Matthew 14:3-5

Jul 27, 2011 5:30 AM v5 done.

<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/14-3.htm" >3</a>For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and puthim in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a>

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For Herod had laid hold on John,.... By his servants, whom he sent to apprehend him:

and bound him; laid him in chains, as if he was a malefactor; and put him in prison, in the castle of Machaerus (d), for Herodias's sake; who was angry with him, had a bitter quarrel against him, and by whose instigation all this was done; who was his brother Philip's wife.

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<li>This Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, son to Herod the Great (e), and brother to Philip, and to this Herod; so that she was niece to them both; and first married the one, and then the other, whilst the former was living. Philip and this Herod were both sons of Herod the Great, but not by the same woman; Philip was born of Cleopatra of Jerusalem, and Herod Antipas of Malthace, a Samaritan (f); so that Philip was his brother by his father's side, but not by his mother's; the Evangelist Mark adds, "for he had married her": the case was this, Herod being sent for to Rome, called at his brother Philip's by the way, where he fell into an amorous intrigue with his wife, and agreed, upon his return, to take her with him and marry her; as he accordingly did, and divorced his own wife, who was daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea; which occasioned a war between Herod and his wife's father, in which the former was beaten (g),</li>

<li>(d) Joseph. Antiqu. 1. 18. c. 7. (e) Ib. c. 6. (f) Joseph. Antiqu. 1. 18. c. 6. de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 28. sect. 7. (g) Joseph. Antiqu. 1. 18. c. 6.</li>

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<a href="http://pnt.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm">People's New Testament</a>

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<li>For the Herodias' sake. Antipas had been, while at Rome, the guest of his brother Herod Philip. Here he became entangled by the snares of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; and he repaid the hospitality he had received by carrying her off. He had himself long been married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia. This Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the King, and, hence, the niece of both her lawful husband and of Herod Antipas, who now had her.</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/14-4.htm" >4</a>For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm" >Guzic</a>

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<li>iii. In speaking out against Herod and Herodias, there is the suggestion that John did this repeatedly. “It was, moreover, perhaps more than a passing remark: said is in the imperfect tense, which may indicate a continuing ‘campaign’.” (France)</li>

<li>iv. In that he feared the multitude, Herod is like many people today. They fear the opinion of people before fearing God. The only thing that kept Herod from even greater wickedness was the fear of man.</li>

<li>v. Yet one must say that Herod seemed to fear his wife Herodias more than he feared the multitude, because he imprisoned John for the sake of Herodias. “She ruled him at her pleasure, as Jezebel did Ahab . . . But it never goes well when the hen crows.” (Trapp)</li>

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<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm" >Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a>

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One of their chronologers (k) delivers the account in these express words:

"Herod Antipater was a very wicked and pernicious man, many of the wise men of Israel he slew with the sword; and he took to wife, his brother Philip's wife, whilst he was living; and because John the high priest (for so through mistake they call him) "reproved him for this"; (see<a href="http://bible.cc/luke/3-19.htm" >Luke 3:19</a>) he slew him with the sword, with many of the wise men of Israel.''

And, says their historian (l),

"also he, Herod, slew John, because he said unto him, it is forbidden thee to take the wife of Philip, and he slew him; this is that John that practised baptism.''

(h) Misn. Ceritot, c. 1. sect. 1.((i) Antiqu. lsss. 18. c. 6. (k) Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 25. 2.((l) Joseph. Gorionides, 1. 5. c. 45.

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<a href="http://wes.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm" >Wesley's Notes</a>

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<li>14:4 It is not lawful for thee to have her - It was not lawful indeed for either of them to have her. For her father Aristobulus was their own brother. John's words were rough, like his raiment. He would not break the force of truth by using soft words, even to a king.</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/14-5.htm" >5</a>And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

<a href="http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm" >Clarke's Commentary on the Bible</a>

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<li>He feared the multitude - Miserable prince! who fears more to offend his people, than to sin against his God, by shedding innocent blood. When a man resists sin only by the help of human motives, he cannot long defend himself.</li>

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<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/14.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a>

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In what esteem John was with the people of the Jews in general, may be learned from the character Josephus gives of him, as a good man; who stirred up the Jews to the practice of virtue, especially piety and justice; which made the common people fond of him and his doctrine; and who were of opinion, that the defeat of Herod's army, which followed the death of John, was a just judgment of God upon him for it (m). (m) Antiqu. 1. 18. c. 6.

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