Bible Dictionary
INNOCENTS, MASSACRE OF THE
The Massacre of the Innocents was Herod’s slaughter of boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its region, in an attempt to destroy the newborn Christ. Matthew presents the event as part of the danger surrounding Jesus’ early life.
Biblical Usage
Matthew 2:16 records the event. In Matthew’s infancy narrative it reveals Herod’s character and the dangers surrounding the newborn Messiah, explains the journey to Egypt, and contributes to the explanation of Jesus’ later residence at Nazareth.