What is the meaning of Matthew 2:13?

Mt ch 2Mt 2:1Mt 2:2Mt 2:3Mt 2:4Mt 2:5Mt 2:6Mt 2:7
Mt 2:8Mt 2:9Mt 2:10Mt 2:11Mt 2:12Mt 2:13Mt 2:14Mt 2:15
Mt 2:16Mt 2:17Mt 2:18Mt 2:19Mt 2:20Mt 2:21Mt 2:22Mt 2:23

Bible references

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. (Matthew 2:13 KJV)

Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. (Matthew 2:13 ASV)

Now, they having departed, behold, an angel of [the] Lord appears in a dream to Joseph, saying, Arise, take to [thee] the little child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee; for Herod will seek the little child to destroy it. (Matthew 2:13 DBY)

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13 WEB)

And on their having withdrawn, lo, a messenger of the Lord doth appear in a dream to Joseph, saying, `Having risen, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there till I may speak to thee, for Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.'(Matthew 2:13 YLT)

Interlinear

Mt 2:13 And /de/ when they /autos/ were departed, /anachoreo/ behold, /idou/ the angel /aggelos/ of the Lord /kurios/ appeareth /phaino/ to Joseph /Ioseph/ in /kata/ a dream, /onar/ saying, /lego/ Arise, /egeiro/ and take /paralambano/ the young child /paidion/ and /kai/ his /autos/ mother, /meter/ and /kai/ flee /pheugo/ into /eis/ Egypt, /Aiguptos/ and /kai/ be thou /isthi/ there /ekei/ until /heos/ I /an/ bring /epo/ thee /soi/ word: /epo/ for /gar/ Herod /Herodes/ will /mello/ seek /zeteo/ the young child /paidion/ to destroy /apollumi/ him. /autos/

Albert Barnes’ Commentary

Verse 13.  The angel. See Barnes for Mt 1:20.

Flee into Egypt. Egypt is situated to the south-west of Judea, and is distant from Bethlehem perhaps about sixty miles. It was at this time a Roman province. The Greek language was spoken there. There were many Jews there, who had a temple and synagogues; and Joseph, therefore, would be among his own countrymen, and yet beyond the reach of Herod. The jurisdiction of Herod extended only to the river Sihon or river of Egypt, and of course, beyond that, Joseph was safe from his designs. For a description of Egypt, See Barnes for Isa 19:1. It is remarkable that this is the only time in which our Saviour was out of Palestine, and that this was in the land where the children of Israel had suffered so much and so long under the oppression of the Egyptian kings. The very land which was the land of bondage and groaning for the Jews, became now the land of refuge and safety for the new-born King of Judea. God can overturn nations and kingdoms, so that those whom he loves shall be safe anywhere.

{b} “for Herod” Job 33:15; Job 33:17

Adam Clarke’s Commentary

Verse 13. Flee into Egypt. Many Jews had settled in Egypt; not only those who had fled thither in the time of Jeremiah, see Jer. 48; but many others who had settled there also, on account of the temple which Onias IV. had built at Heliopolis.  Those who could speak the Greek tongue enjoyed many advantages in that country: besides, they had the Greek version of the Septuagint, which had been translated nearly 300 years before this time.  Egypt was now a Roman province, and the rage of Herod could not pursue the holy family to this place.  There is an apocryphal work in Arabic, called the Gospel of the infancy, which pretends to relate all the acts of Jesus and Mary while in Egypt.  I have taken the pains to read this through, and have found it to be a piece of gross superstition, having nothing to entitle it to a shadow of credibility.