Matthew 2:17 kjv
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
Matthew 2:17 nkjv
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
Matthew 2:17 niv
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
Matthew 2:17 esv
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
Matthew 2:17 nlt
Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
Matthew 2 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Fulfillment: | ||
| Jer 31:15 | Thus says the Lord: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children…." | The specific prophecy fulfilled in Mt 2:17. |
| Other Matthew Fulfillment Passages: | ||
| Mt 1:22-23 | All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive…" | Pattern of "fulfillment" in Matthew. |
| Mt 2:5-6 | For so it is written by the prophet: "And you, O Bethlehem… out of you shall come a ruler…" | Fulfillment of Micah 5:2 concerning Jesus' birth. |
| Mt 2:23 | He came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets… | Fulfillment regarding Jesus' Nazarene identity. |
| Mt 4:14 | This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali…" | Fulfillment related to Jesus' Galilean ministry. |
| Mt 8:17 | This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases." | Fulfillment concerning Jesus' healing ministry. |
| Mt 12:17-18 | This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen…" | Fulfillment related to Jesus' quiet ministry. |
| Mt 13:35 | This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables…" | Fulfillment concerning Jesus' teaching method. |
| Mt 21:4 | This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King comes…'" | Fulfillment of Zec 9:9 during the Triumphal Entry. |
| Mt 26:54 | How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" | Fulfillment concerning Jesus' arrest. |
| Mt 27:9-10 | Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver…" | Fulfillment concerning Judas' betrayal money. |
| Prophecies/Themes of Suffering & Exile: | ||
| Gen 35:19-20 | So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)… | Rachel's tomb near Bethlehem, linked to her sorrow. |
| Hos 11:1 | When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. | Another OT passage cited by Matthew (2:15) concerning the return from Egypt. |
| Lam 1:16 | "For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me…." | Poetic expression of national mourning, resonating with Jeremiah's context. |
| Jer 30:5-7 | We hear a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace… why has every man hands on his loins like a woman in labor… | Prophetic context of great tribulation and anguish for Israel. |
| Isa 49:15 | Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? | Imagery of intense motherly love and potential sorrow. |
| Exo 1:22 | Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile…" | A previous instance of infant slaughter against the chosen people. |
| Ps 78:66-67 | He struck his foes in the rear; he put them to everlasting reproach… He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, | Historical context of tribal divisions and suffering impacting Rachel's descendants. |
| Gen 50:20 | As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good… | Theme of God's sovereignty using evil intentions for divine purposes. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good… | God's ultimate good purpose, even in tragedy. |
| Heb 1:1 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets… | Emphasizes God's consistent revelation through prophets. |
| 1 Pet 1:10-11 | Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, | The Spirit of Christ speaking through OT prophets. |
Matthew 2 verses
Matthew 2 17 Meaning
Matthew 2:17 states that the tragic event of Herod's slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem then brought to fruition a prophecy previously uttered by the prophet Jeremiah. It asserts that God's foreordained plan was unfolding through these seemingly dreadful circumstances, fulfilling ancient Scripture concerning suffering and redemption. The verse explicitly connects the horror of the present reality to the prophetic word, highlighting the divine orchestrations behind human events.
Matthew 2 17 Context
Matthew 2:17 occurs immediately after Herod the Great's decree to kill all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, prompted by the wise men's inquiry about the newborn King of the Jews. Joseph, warned in a dream, had already fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15), thus sparing the infant Christ. The verse acts as Matthew's interpretive bridge, explaining theologically why such a horrific event was permitted to happen: it was a direct fulfillment of prophecy. The broader context of Matthew 2 focuses on proving Jesus' messianic credentials by linking His birth and early life events to Old Testament prophecies, affirming that He is the long-awaited King of Israel, born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, and even undergoing exile like Israel of old. Historically, Herod the Great was known for his paranoia and cruelty, exemplified by his ordering the deaths of family members and perceived rivals; this decree fits perfectly with his tyrannical character.
Matthew 2 17 Word analysis
- Then (Tote - Greek): Marks a chronological succession, indicating that the fulfillment happened at that specific time of the slaughter. It implies a direct consequence or result.
- was fulfilled (eplērōthē - Greek, from plēroō): A key theological term for Matthew, frequently used to declare that an Old Testament prophecy found its completion and verification in Jesus' life and the events surrounding Him. The passive voice implies divine agency – God is the one doing the fulfilling. It speaks to God's sovereign control over history and prophecy.
- what was spoken (to rhēthen - Greek, from rheō): Literally "the thing having been said." Refers to the divine utterance, emphasizing that it was a divinely inspired word that originated from God through human agents.
- by Jeremiah the prophet (hypo Ieremiou tou prophētou - Greek): Identifies the human instrument through whom God's word was delivered. Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu - Hebrew) was a major prophet of lamentation and judgment for Judah, whose ministry often involved dire predictions but also promises of future restoration (from which Jer 31:15 is drawn).
- saying (legontos - Greek): Introduces the direct quotation or a summary of the prophecy.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Then was fulfilled": This phrase underlines Matthew's consistent theological framework: Jesus' life is not merely a series of historical accidents, but a divinely ordained plan laid out in the Hebrew Scriptures. It reassures a Jewish-Christian audience that suffering does not negate God's plan but is part of it.
- "what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet": Matthew is meticulously drawing a direct connection to a specific and venerable prophetic voice from the Old Testament. This validates the authority of his claims and positions Jesus firmly within Israel's redemptive history. It emphasizes the continuity between God's work in the Old Covenant and the New.
- "by Jeremiah the prophet, saying": This precise citation prepares the reader for the exact words of the prophecy. It is important to note that while the quotation in Mt 2:18 largely mirrors Jer 31:15, Matthew often adapts or summarizes Old Testament passages to highlight their precise fulfillment, focusing on the specific aspect relevant to Jesus' story. The Jeremian context is complex, referencing Rachel weeping for her exiled children, but Matthew applies it here to literal bereaved mothers in the vicinity of her tomb.
Matthew 2 17 Bonus section
The choice of Jeremiah 31:15 by Matthew is particularly significant. Jeremiah 31 itself is a chapter filled with hope and the promise of a New Covenant after lamentation. By connecting the tragedy of Bethlehem to this specific passage, Matthew implicitly suggests that just as the weeping of Rachel in Jeremiah's time was followed by the promise of return and restoration, so too the suffering accompanying Christ's advent points toward a greater redemptive work and hope yet to come. It underscores that God's plan for salvation often progresses through seasons of profound sorrow and opposition before ultimate triumph. Furthermore, linking the New Covenant to Jeremiah reinforces the messianic era as the fulfillment of promises made to ancient Israel.
Matthew 2 17 Commentary
Matthew 2:17 serves as a vital interpretative statement, showing how Matthew viewed seemingly chaotic or tragic events as part of God's overarching, predetermined plan, unfolding precisely as predicted in Scripture. The slaughter of the innocents, a horrifying act of human evil instigated by Herod's tyranny, is placed by Matthew into the framework of divine prophecy. It does not mean God caused Herod's evil act, but that He was sovereign over it, having foreknown it and spoken of its resonance centuries prior through Jeremiah. The chosen prophecy (Jer 31:15) originally described Rachel (the ancestral mother buried near Bethlehem) weeping for her descendants carried into Babylonian exile. Matthew repurposes this powerful image of national mourning and applies it to the bitter, physical weeping of mothers in Bethlehem losing their infants. This highlights not only God's meticulous foresight but also the profound suffering often inherent in God's redemptive path, showing that even the Messiah's coming involved hardship and sorrow, mirroring Israel's past suffering. This tragic event underlines the opposition and suffering that Jesus would face from His birth.