Who sought the young child's life— Greek. Who sought the soul; a Hebraism, of which our version gives the sense. See 1 Kings 10:14. Exodus 4:19 to which last passage the angel seems to allude. It is an ingenious conjecture of Mr. Manne, that Antipater, the son of Herod, who, at the time when Christ was born, was heir apparent to his crown, and was a prince so cruel and ambitious, that he had procured the death of his two elder brothers to clear his way to the succession, would very probably be anactive counsellor and instrument in seeking the destruction of the new-born Jesus, and in advisingthe slaughter of the infants; and as this Antipater died but five days before Herod, both might be referred to in these words of the angel, they are dead. See Manne's Dissert. p. 74. Doddridge, and Wetstein.
Related Commentaries of Matthew 2:20
Matthew 2:20
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.