Matthew 14:12

And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. For the exposition of this section-one of the very few where all the four Evangelists run parallel-see the notes at Mark 6:30....

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 mi...

Verse Matthew 14:12. _HIS DISCIPLES CAME, AND TOOK UP THE_ BODY] The HEAD was in the possession of _Herodias_, who, 'tis probable, took a diabolic pleasure in viewing that speechless mouth which had often been the cause of planting thorns in her criminal bed; and in offering indignities to that _tongue_ from which she could no longer dread a reproof. Her character justifies every bad conjecture that can well be formed on this head: and St. Jerome positively says that, when she got it, she drew out the tongue, and thrust it through with her bodkin. On the whole we may observe: - That the diversions of the world, _feasting_ and _dancing_, are but too commonly the occasions of sin. After so fatal an example as this, can we doubt whether _balls_ are not snares for souls; destructive of chastity, modesty, and sometimes even of humanity

See also Mark 6:21. But when Herod’s birthday was come Kings were accustomed to observe the day of their birth with much pomp, and commonly, also, by giving a feast to their principal nobility. See Genesis 40:20. Mark adds that this birthday was kept by making a supper to his “lords, high captains, and chief estates in Galilee;” that is to the chief men in office. “High captains” means, in the original, commanders of thousands, or of a division of 1,000 people. THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS - That is, “Salome,” her daughter by her former husband. This was a violation of all the rules of modesty and propriety. One great principle of all eastern nations is to keep their females from public view. For this purpose they are confined in a particular part

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 14:1 CHRIST'S POWER TO SUPPLY AND PROTECT AND HEAL, PREFACED BY A STATEMENT OF HEROD'S RELATION TO HIM. MATTHEW 14:1 _Herod_'_s opinion of Jesus, and a parenthetical account of his murder of John the Baptist. _Parallel passages: Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7;...

AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME,.... To the prison where his body was left, and to which they had liberty of recourse before; see Matthew 11:2 and very probably, upon hearing what was done, might apply to Herod, as Joseph of Arimathea did to Pilate, for the body of Jesus; who might, as he did, give them leave to take it: and TOOK UP THE BODY AND BURIED IT. Theophylact says, his body was buried in Baste Caesarea, and that his head was first reposited in Emesesa. This was the last office of love to their master, and was done in respect and gratitude to him, and to show that they still abode by his doctrine; and was what decency and the belief of the resurrection of the dead, as well as the will of God, require should be done: AND WENT AND TOLD JESUS; that their master was dead, what kind of death he suffered, and by what means it was brought about; an

MATTHEW 14:12 auvto,@n# On the one hand, the predominant external evidence attests auvto, (or its phonetic near-equivalent, auvtw|/), with only a* B 0106 ita syrc, s eth attesting auvto,n. On the other hand, however, it is much more likely that copyists would conform the personal pronoun to the impersonal for the sake of grammatical concord with ptw/ma (or sw/ma), than vice versa. In order to represent the opposition between external evidence and transcriptional probability, it was decided to print auvto,@n#....

2. JOHN'S MARTYRDOM. The Fourfold Attitude of the Rejected King. CHAPTER 14 _ 1. John's Martyrdom. (Matthew 14:1 .) 2. The Disciples of John with the Lord Jesus. (Matthew 14:12 .) 3. Feeding the Five Thousand. (Matthew 14:13 .) 4. Praying on the Mountain-top. (Matthew 14:22 .) 5. Walking on the Sea; Coming to His Disciples. (Matthew 14:24 .)_ The fourteenth chapter contains the record of events put together so as to harmonize with the purpose of this Gospel. The Lord had revealed the mysteries of the kingdo

HEROD AND JESUS. THE END OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Mark 6:14 *, Luke 9:7, _cf._ Luke 3:18). Mt.'s narrative is much briefer than Mk.'s, and he goes astray. Thus in Matthew 14:5 he makes Herod himself (rather than Herodias) wish to kill John, though in Matthew 14:9 he is grieved at it. But he adds the information that the disciples of John told Jesus of their master's fate. He makes this the reason of Jesus-' retirement, which in Mk. is due to the disciples-' need of rest after their tour. Mt. is wrong, for the death of John had happened some time earlier, yet there is und

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus, and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptizer. He has been raised from the dead, and because of this, these deeds of power work in him." For Herod had seized John the Baptizer, and had bound him and put him in prison, because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for John insisted to him: "It is not right for you to have her." So he wished to kill him, but he was afraid of the crowd, for they regarded him as a prophet. On the occasion of Herod's birthday celebrations the daughter of Herodias danced in public and delighted Herod. Hence he affirmed with an oath that he would give her whatsoever she might ask. Urged on by her mother, she said, "Give me here and now the head of John the Baptizer on a dish." The king was distressed, but, because of his oath, and because of those who sat at table with him, he ordered the re...