Why did Herod try to kill baby Jesus?

[For a longer version with more details, scroll down to second version.]

Out of all the characters in the birth story of Jesus, only one is portrayed as mean: King Herod. Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi (3 Wise Men or 3 Kings)—even the innkeeper—are all wonderful participants in God coming to earth in Jesus. But Herod was wicked, the only one in the whole bunch. But why was Herod so mean? First, let’s review the story and then discuss Herod’s attitude.

• Matthew 2:1-21:
• "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed. . . Then Herod . . . sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him" . . . . On coming to the house, they saw the child . . . And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him . . . When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under . . . After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead."

So, why was Herod intent on killing the newborn Jesus? Really, why did Herod care that a rumor was going around about a newborn king? Herod had three grown sons and so thought they would rule once he died. To understand that we have to examine Herod’s life. First things first, and this may sound bizarre: Herod was not a real Jew, nor was he a real king.

Herod (73 BC to 4 BC) was an Idumean; they were descended from the Edomites, mentioned in the Old Testament. The Jews conquered Idumea around 135 BC and required all the Idumeans to convert to Judaism.

Herod was not a real king; instead, he was granted his kingship by the Roman Empire. Herod’s father had not been king of Israel. The Roman Senate declared Herod as "king of the Jews" around the year 40 BC.

So, by the time Jesus was born, Herod was an old man (some 35 years later). He assumed his kingdom would be divided among his three sons once he died. But Herod was not assured of that because, after all, he was only king because the Romans made him so plus he was not a real Jew. He knew that his rule lasted only as long as (1) the Romans were happy with his family and (2) any other threat to the throne was destroyed.

Then one day Magi show up at Herod’s door, wanting to find the "newborn king." By this time Herod was in his early 70s: his sons were grown and he knew that his wife didn't just give birth. He immediately saw this as a threat to his and his sons’ throne because he thought that perhaps a hidden Jewish royal family had produced a child. So he acted in the only way that a puppet king would: he killed the competition. But he didn't know exactly where this new king-child was, so he had all the baby boys killed in a large area, just to make sure he killed him.

If the kingship had been in his family for generations and he was a real king and a real Jew, he would have laughed at the Magi, but he didn't and many Jewish boy babies paid the price. Think of it this way: if a poor English woman gave birth and announced that her son is the newborn English king, who would believe her? No one. But Herod became king by going through the back door (the Romans) and so was not a real hereditary king plus he was not a real Jew: this left him paranoid about maintaining his power, and he had to squash any threats.

Second version with more details

Think about this: Herod was an old man with three grown male children who was close to death (in his mid-60’s at a time when most people didn’t live that long). But, he did not have to worry about a successor because he had three: His three sons. His problem was trying to figure out how to divide his kingdom so that each son got a part he was satisfied and not attack one of the other brothers after Herod was dead.

Then three wealthy men with many attendants show up in the capital city of Jerusalem. Their goal? To find the newborn king: Matthew 2:2: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” If they had been poor or average men, no one would have paid them any attention, but they were leaders with financial means who demanded attention.

Still, Herod—though he was old—had three sons and it would seem he could just ignore the visitors. But he didn’t. Instead, he became agitated and concerned about their prophecy. Matthew 2:4: “When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.” “Bethlehem” was the answer.

Let’s just stop for a minute, though, and answer this question, which is the question of the article: Why did Herod care? After all, his reign was in a time of peace with the full support of the Roman Empire and he had three sons. Why did Herod care? Why didn’t he just greet the visitors, exchange presents as leaders usually do, and send them on their way? Because Herod had a gnawing concern that always lay at the foundation of all his work as king of the Jews: He was not a real king and he was not a real Jew.

How did he become a Jew? We know that he as not born into a family of Jewish heritage but instead was an Idumaean. Idumaea was a region southeast of Israel that the Jews conquered about 110 years before Jesus was born. (Originally they had been the Edomites mentioned in the Old Testament.). After defeating the Idumaeans, the Jews forced them to become Jewish. (The Jews said that any Idumaean who wanted to retain control of their land had to be circumcised and follow Jewish laws.). Therefore, Herod, who was born in roughly 70 BC, was a second- or third-generation Jew by force.

Being forced into a religion does not necessarily make one a willing and welcome partner in that religion. Herod was Jewish, as far as the Romans were concerned, but perhaps not a willing one, as he probably heard stories from his grandfather about how the Jews defeated him and other Idumaeans and forced their Jewish faith on them. Herod even gave his first-born son an Idumaean name, Antipater, after his father instead of a Jewish name.

How did he become a king? Herod’s father, Antipater, must have been an Idumaean leader because he became a Jewish leader in the region after Israel conquered Idumaea. He also must have learned well how to be “jewish” because he rose to become a Jewish leader amongst the newly-formed Jews. Nevertheless, Jews did not appreciate his family’s ascension in the ranks. Josephus states that Antigonus the Hasmonean referred to Herod as "no more than a private man, and an Idumean,” meaning a half Jew.

Eventually, Antipater became governor of Idumaea (which the Jews still controlled). When the Romans came to the region, Antipater decided to side with their growing power. Eventually, his switched loyalty to the Romans succeeded and the Romans made him governor of Judea.

At that time, Rome was involved in a civil war. Antipater chose to support Julius Caesar. At one point, Julius Caesar was close to being captured in Alexandria, and Antipater with over 10,000 men traveled there and rescued Julius Caesar. Therefore, Julius Caesar made Antipater the first Roman procurator of Judea. This allowed Israel to have more freedom from Rome as long as the Jews followed Antipater’s rule. In a sense, the Idumaeans had taken their revenge on the Jews, because one of their own now controlled Israel.

Antipater made his two sons governors: Herod was governor over Galilee and Phasael was governor of Jerusalem. Then Mark Antony promoted Herod and Phasael to be tetrarchs (a rank below king). In AD 40, the Jews succeeded in defeating Phasael and returned Jerusalem to Jewish rule. Phasael then committed suicide. Then the Roman Senate decided to hand the entire land over to Herod, and made him king.

And that is why, when the Magi showed up in Jerusalem, Herod was very concerned. He know he was not a real Jew (and that many Jews hated him) and that he was not a real king. He remembered that the Jews had rebelled against his brother and won, resulting in his brother’s death. Therefore, to protect the future thrones of his three sons, he decided not to take any chances and had all the baby boys in the Bethlehem area killed.

© 2007, 2012, 2019 Mark Nickens