MPV Commentary

Herod Thinks Jesus a Resurrection of the Murdered Baptist

King Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great and brother of Archelaus, ruled as ethnarch over Galilee and Perea (Mt 2:22). He heard about Jesus and said to his servants, "That John the Baptist was risen from the dead" (Mt 14:2). The murdered prophet haunted Herod's guilty conscience like a specter, and he saw Jesus as alive again and clothed with unearthly powers.

Others said that Jesus was Elijah or one of the prophets (Mt 16:14), but when Herod heard this, he said, "It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead" (Mt 14:2). He believed that John's innocence and sanctity had not suffered him to lie long dead.

Account of the Baptist's Imprisonment and Death

Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, binding him in prison at Machærus, near the southern extremity of his dominions (Josephus, Antiquities 18.5,2). This was for Herodias' sake, who was the granddaughter of Herod the Great and the niece of both brothers. She was the wife of Herod Philip, another son of Herod the Great.

John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Lev 20:21). This was because Herod's wife and Herodias' husband were both living, and they were within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity. Herodias had a quarrel against John but could not kill him because Herod feared him, knowing that he was a just man and holy (1Ki 21:20).

Herod observed John and kept him from the wicked designs of Herodias, who had been watching for some pretext to get Herod entangled and committed to dispatching him. When Herod heard John, he did many good things under his influence.

When a convenient day came, Herod made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee on his birthday (Lu 9:7-9). The daughter of Herodias, Salome, came in and danced, pleasing Herod and those who sat with him. The king said to the damsel, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee" (Mt 14:5).

The king swore unto her, "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, unto the half of my kingdom" (Mt 14:7). Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist on a charger. The king was exceeding sorry but stuck to his oath and the sake of those who sat with him.

He sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. The executioner went and beheaded John in the prison, after more than twelve months' imprisonment (Josephus, Antiquities 18.5,2). Herodias did not shed the blood of the stern reprover but only got it done and gloated over it as it streamed from the trunkless head.

When John's disciples heard of his death, they came and took up his corpse, laying it in a tomb (Mt 14:12). They may have come to Jesus, not without some secret reflection on Him for His seeming neglect of their master.