This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "the learned men had embarrassed him by tricking him" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])
Herod did not slay the children himself. Alternate translation: "He gave orders for his soldiers to slay all the boys" or "He sent soldiers there to slay all the boy babies" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])