Matthew 2:12

Matthew 2:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
• New International Version (NIV)And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Context of Matthew 2:12

11The men went into the house and they saw the child. He was with Mary, his mother. They went down on their knees in front of the child and they worshipped him. Then they opened their bags. They took out valuable gifts and they gave them to the child. The gifts were gold, incense called frankincense, and also myrrh. After that, God said to them in a dream, ‘Do not go back to see Herod again.’ So the men followed a different road to return to their own country. 13After the men had gone away, Joseph had a dream. In the dream, he saw one of the Lord God's angels. The angel said to him, ‘Herod will look for the child, so that his soldiers can kill him. You must get up and take the child and his mother with you. Go immediately to Egypt. I will tell you when you can return again. You must remain there until then.’ 14So Joseph got up and he took the child and his mother with him. They started on the journey to Egypt that night.

Matthew 2:12 word by word

καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ᾽ ὄναρ μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην, δι᾽ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• being warned of Godχρηματίζωchrēmatizō · to announceG5537
• inκατάkata · according toG2596
• a dreamὄναρonar · dreamG3677
• that they shouldἀνακάμπτωanakamptō · to returnG344
• notμήmē · notG3361
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• HerodἩρώδηςHērōdēs · HerodG2264
• they departedἀναχωρέωanachōreō · to leaveG402
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• their ownαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• countryὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• countryχώραchōra · countryG5561
• ·διάdia · through/because ofG1223
• anotherἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
• wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598

Cross-references for Matthew 2:12

• Matthew 2:22But then Joseph heard that Herod's son, Archelaus, was now king of Judea instead of his father. So Joseph was afraid to go to Judea. In another dream God showed Joseph that he should go to Galilee instead.
• Matthew 1:20He thought about what he should do. Then an angel came from the Lord God to see him. The angel came to Joseph while he was dreaming. The angel said, ‘Joseph, you who are from the family of King David, take Mary home as your wife. Do not be afraid to do that. The baby that is growing inside her is from the Holy Spirit.
• Matthew 27:19Pilate was sitting on his special seat as a judge. Then his wife sent a message to him. She said, ‘Do not do anything to that man. He has done nothing wrong. Last night I had a dream about him. It gave me a lot of trouble in my mind.’
• Genesis 20:6God spoke to Abimelech again in a dream. He said, ‘That is true. You did not think that you were doing something wrong. I know that. So I did not let you touch her. I stopped you from doing anything wrong against me.
• Genesis 31:24Then God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. God warned him, ‘Be careful what you say to Jacob. Do not say anything good or bad to him.’
• Job 33:15Sometimes God speaks to people in dreams and visions. He speaks to them at night, while they sleep in bed.
• Daniel 2:19During the night, Daniel had a vision. God showed him the secret of the king's dream. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
• Exodus 1:17But the two women respected God. So they did not do what the king of Egypt had told them. They obeyed God and they let the boys live.
• Acts 4:19Then Peter and John replied to the leaders, ‘What do you think God wants us to do? Should we obey you? Or should we obey God? You decide!
• Acts 5:29Peter and the other apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than obey people.
• 1 Corinthians 3:19People in this world think that some people are wise. But God thinks that those wise people are fools. It says in the Bible: ‘God causes the clever thoughts of wise people to confuse them.’

Commentaries on Matthew 2:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Warned of God - This was done, doubtless, because, if they had given Herod precise information where he was, it would have been easy for him to send forth and kill him. And from this we learn that God will watch over those whom He loves; that He knows how to foil the purposes of the wicked, and to deliver His own out of the hands of those who would destroy them. In a dream - See the note at Matthew 1:20.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 What joy these wise men felt upon this sight of the star, none know so well as those who, after a long and melancholy night of temptation and desertion, under the power of a spirit of bondage, at length receive the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of God. We may well think what a disappointment it was to them, when they found a cottage was his palace, and his own poor mother the only attendant he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-23This story shows how certain parts of the life of Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. This includes: his family history and birth (chapter 1), and the places he lived as a child (chapter 2). The story also shows how efforts to stop the plan of God do not work (2:1–15; see also 27:62–66).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed--or, "withdrew." to their own country another way--What a surprise would this vision be to the sages, just as they were preparing to carry the glad news of what they had seen to the pious king! But the Lord knew the bloody old tyrant better than to let him see their face again. The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-15).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 2:12

• Heathen
• Jesus, the Christ
• Magi
• Wisdom
• Wise Men

In the dictionaries

• God
• Herod
• Herod, Herod Antipas
• Herod, Herod the Great
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Divination
• Dream
• Flee
• Herod the Great
• Jesus

Commentaries on Matthew 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings