The Meaning of Matthew 2:13 Explained

Matthew 2:13

KJV: 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.

YLT: And on their having withdrawn, lo, a messenger of the Lord doth appear in a dream to Joseph, saying, 'Having risen, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there till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.'

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Matthew 2:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

For the second time in two chapters we read that an angel from the Lord appeared with a message for Joseph (cf. Matthew 1:20). This indicates that the message had unusual importance.
The order of the words "the child and His mother" is unusual. Normally the parent would receive mention before the child. This order draws attention again to the centrality of Jesus in the narrative.
Egypt was a natural place of refuge at this time. Its border was just75 miles from Bethlehem, though the nearest town was about150 miles, and it provided escape from Herod"s hatred. Herod had no authority there. Furthermore, there was a large Jewish population there as well as a substitute for the Jerusalem temple. [1]
Joseph learned that he was to remain in Egypt until God directed him elsewhere, not until Herod died. Again the sovereignty of God stands out.
"In obeying at once this command from God and the other commands that follow, Joseph"s righteousness ( Matthew 1:19) casts Herod"s wickedness in ever sharper relief." [2]
In many respects Jesus recapitulated Moses" life and experiences. Moses had also been the target of the ruler of his day who sought to destroy him and all the other male Hebrew babies by ordering them slain ( Exodus 1:15-22). Matthew wanted his readers to see Jesus as a second Moses as well as the true Israel.

Context Summary

Matthew 2:9-15 - God Rules And Overrules
The suggestion has been hazarded that "the star" was an unusual combination of three planets; but this would conflict with the disappearance and reappearance of the guiding light. Some experiences during the Welsh Revival seem to point to a connection between high spiritual experiences and a burning glory. Probably only the eyes of the Magi beheld this great light. See Acts 9:3; Acts 26:12-14.
When we follow God's guidance, we may be sure that He will not fail to bring us to our goal. He who brings us out will also bring us in. He will perfect that which concerneth us. These Wise-Men prostrating themselves before the newborn babe were the first of a great procession of the kings of intellect who have followed them to the same spot. After all, does not all true science bend before the mystery of life? We cannot fathom the mystery, but we can adore. We can also present our gifts. "Jesus is worthy to receive riches." It was thus that the Father provided beforehand for the expenses attendant on the approaching visit to Egypt. The Herods of this world are always plotting against the Lord's Christ, but it is in vain. See Psalms 2:1-12; Acts 4:25. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 2

1  The wise men from the east enquire after Jesus;
3  at which Herod is alarmed
9  They are directed by a star to Bethlehem, worship him, and offer their presents
13  Joseph flees into Egypt with Jesus and his mother
16  Herod slays the children;
20  himself dies
23  Jesus is brought back again into Galilee to Nazareth

What do the individual words in Matthew 2:13 mean?

Having withdrawn then of them behold an angel of [the] Lord appears in a dream - to Joseph saying Having arisen take the Child and the mother of Him flee into Egypt remain there until - I should tell you is about for Herod to seek - to destroy Him
Ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου φαίνεται κατ’ ὄναρ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ λέγων Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἴσθι ἐκεῖ ἕως ἂν εἴπω σοι μέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό

Ἀναχωρησάντων  Having  withdrawn 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀναχωρέω  
Sense: to go back, return.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
ἄγγελος  an  angel 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄγγελος  
Sense: a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.
κυρίου  of  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
φαίνεται  appears 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φαίνω  
Sense: to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light.
ὄναρ  a  dream 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄναρ  
Sense: a dream.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰωσὴφ  to  Joseph 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωσήφ 
Sense: the patriarch, the eleventh son of Jacob.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ἐγερθεὶς  Having  arisen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.
παράλαβε  take 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: παραλαμβάνω  
Sense: to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self.
παιδίον  Child 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: παιδίον  
Sense: a young child, a little boy, a little girl.
μητέρα  mother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μήτηρ  
Sense: a mother.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
φεῦγε  flee 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: φεύγω  
Sense: to flee away, seek safety by flight.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
Αἴγυπτον  Egypt 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Αἴγυπτος  
Sense: a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa.
ἴσθι  remain 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ἕως  until 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
ἂν  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: ἄν  
Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV.
εἴπω  I  should  tell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
μέλλει  is  about 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
Ἡρῴδης  Herod 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἡρῴδης  
Sense: the name of a royal family that flourished among the Jews in the times of Christ and the Apostles.
ζητεῖν  to  seek 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀπολέσαι  to  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀπόλλυμι  
Sense: to destroy.