Matthew 2:22

Matthew 2:22

But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

a. NLT:  But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.

b. NIV: But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,

c. Young’s Literal Translation: and having heard that Archelaus doth reign over Judea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither, and having been divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the parts of Galilee,

d. Amplified Bible: But because he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

e. Worrell Translation: But, hearing that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he feared to go thither; and having been divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee;

1.  “But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod…”

a. but [1161 * de] [Strong: a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. heard [191 * akouo] [Strong: a primary verb; to hear (in various senses):--give (in the) audience (of), come (to the ears), (shall) hear(-er, -ken), be noised, be reported, understand.]

c. that [3754 * hoti] [Strong: neuter of 3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

d. Archelaus [745 * Archeloas] [Strong: from 757 and 2994; people-ruling; Archelaus, a Jewish king:--Archelaus.]

e. reign [936 * basileuo] [Strong: from 935; to rule (literally or figuratively):--king, reign.]

f. in [1909 * epi] [Strong: a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

g. Judaea [2449 * Judaea] [Strong: feminine of 2453 (with 1093 implied); the Judaean land (i.e. Judaea), a region of Palestine:--Judaea.]

h. in the room [473 * hoti] [Strong: a primary particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to):--for, in the room of. Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence, etc.]

i. his [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

j. father [3962 * pater] [Strong: apparently a primary word; a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote):--father, parent.]

k. Herod [2264 * Herodes] [Strong: compound of heros (a "hero") and 1491; heroic; Herod, the name of four Jewish kings:--Herod.

2. “…he was afraid to go thither…”

a. afraid [5399 * phobeo] [Strong: from 5401; to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere:--be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.]

b. to go [565 * aperchomai] [Strong: from 575 and 2064; to go off (i.e. depart), aside (i.e. apart) or behind (i.e. follow), literally or figuratively:--come, depart, go (aside, away, back, out, ... ways), pass away, be past.]

c. thither [1563 * ekei] [Strong: of uncertain affinity; there; by extension, thither:--there, thither(-ward), (to) yonder (place).]

1). In this passage we can see that Joseph and Mary were planning on returning to Bethlehem to live, because that is where they lived before fleeing to Egypt and Bethlehem of course is in Judea. They were returning to Bethlehem because of what the Scripture says about where the Messiah would be from and they were attempting to be obedient to Scripture. The fact is though, because Jesus was already born there, that was sufficient to fulfill Scripture.

a). Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3. “…notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:”

a. notwithstanding [1161 * de] [Strong: a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. being warned of God [5537 * chrematizo] [Strong: from 5536; to utter an oracle (compare the original sense of 5530), i.e. divinely intimate; by implication, (compare the secular sense of 5532) to constitute a firm for business, i.e. (generally) bear as a title:--be called, be admonished (warned) of God, reveal, speak.]

c. [2596 * kata] [Strong: a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):--about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from ... to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), ... by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.]

d. dream [3677 * onar] [Strong: of uncertain derivation; a dream:--dream.]

e. he turned aside [402 * anachoreo] [Strong: from 303 and 5562; to retire:--depart, give place, go (turn) aside, withdraw self.]

f. into [1519 * eis ] [Strong:  a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

g. parts [3313 * meros] [Strong: from an obsolete but more primary form of meiromai (to get as a section or allotment); a division or share (literally or figuratively, in a wide application):--behalf, course, coast, craft, particular (+ -ly), part (+ -ly), piece, portion, respect, side, some sort(-what).]

h. Galilee [1056 * Galilaia] [Strong: of Hebrew origin (1551); Galiloea (i.e. the heathen circle), a region of Palestine:--Galilee.]