Matthew 2:17 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matthew 2:17 |
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← 2:16
2:18 →
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The Prophet Jeremiah. Illustrations from The Life of Michael Angelo by Romain Rolland (1912).
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| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Matthew 2:17 is the seventeenth verse found in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. This book is part of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. This verse talks about a sad event where King Herod ordered the killing of many young children. It connects this event to an old prediction, or prophecy, from the Old Testament.
Understanding Matthew 2:17
This verse explains that a terrible event, known as the Massacre of the Innocents, fulfilled an ancient prophecy. King Herod, who was the ruler of Judea, heard that a new "King of the Jews" had been born. He felt threatened by this news. To try and stop this new king, Herod ordered his soldiers to kill all baby boys aged two and under in and around Bethlehem.
The Prophecy of Jeremiah
Matthew 2:17 says that this sad event happened "to fulfill what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet." Jeremiah was an important prophet who lived many hundreds of years before Jesus was born. His words are recorded in the Book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament.
What Jeremiah Predicted
The prophecy Matthew refers to is found in Jeremiah 31:15. It says:
- A voice is heard in Ramah,
- weeping and great mourning,
- Rachel weeping for her children
- and refusing to be comforted,
- because they are no more.
This prophecy originally described the sorrow of the Jewish people when they were taken away from their homeland into exile. In Matthew's Gospel, this ancient prophecy is seen as also describing the deep sadness and loss felt by the mothers in Bethlehem when their children were killed by Herod's soldiers. It shows how events in the New Testament can be connected to predictions made long ago in the Old Testament.
