Return to Nazareth
Matthew 2:19-23
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Matt.2.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Τελευτησαντος: VERB,aor,act,part,gen,m,sg
- δε: CONJ
- του: ART,gen,sg,m
- Ηρωδου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ιδου: INTJ
- αγγελος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- κυριου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- φαινεται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
- κατ᾽οναρ: ADV
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- Ιωσηφ: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- Αιγυπτω: NOUN,dat,sg,f
Parallels
- Matt.1:20 (verbal): Same formula: 'an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream' — both verses describe divine instruction to Joseph delivered through a dream.
- Matt.2:13 (verbal): Earlier counterpart: an angel appears to Joseph in a dream instructing him to flee to Egypt. 2:19 resumes the angelic-dream motif at the end of the Egypt episode.
- Matt.2:20 (structural): Direct narrative continuation: the angel (now in Egypt) commands Joseph to return to Israel because those seeking the child's life are dead; 2:19 introduces this angelic appearance.
- Exod.4:19 (allusion): Parallel wording and motif: God tells Moses to return to Egypt because 'all the men who sought your life are dead' — Matthew echoes this language when announcing the end of the danger to the child.
- Hos.11:1 (quotation): Matthew later cites Hosea ('Out of Egypt I called my son') to interpret the return from Egypt as fulfillment of scripture; 2:19–21 sets up that fulfilment.
Alternative generated candidates
- But when Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Egypt and said to him,
- And when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to him,
Matt.2.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- λεγων·Εγερθεις: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- παραλαβε: VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- παιδιον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- μητερα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- πορευου: VERB,pres,mid/dep,imp,2,sg
- εις: PREP
- γην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- Ισραηλ: PROPN,acc,sg,m
- τεθνηκασιν: VERB,perf,act,ind,3,pl
- γαρ: PART
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- ζητουντες: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,m
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- ψυχην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,m
- παιδιου: NOUN,gen,sg,n
Parallels
- Exodus 4:19 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel — God/angelic messenger tells the protagonist to 'return to Egypt' (or 'go back') because 'those who sought your life are dead,' echoing the language and situation in Matthew 2:20.
- Exodus 1:22; 2:1-10 (thematic): The Pharaoh-era decree to kill Hebrew male infants and Moses' preservation provides the typological background for Herod's massacre and the divine rescue of the infant Jesus.
- Matthew 2:13 (structural): Earlier angelic instruction to Joseph to flee to Egypt to protect the child; 2:20 functions as the complementary divine command permitting the family's return to Israel.
- Matthew 2:22 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: although told to return to Judea, Joseph is warned about Archelaus and diverts to Galilee — shows lingering political danger after 2:20.
- Hosea 11:1 (allusion): Matthew earlier cites 'Out of Egypt I called my son' as fulfillment of Jesus' sojourn in Egypt; the command to return in 2:20-21 alludes to this prophetic motif.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Rise, take the child and his mother and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the child's life are dead.'
- 'Rise, take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the child's life are dead.'
Matt.2.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- εγερθεις: VERB,aor,pass,ptcp,nom,m,sg
- παρελαβε: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- παιδιον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- μητερα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- εισηλθεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- γην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- Ισραηλ: PROPN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 2:13 (structural): Narrative counterpart earlier in the same episode: Joseph is told to 'take the child and flee to Egypt'—Matt.2.21 completes the movement by describing the return into Israel.
- Hosea 11:1 (quotation): Matthew explicitly cites this OT verse as fulfilled by the family's return from Egypt: 'Out of Egypt I called my son,' linking the return in Matt.2.21 to this prophetic text (cf. Matt.2.15).
- Luke 2:39 (thematic): Luke likewise summarizes the family's resettlement after infancy traditions: 'and went into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.' Both verses emphasize return/resettlement in Israel after earlier movement surrounding Jesus' birth.
- Exodus 4:19 (allusion): Parallels the motif of divine instruction to return because the danger has passed ('those seeking your life are dead'). Joseph is told to return to Israel because Herod is dead, echoing Moses' divinely-timed return to Egypt.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he rose, took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
- And he rose and took the child and his mother and went into the land of Israel.
Matt.2.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ακουσας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- οτι: CONJ
- Αρχελαος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- βασιλευει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Ιουδαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- αντι: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,m
- πατρος: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- Ηρωδου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εφοβηθη: VERB,aor,mp,ind,3,sg
- εκει: ADV
- απελθειν·χρηματισθεις: VERB,aor,act,inf+VERB,aor,pass,part,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- κατ᾽οναρ: ADV
- ανεχωρησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- τα: ART,acc,pl,neut
- μερη: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Γαλιλαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 2:13 (verbal): Joseph is likewise warned in a dream by an angel to take action for Jesus' safety (flee to Egypt); parallels the motif of divine dream-directed movement for protection.
- Matthew 2:19-21 (structural): After Herod's death an angel appears in a dream telling Joseph to return to Israel; this sequence directly parallels and explains Joseph's subsequent hesitation about Judea in 2:22.
- Matthew 1:20 (verbal): An angel appears to Joseph in a dream to give crucial instruction about the child’s identity and destiny; establishes the recurring Matthean motif of divine guidance through dreams that informs decisions like the move to Galilee.
- Matthew 2:23 (structural): Follows 2:22 narratively—because Joseph avoids Judea under Archelaus and is warned in a dream, he withdraws to and settles in Nazareth (Galilee); shows outcome of the fear and dream-warning in 2:22.
- Luke 2:39 (thematic): Luke describes the family’s return to Galilee (to Nazareth) after fulfilling requirements in Jerusalem; thematically parallels Matthew’s report that Joseph withdraws to Galilee, converging on the tradition that Jesus was raised in Nazareth.
Alternative generated candidates
- But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
- But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
Matt.2.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ελθων: VERB,aor,act,ptcp,nom,sg,m
- κατωκησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- πολιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- λεγομενην: VERB,pres,mid/pass,ptc,acc,sg,f
- Ναζαρετ: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- οπως: CONJ
- πληρωθη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- ρηθεν: PART,aor,pass,nom,sg,n
- δια: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,f
- προφητων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- οτι: CONJ
- Ναζωραιος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- κληθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 11:1 (allusion): Hebrew netzer ('branch'/'shoot') is read as a wordplay on Nazareth/Nazarene; Matthew's 'spoken by the prophets' may allude to the Messianic 'branch' prophecy.
- John 1:46 (thematic): Nathanael's question 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' reflects the negative reputation of Nazareth that Matthew invokes by noting Jesus is called a Nazarene.
- Luke 2:39 (structural): Luke reports that Joseph and Mary 'returned to Galilee, to their own city Nazareth,' paralleling Matthew's statement that Jesus lived in Nazareth after the infancy period.
- Matthew 4:13 (structural): Matthew elsewhere identifies Jesus' residence in Nazareth (then his move to Capernaum), showing internal consistency about Jesus' association with Nazareth.
- Acts 24:5 (thematic): Early Christian opponents label Jesus' followers 'Nazarenes,' reflecting the lasting identification of Jesus by his origin in Nazareth mentioned in Matthew 2:23.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'
- And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; and so was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'
And when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the districts of Galilee. And he came and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what had been spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'