Herod the Great
The king ruling Judea when Jesus was born, who ordered the killing of the infants of Bethlehem.
At a glance
- Name
- Herod the Great
- Also known as
- Herod, King Herod
- Type
- Person
- Period
- New Testament
- Appears in
- The Gospel of Matthew
- First appearance
- Matthew 2
- Known for
- The king who ordered the killing of Bethlehem's infants
Who is Herod the Great?
Herod is the king ruling Judea at the time Jesus is born. The Gospel of Matthew calls him King Herod; the title 'the Great,' by which he is commonly known, is a later name that distinguishes him from the other rulers named Herod in the New Testament.
When Magi from the east arrive asking where the king of the Jews has been born, Herod is troubled. He secretly asks them to report back once they find the child, intending to kill him. Warned in a dream, the Magi return home another way.
Realizing he has been outwitted, Herod orders the killing of all the boys in Bethlehem two years old and under. Joseph, warned in a dream, has already taken the child and his mother to Egypt for safety. Herod dies while they are there.
Herod the Great in the Bible
The Magi and King Herod
Magi seeking the newborn king of the Jews come to Herod, who secretly plots against the child.
Read Matthew 2 →The killing of the infants
Outwitted by the Magi, Herod orders the killing of the young boys of Bethlehem.
Read Matthew 2 →Not to be confused with
- Herod the tetrarch A later ruler named Herod, who imprisoned and beheaded John the Baptist and questioned Jesus at his trial.
- Herod Agrippa Another ruler named Herod, who killed the apostle James and was struck down by an angel in the book of Acts.
Key passages featuring Herod the Great
These are key passages, not a complete list of every appearance.