Massacre of the Innocents

Biblical Account

This event appears only in Matthew 2:16–18. The Magi followed a star and asked Herod about the one born King of the Jews. After worshiping the infant Jesus, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and departed into their own country another way (Matthew 2:12). Realizing that the Magi had deceived him, Herod was exceedingly angry. Reckoning from the time he had learned from the Magi, he ordered the killing of all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof (that is, the surrounding region). Before this, an angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream to warn him, and Joseph took the child and Mary and fled into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15). Matthew presents the massacre as the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15: "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children."

Background

Herod the Great ruled Judea as a king recognized by Rome. He is widely held to have died around 4 BC. He was so suspicious and cruel that he is reported to have put even his own wife and sons to death to secure his throne. Bethlehem was a small village south of Jerusalem, and for this reason some scholars estimate the number of victims at a few dozen. Rachel, the wife of Jacob, is recorded as having been buried on the road near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). In the Book of Jeremiah, the image of Rachel weeping for her children originally depicted the grief of the people of Israel as they were carried into captivity.

Significance in the Broader Biblical Narrative

This scene is read in parallel with the Exodus narrative. Just as Moses survived when Pharaoh ordered that Hebrew male infants be cast into the Nile (Exodus 1:22), the infant Jesus escapes a king's massacre. The angel's words to Joseph, "for they are dead which sought the young child's life" (Matthew 2:20), are nearly identical to God's words to Moses (Exodus 4:19). For this reason, many interpreters hold that Matthew portrays Jesus as a new Moses. The event also shows that, from the very beginning, the coming of the Messiah was accompanied by rejection from worldly powers and by suffering.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Historicity: The first-century Jewish historian Josephus recorded many of Herod's atrocities but does not mention this event. On this basis, some scholars question its historicity. Others hold that an incident in a small village could have gone unrecorded and that the account is consistent with Herod's character.
• Number of victims: The text gives no number. Large figures, such as the 14,000 cited in some Eastern Church traditions, derive from later tradition.
• Two years and under: Many interpreters understand this age limit as Herod's generous reckoning of the time when the star appeared. Accordingly, some read the Magi's visit as having occurred some time after the birth rather than on the day itself. The text likewise has the Magi entering a "house" rather than visiting a manger (Matthew 2:11).
• Liturgical calendar: Western churches, including the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheran churches, commemorate these children on December 28, while the Orthodox Church does so on December 29. Western church tradition honors them as the first martyrs to die for Christ. Most Protestant denominations in Korea do not observe this day.