What does Matthew 14:2 mean?
Herod the tetrarch, also called Herod Antipas, is one of the rulers over Israel under the Romans. This is the son of the man who heard about Jesus' birth and tried to have Him killed (Matthew 2:7, 13). Herod Antipas oversaw the territory of Galilee in the north and Perea, a strip of land along the east coast of the Jordan River. Both John the Baptist and Jesus carried out their ministry in areas under Herod's control.Herod has heard about Jesus' growing fame in the country and the miracles that Jesus has been performing. Some thought of Jesus as the return of Elijah or one of the prophets of old (Mark 6:15). Herod, though, was convinced that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Herod was sure that John's return from the afterlife in the form of Jesus was what gave Him miraculous powers. Apparently, Herod's superstition was driven by his own guilt: he is the one who had John the Baptist killed. The following verses tell that story.