Matthew 2:16–18

2:16 When Herod26 saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men27 to kill all the children in Bethlehem28 and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

weeping and loud wailing,29

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she did not want to be comforted, because they were30 gone.”31

26	sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
27	tn Or “soldiers.”
28	map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
29	tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later mss (C D L W 0233 f13 33 𝔐) have a quotation in Matthew which conforms to that of the LXX (θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμός καὶ ὀδυρμός; thrēnos kai klauthmos kai odurmos). But such assimilations were routine among the scribes; as such, they typically should be discounted because they are both predictable and motivated. The shorter reading, without “lamentation and,” is thus to be preferred, especially since it cannot easily be accounted for unless it is the original wording here. Further, it is found in the better mss along with a good cross-section of other witnesses (א B Z 0250 f1 pc lat co).
30	tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
31	sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.