Matthew 14 · Verse 1

Matthew 14:1

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
Matthew 14:1, King James Version

Matthew 14:1 in other translations

BSBAt that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus
WEBAt that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
ASVAt that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
YLTAt that time did Herod the tetrarch hear the fame of Jesus,
DARBYAt that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
BBEAt that time news of Jesus came to Herod the king;
WebsterAt that time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

What does Matthew 14:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Mt 14:1-12. Herod Thinks Jesus a Resurrection of the Murdered Baptist--Account of His Imprisonment and Death. ( = Mr 6:14-29; Lu 9:7-9).

The time of this alarm of Herod Antipas appears to have been during the mission of the Twelve, and shortly after the Baptist--who had been in prison for probably more than a year--had been cruelly put to death. Herod's Theory of the Works of Christ (Mt 14:1, 2). 1. At that time Herod the tetrarch--Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great, and own brother of Archelaus (Mt 2:22), who ruled as ethnarch over Galilee and Perea. heard of the fame of Jesus--"for His name was spread abroad" (Mr 6:14).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
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

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Herod, having heard the fame of Christ, supposes him to be John the Baptist, risen from the dead, Mat 14:1, Mat 14:2. A circumstantial account of the beheading of John the Baptist, Mat 14:3-12. Five thousand men, besides women and children, fed with five loaves and two fishes, Mat 14:13-21. The disciples take ship, and Jesus stays behind, and goes privately into a mountain to pray, Mat 14:22, Mat 14:23. A violent storm arises, by which the lives of the disciples are endangered, Mat 14:24. In their extremity, Jesus appears to them, walking upon the water, Mat 14:25-27. Peter, at the command of his Master, leaves the ship, and walks on the water to meet Christ, Mat 14:28-31. They both enter the ship, and the storm ceases, Mat 14:32, Mat 14:33. They come into the land of Gennesaret, and he heals many diseased people, Mat 14:34-36. Verse 1 Herod the tetrarch - This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. See the notes on Mat 2:1, where an account is given of the Herod family. The word tetrarch properly signifies a person who rules over the fourth part of a country; but it is taken in a more general sense by the Jewish writers, meaning sometimes a governor simply, or a king; see Mat 14:9. The estates of Herod the Great were not, at his death, divided into four tetrarchies, but only into three: one was given by the Emperor Augustus to Archelaus; the second to Herod Antipas, the person in the text; and the third to Philip: all three, sons of Herod the Great.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 14:1-12
The terror and reproach of conscience, which Herod, like other daring offenders, could not shake off, are proofs and warnings of a future judgment, and of future misery to them. But there may be the terror of convictions, where there is not the truth of conversion. When men pretend to favour the gospel, yet live in evil, we must not favour their self-delusion, but must deliver our consciences as John did. The world may call this rudeness and blind zeal. False professors, or timid Christians, may censure it as want of civility; but the most powerful enemies can go no further than the Lord sees good to permit. Herod feared that the putting of John to death might raise a rebellion among the people, which it did not; but he never feared it might stir up his own conscience against him, which it did. Men fear being hanged for what they do not fear being damned for. And times of carnal mirth and jollity are convenient times for carrying on bad designs against God's people. Herod would profusely reward a worthless dance, while imprisonment and death were the recompence of the man of God who sought the salvation of his soul. But there was real malice to John beneath his consent, or else Herod would have found ways to get clear of his promise. When the under shepherds are smitten, the sheep need not be scattered while they have the Great Shepherd to go to. And it is better to be drawn to Christ by want and loss, than not to come to him at all.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Matthew 14:1 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἘνEnAtG1722
ἐκείνῳekeinōthat [very]G1565
τῷtō<the>G3588
καιρῷkairōtimeG2540
ἤκουσενēkousenheardG191
ἩρῴδηςHērōdēsHerodG2264
ὁhotheG3588
τετραάρχηςtetraarchēstetrarchG5076
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἀκοὴνakoēnnewsG189
ἸησοῦIēsouof JesusG2424

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 14:1

  • Luke 3:1

    Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

  • Mark 8:15

    And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

  • Mark 6:14-29

    And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. …

  • Luke 9:7-9

    Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

  • Acts 4:27

    For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

  • Luke 23:15

    No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.

  • Luke 23:7-12

    And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. …

  • Luke 3:19

    But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

  • Luke 13:31-32

    The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

  • Acts 12:1

    Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Herod's opinion of Christ.
3 Wherefore John Baptist was beheaded.
13 Jesus departs into a desert place,
15 where he feeds five thousand men with five loves and two fishes.
22 He walks on the sea to his disciples;
34 and landing at Gennesaret, heals the sick by the touch of the hem of his garment.

Herod.This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, by Malthace, and tetrarch of Galilee and Peræa, which produced a revenue of 200 talents a year. He married the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, whom he divorced in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living. Aretas, to revenge the affront which Herod had offered his daughter, declared war against him, and vanquished him after an obstinate engagement. This defeat, Josephus assures us, the Jews considered as a punishment for the death of John the Baptist. Having gone to Rome to solicit the title of king, he was accused by Agrippa of carrying on a correspondence with Artabanus king of Parthia, against the Romans, and was banished by the emperor Caius to Lyons, and thence to Spain, where he and Herodias died in exile.
Mr 6:14-16; 8:15; Lu 9:7-9; 13:31,32; 23:8-12,15; Ac 4:27
Tetrarch.
Lu 3:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 14:1

    At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

  • Matthew 14:2

    And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Read all of Matthew 14

Matthew 14:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		EN aquel tiempo Herodes el tetrarca oyó la fama de Jesús,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		En ce temps-là, Hérode le tétrarque entendit parler de la renommée de Jésus;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Zu jener Zeit hörte Herodes, der Vierfürst, das Gerücht von Jesu
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		In illo tempore audivit Herodes tetrarcha famam Jesu: