Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi (Matthew 2:16).Herod's viciousness was unleashed when he realized the magi were not returning to tell him where they had found the King of the Jews. As a result, many infant boys died and many parents grieved. He ordered the slaying of every male child two years old and younger living in the vicinity of Bethlehem. The maximum age for his order was based on when the magi had reported to Herod they had seen the star in their homeland. Again, Matthew saw in the Old Testament a prophecy of Herod's genocidal action. Jeremiah had written of this "weeping and great mourning" in Ramah (Jeremiah 31:15). While many sons died in this effort to destroy the King of the Jews, God the Father preserved the life of His Son so that at the right time He would "give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).
Song: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
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