Matthew 2:19

The Return to Nazareth

2:19 After Herod ¹  had died, an ²  angel of the Lord ³  appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

Matthew 2:12

2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, ⁴  they went back by another route to their own country.

Matthew 2:22

2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus ⁵  was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, ⁶  he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee.

Matthew 27:19

27:19 As ⁷  he was sitting on the judgment seat, ⁸  his wife sent a message ⁹  to him: ¹⁰  “Have nothing to do with that innocent man; ¹¹  I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream ¹²  about him today.”

Matthew 1:20

1:20 When he had contemplated this, an ¹³  angel of the Lord ¹⁴  appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 2:13

The Escape to Egypt

2:13 After they had gone, an ¹⁵  angel of the Lord ¹⁶  appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod ¹⁷  is going to look for the child to kill him.”

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¹ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4 b.c., his kingdom was divided up among his three sons: Archelaus, who ruled over Judea (where Bethlehem was located, v. 22); Philip, who became tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis (cf. Luke 3:1); and Antipas, who became tetrarch of Galilee.

² tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

³ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

⁴ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

⁵ sn Archelaus took after his father Herod the Great in terms of cruelty and ruthlessness, so Joseph was afraid to go there. After further direction in a dream, he went instead to Galilee.

⁶ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸ tn Or “the judge’s seat.”

sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.

⁹ tn The word “message” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

¹⁰ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹¹ tn The Greek particle γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated here.

¹² tn Or “suffered greatly in a dream.” See the discussion on the construction κατ᾿ ὄναρ (kat’ onar) in BDAG 710 s.v. ὄναρ.

¹³ tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

¹⁴ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

¹⁵ tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

¹⁶ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

¹⁷ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.