Mat 14:1-4 | Barnes | STEP | MATTHEW CHAPTER 14 Verse 1. Herod the tetrarch . See also . This was a son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great died probably in the first year after the birth of Christ, and left his kingdom to his three sons, of whom this Herod Antipas was one. He ruled over Galilee and Perea. . The title tetrarch literally denotes one who rules over a fourth part of any country. In a remote signification, it means one who rules over a third, or even a half of a nation. Heard of the fame of Jesus . Jesus had then been a considerable time: engaged in the work of the ministry, and it may seem remarkable that he had not before heard of him. Herod might have, however, been absent on some expedition to a remote part of the country. It is to be remembered, also, that he was a man of much dissoluteness of morals; and that he paid little attention to the affairs of the people. He might have heard of Jesus before, but it had not arrested his attention. He did not think it a matter worthy of much regard. (v) "Herod"

Matthew 14:1-4

MATTHEW CHAPTER 14

Verse 1. Herod the tetrarch. See also Mk 6:14-16; Lk 9:7-9. This was a son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great died probably in the first year after the birth of Christ, and left his kingdom to his three sons, of whom this Herod Antipas was one. He ruled over Galilee and Perea. Mt 2:16. The title tetrarch literally denotes one who rules over a fourth part of any country. In a remote signification, it means one who rules over a third, or even a half of a nation.

Heard of the fame of Jesus. Jesus had then been a considerable time: engaged in the work of the ministry, and it may seem remarkable that he had not before heard of him. Herod might have, however, been absent on some expedition to a remote part of the country. It is to be remembered, also, that he was a man of much dissoluteness of morals; and that he paid little attention to the affairs of the people. He might have heard of Jesus before, but it had not arrested his attention. He did not think it a matter worthy of much regard.

(v) "Herod" Mk 6:14, Lk 9:7 Verse 2. This is John the Baptist. Herod feared John. His conscience smote him for his crimes. He remembered that he had wickedly put him to death. He knew him to be a distinguished prophet; and he concluded that no other one was capable of working such miracles but he who had been distinguished in his life, and who had again risen from the dead, and entered the dominions of his murderer. The alarm in his court it seems was general. Herod's conscience told him that this was John. Others thought that it might be the expected Elijah, or one of the old prophets, Mk 6:15.

(1) "mighty" or, "are wrought by him" Verses 3-5. For Herod had laid hold on John, etc. See Mr 6:17-20 Lu 3:19,20. This Herodias was a grand-daughter of Herod the Great. She was first married to Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, probably the one that danced and pleased Herod. Josephus says that this marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias took place while he was on a journey to Rome. He stopped at his brother's; fell in love with his wife; agreed to put away his own wife, the daughter of Arteas, king of Petraea; and Herodias agreed to leave her own husband, and live with him. They were living, therefore, in adultery; and John in faithfulness, though at the risk of his life, had reproved them for their crimes. Herod was guilty of two crimes in this act:

(1) of adultery, as she was the wife of another man;

(2) of incest, as she was a near relation, and such marriages were expressly forbidden, Lev 18:16. Verse 4. Mt 14:3

(w) "it is not lawful" Lev 17:16, 20:21