Matthew 2:16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
That was the light he put upon it: "that he was mocked of the wise men." He was exceeding wroth, and when he was wroth, his anger was terrible. Augustus said of him that it would be better to be Herod’s sow than Herod’s son, which was true, for he would not kill a sow, as he held to the Jewish faith. He did not kill swine, but he would not mind killing anybody in his passion: "He was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men." He took a wide range in order, so he thought, to make quite sure that he should kill the Child King whom he especially hated.
Matthew 2:16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
That was the light he put upon it: "that he was mocked of the wise men." He was exceeding wroth, and when he was wroth, his anger was terrible. Augustus said of him that it would be better to be Herod’s sow than Herod’s son, which was true, for he would not kill a sow, as he held to the Jewish faith. He did not kill swine, but he would not mind killing anybody in his passion: "He was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men." He took a wide range in order, so he thought, to make quite sure that he should kill the Child King whom he especially hated.