Matthew 14 · Verse 2

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.
Matthew 14:2, King James Version

Matthew 14:2 in other translations

BSBand said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
WEBand said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.”
ASVand said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore do these powers work in him.
YLTand said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist, he did rise from the dead, and because of this the mighty energies are working in him.'
DARBYand said to his servants, This is John the baptist: he is risen from the dead, and because of this these works of power display their force in him.
BBEAnd he said to his servants, This is John the Baptist; he has come back from the dead, and so these powers are working in him.
WebsterAnd said to his servants, This is John the Baptist; he hath risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.

What does Matthew 14:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. And said unto his servants--his counsellors or court-ministers. This is John the Baptist: he is risen from the dead, &c.--The murdered prophet haunted his guilty breast like a specter and seemed to him alive again and clothed with unearthly powers in the person of Jesus. Account of the Baptist's Imprisonment and Death (Mt 14:3-12). For the exposition of this portion, see on Mr 6:17-29.

Mt 14:12-21. Hearing of the Baptist's Death, Jesus Crosses the Lake with Twelve, and Miraculously Feeds Five Thousand. ( = Mr 6:30-44; Lu 9:10-17; Joh 6:1-14).

For the exposition of this section--one of the very few where all the four Evangelists run parallel--see on Mr 6:30-44.

Mt 14:22-26. Jesus Crosses to the Western Side of the Lake Walking on the Sea--Incidents on Landing. ( = Mr 6:45; Joh 6:15-24).

For the exposition, see on Joh 6:15-24.

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

Barnes' Notes
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"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 This is John the Baptist - Ον εγω απεκεφαλισα, Whom I beheaded. These words are added here by the Codex Bezae and several others, by the Saxon, and five copies of the Itala. - See the power of conscience! He is miserable because he is guilty; being continually under the dominion of self-accusation, reproach, and remorse. No need for the Baptist now: conscience performs the office of ten thousand accusers! But, to complete the misery, a guilty conscience offers no relief from God - points out no salvation from sin. He is risen from the dead - From this we may observe: 1. That the resurrection of the dead was a common opinion among the Jews; and 2. That the materiality of the soul made no part of Herod's creed. Bad and profligate as he was, it was not deemed by him a thing impossible with God to raise the dead; and the spirit of the murdered Baptist had a permanent resurrection in his guilty conscience.

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 14:1-12 →

Matthew 14:2 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.

καὶkaiandG2532
εἶπενeipenhe saidG2036
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
παισὶνpaisinservantsG3816
αὐτοῦ·autouof him;G846
οὗτόςhoutosThisG3778
ἐστινestinisG1510
ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491
ὁhotheG3588
βαπτιστής·baptistēsBaptist;G910
αὐτὸςautoshe himselfG846
ἠγέρθηēgerthēis risenG1453
ἀπὸapofromG575
τῶνtōntheG3588
νεκρῶν,nekrōndead,G3498
καὶkaiandG2532
διὰdiabecause ofG1223
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
αἱhaitheG3588
δυνάμειςdunameismiraculous powersG1411
ἐνεργοῦσινenergousinare workingG1754
ἐνeninG1722
αὐτῷ.autōhim.G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 14:2

  • John 10:41

    And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

  • Matthew 16:14

    And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

  • Mark 8:28

    And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

  • Matthew 11:11

    Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
This.
11:11; 16:14; Mr 8:28; Joh 10:41
do shew forth themselves in him. or, are wrought by him.

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.

  • Matthew 14:3

    For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

Read all of Matthew 14

Matthew 14:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijo á sus criados: Este es Juan el Bautista: él ha resucitado de los muertos, y por eso virtudes obran en él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et il dit à ses serviteurs: C’est Jean le baptiseur; il est ressuscité des morts, et c’est pourquoi les miracles s’opèrent par lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und sprach zu seinen Knechten: Dieser ist Johannes der Täufer; er ist von den Toten auferstanden, und darum wirken solche Kräfte in ihm.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et ait pueris suis: Hic est Joannes Baptista: ipse surrexit a mortuis, et ideo virtutes operantur in eo.