Matthew 14:2

αὐτός. Emphatic, ‘he himself,’ ‘in his own person.’

ἠγέρθη�. A proof that Herod did not hold the Sadducaan doctrine, that there is no resurrection.

διὰ τοῦτο. In consequence of having risen from the dead he is thought to be possessed of larger powers. Alford remarks that this incidentally confirms St John’s statement (ch. Matthew 10:41), that John wrought no miracle while living.

αἱ δυνάμεις. ‘The works of power’ of which Herod had heard. δυνάμεις, miracles regarded as marks of divine power; as proofs or signs of the divine presence they are σημεῖα, as exciting wonder they are τέρατα. The latter word is never used alone of miracles: this is not the side on which the Gospel dwells. Trench. Syn. of N.T. 177 foll.

ἐνεργοῦσιν. Not ‘shew themselves forth,’ A.V., but, ‘are active in him.’ The verb is frequent in Aristotle, the substantive ἐνέργεια is an important philosophical term in relation to δύναμις. The same contrast is suggested here. In Polybius ἐνεργεῖν is sometimes (1) transitive, as πάντα κατὰ δύναμιν ἐνεργεῖν, 18:14; 18:8. Sometimes (2) intransitive, as τῶν αἰτίων ἐνεργούντων κατὰ τὸ συνεχές, 4:40, 4. Both these uses are found in N.T. (1) ὁ αὐτὸς θεὸς ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν, 1 Corinthians 12:6. (2) τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς�. Ephesians 2:2.