by Idumean bandits, and his father Herod could not pay his ransom, thus living by Idumean customs, he was seen as Idumean despite being born an Ascalonite. Herod died in the forty-fifth year of Augustus's reign, during the consulship of Silvanus, on January eighth. Within this account is a stern condemnation of the heresy of Apollinarius, who claimed that Christ lacked a rational soul and was simply a body devoid of soul or mind.

Just before he died he murdered his son Antipater, (besides two boys put to death before, Alexander and Aristobulus.) Such was the end of Herod, noticed in those words of the Evangelist, when Herod was dead, and such the punishment inflicted.

Similarly, Haman constructed a gallows for the innocent Mordecai, yet it was he who was hanged on that very structure (see Esther 3:1-7, Esther 7:10). Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, pursued Israel with the intent to inflict further suffering, only to realize God's righteous judgment as he and his army drowned in the sea (see Exodus 14:5-30). The same righteous judgment of God continues to befall all who harass and persecute the faithful. Spiritual riches amassed from the world remain.

It was not simply due to the Son’s greatness that having this Mother was glorious, but rather, it was through the blessedness of the Mother that having this Son was a privilege. As she proclaimed: “For henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed” (Luke 1:48).

Just five days prior to his death, Herod executed his son Antipater. The Journey of the Holy Family from Egypt Following Herod's death, Joseph received divine instruction in a dream to return with the Child and His mother to Israel. He complied, rising from sleep, taking the Child and His mother, and journeying to the land of Israel. From the Evangelist’s account, it can be inferred that their departure from Egypt occurred immediately after the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, which indicates it happened on the same day. Considering that Jesus Christ was born in 748, He was about two years old at Herod's passing, still referred to as a child by the angel who conveyed God's command to Joseph to return to Israel. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the Holy Family left Egypt shortly after the death of Herod, while Jesus was still an infant.

With Herod's death, the oppressive grip that had stifled the people's conflicting emotions of animosity and hope for more than a generation was lifted. The fervor of discontent had long been brewing within them, manifesting in the temple disturbances prior to the tyrant's demise. His passing left a vacuum, unleashing pent-up feelings of resentment and hostility that had been suppressed for so long. Herod’s rule, ordained by Divine Providence, had served to postpone the disintegration of the Jewish nation, allowing for a smoother integration into the broader world and kindling a deeper Gentile interest in Judaism, thereby securing its rightful place as the salt of the earth and the herald of Christianity. The populace's joy at the liberation of the Davidic throne from a bloodthirsty Edomite was boundless. The historical enmity between the Israelites and Edomites was well established; the enmity of their ancestors fueled a legacy of hatred, further exacerbated by legends that claimed Esau ultimately slew Jacob (Jubil. 37). During Israel’s exodus from Egypt, Edom’s refusal to grant passage forced the Israelites to endure additional hardship in the wilderness (Num. 20:14-21, Judg. 11:17-18). The Edomites had been mortal foes to Saul, Israel's first king (1 Sam. 14:47), and later fell under the dominion of David and Solomon. In the decline of Israel during the reigns of its last kings, the Edomites became its most relentless adversaries, aiding the Chaldeans in their conquest of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar and rejoicing in the fall of Jerusalem while coveting its fertile lands. Prophets from Amos and Joel in the ninth century B.C. denounced the Edomites, expressing God's disdain toward them for their oppression and shedding of innocent blood (Joel 3:19; Amos 1:1-12). Later prophets, including Abijah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, also articulated the Lord's judgment against Edom (Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 35:13-15). Ultimately, the prophets condemned them as the enemies of God, destined for eradication. During the Babylonian captivity, Edom seized significant portions of Jewish territory and it wasn't until John Hyrcanus, around 135-106 B.C., subdued them that they were forced to conform to circumcision. This bloody history only deepened the tribal animosity. In a bitter proclamation by Jacob to Esau in the Book of Jubilees, the sentiment of enmity is encapsulated, noting that love for each other would not be possible until Nature itself underwent radical change (Jubil. 37). Thus, even during Herod's reign, the prevailing sentiment against Edom persisted, culminating in predictions of Jacob's offspring vanquishing their bitter foes (Jubil. 38). Herod’s death meant the end of the shame borne by the chosen people, invigorating hope that this usurper would be the last of his despised lineage upon the throne of David.

However, such optimism was soon quashed, as Archelaus ascended, embodying even greater disdain due to his Idumean heritage and Samaritan lineage through his mother. Conflicts within the royal family, stirred by Antipater’s envious rivalry, resulted in Herod altering his will multiple times during his final years. Eventually, he divided his realm due to the unresolvable tensions among his heirs: the territories beyond the Jordan were assigned to Philip; Galilee and Perea were given to Antipas; and Archelaus received Judea, Idumea, and Samaria with the title of king. Although at one point, Herod considered designating his son by Mariamne as his successor, the involvement of the latter’s mother in the intrigues of the rabbis hindered that decision. Salome, Herod's sister and a sworn enemy of the Maccabees, was granted cities in the Philistine plain as a reward. Following Herod’s death, Salome and her husband freed prominent Jews who had been summoned to Jericho at the time of his passing. They assembled both the army and the populace in Jericho’s amphitheater, reading Herod’s letter to the soldiers and revealing his will, which was intended for Caesar’s approval. The soldiers quickly proclaimed Archelaus as king, pledging their allegiance. Despite this, it was noted that Archelaus held a grand feast on the very night of his father’s death. The preparations for Herod's burial were executed with grandiosity; he was adorned with royal insignia, while a somber military procession escorting him to his lavishly constructed tomb at Herodium highlighted a public façade that belied the true sentiments held towards him.

As mourning gave way to unrest, Archelaus faced rising discontent over taxes and the treatment of those imprisoned during Herod's reign. Demands to depose high priest Joazar arose, as did calls for rebellion against the Romans. Archelaus’s efforts at appeasing the crowd proved ineffective; an uprising led to tragedy when his army was ordered to quell the growing unrest, resulting in considerable bloodshed, including the deaths of 3,000 individuals. Following this, Archelaus left for Rome, appointing Philip as governor in his absence, while factions within Herod's family maneuvered for political advantage in the imperial court. Simultaneously, Jews from Jerusalem traveled to Rome to advocate against Archelaus's kingship, fervently hoping for the annexation of Judea under a Roman governor—subsuming them into the empire while allowing them religious autonomy.

Meanwhile, the rebellious sentiments blossoming in Judea were met with military response from Varus in Syria, who moved against the rebels but was initially halted by the steam of momentum the insurrection had gained. As rebellions surged and the Jews sought to restore a divinely ordained theocracy, various leaders emerged who capitalized on the fervor for liberty, leading to confrontations with Roman forces. With varying degrees of success in their uprisings, they nevertheless suffered severely when Varus moved decisively against them, culminating in further violence and suppression across the land.

Peace eventually returned, albeit at a staggering cost. Archelaus was ultimately banished to Vienne in Gaul after failing to govern justly, and with him lay the remnants of Herod’s kingdom, which was annexed to Syria—marking the beginning of a dismal chapter for the Jewish people. In the backdrop of these tumultuous historical events, Hillel emerged as a pivotal figure, whose humble beginnings and profound wisdom left an indelible mark on Jewish thought. As these crucial events unfolded, the young Jesus, now maturing in Nazareth, existed within this complex sociopolitical landscape, foreshadowing the eventual climax of Israel’s destiny which loomed on the horizon of history.

Over the course of ten years, the Jewish people could no longer endure his tyranny and appealed to Caesar Augustus, who summoned Archelaus to Rome, found him culpable, and exiled him to Gaul. This action transformed Judea into a Roman province, marking the end of its independence and incorporation into the Roman Empire. Although the kings of Judea had acknowledged Roman authority since the last Maccabees, they had still wielded significant power, and the populace did not keenly feel the Roman oppression. The kings had the authority to legislate, handle civil disputes, levy taxes, declare war, and conclude peace. However, with Judea's conversion into a province, the Roman procurator came under the influence of the Syrian proconsul, thus shifting all authority to these governors. The Jewish community retained some autonomy for minor cases through the Sanhedrin and lower courts, akin to how certain cities in Italy and Sicily maintained their own laws under the overarching authority of the Roman Senate and Emperor.

After Herod's death, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt, instructing him to take the Child and His mother and return to the land of Israel because those seeking to harm the Child were no longer a threat. The angel did not command Joseph to hasten, indicating that there was no longer any danger from the ruthless persecutor who had sought Christ's life; now they could travel at a more leisurely pace, allowing for the necessary rest. The angel's message was a fulfillment of the promise made to Joseph prior to the Holy Family's flight to Egypt, assuring him that the peril facing the Divine Child had passed. Thus, Joseph promptly followed the divine directive, bringing the Child and His mother back to Israel. However, the news that Archelaus, equally cruel, was ruling Judea in Herod's stead renewed Joseph's fears about returning. Archelaus, after the massacre of the Bethlehem infants, assumed that with the evident killings, the one whom they sought had also perished, as noted by St. John Chrysostom. Yet, the arrival of the Divine Child in Judea and Bethlehem could incite suspicion from the new monarch and provoke a fresh attempt against Him. Furthermore, the continuous presence of Jesus in the places sanctified by His birth and the presentation in the temple would contradict the divine wisdom that shrouded the mystery of salvation in the early stages. Jesus was not to be revealed as the Messiah until He reached full maturity, as premature recognition could foster skepticism that might impede faith in Him as the Savior.

It is evident from the reaction of Nazareth's inhabitants that their familiarity with Jesus—knowing Him as an infant, an adolescent, a young man, a carpenter's son, a sibling, and a relative of simple folk—produced a latent prejudice against Him. One might consider that this skepticism would have been even more pronounced if those in Jerusalem, who celebrated His birth as that of the Messiah, had witnessed His daily life growing up, without seeing anything that met their expectations. Would they have been able to acknowledge His divine majesty at thirty years of age, having observed Him for so long? Not likely. The Jews in Jerusalem, perpetually seeking signs and wonders, with a long acquaintance with Jesus, would struggle to maintain the high expectations set by Simeon and Anna, not to mention the foreign wise men who sought Him.