The Flight to Egypt
Matthew 2:14 “When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:”
by night, and... Indicating haste, proving the visit of the magi was at Nazareth. If they had been at Bethlehem the family would not have gone to Nazareth to live before going into Egypt, as in Luke 2:39. In no place is it stated that the magi went to Bethlehem, that they obeyed Herod, that the visit was immediately after His birth, or that the star led them to a manger. All these are traditions passed on to us.
Joseph heeded God’s warning. They left in the darkness, so that no one would be aware of which direction they went. Most people did not travel by night, and Herod would not expect them to travel at night either.
After the visit of the Magi, Joseph was warned by an angel of the Lord to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt. This warning was given in a dream (the second of Joseph’s four dreams: Mat. 1:20; 2:13, 2:19, 2:22). The reason was Herod would be searching for the Child to kill Him. Under cover of darkness, Joseph obeyed, and his family left Bethlehem and journeyed into Egypt.
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