Matthew 14:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

NIV: for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."

NASB: For John had been saying to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.'

CSB: since John had been telling him, "It’s not lawful for you to have her."

NLT: John had been telling Herod, 'It is against God’s law for you to marry her.'

KJV: For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

NKJV: Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

John the Baptist had been arrested by Herod the tetrarch, ruler over the part of Israel that included Galilee and a strip of land along the Jordan River called Perea. Herod the tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas, had divorced his own wife to marry his brother's wife. John the Baptist had been publicly denouncing Herod and telling him it was not lawful for him to have the woman, called Herodias. For her sake, Herod had John seized, bound, and imprisoned in his fortress (Mark 6:14–19).

Jewish law forbade marrying a brother's wife while he was still living. Herod's action involved more than just breaking Jewish moral law, however. His first wife, the one he divorced, was the daughter of Aretas, the king of the Nabateans. The divorce led to fighting with the Nabateans, forcing the Romans to step in to save Herod. John's public rebuke of Herod likely touched a sore subject. It may not have helped that John spoke forcefully about the coming kingdom of the Messiah, which may have sounded like a threat to the existing authorities in the region.

Matthew 14:1–12 describes how Herod the tetrarch, ruler over Galilee, has heard of Jesus' fame and power. He believes Jesus is a resurrected John the Baptist. Matthew then explains that Herod had arrested John the Baptist. His "crime" was publicly condemning Herod's marriage to his own brother's wife. Later, Herod was manipulated into a promise by his wife's daughter, after she danced for him and his guests. On behalf of her mother, she asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter (Mark 6:14–29). Herod agreed and had John executed immediately. John's disciples came and buried him, then went and told Jesus the news of his death.

Matthew 14 begins with a backstory about the arrest and execution of John the Baptist by Herod the tetrarch, the Jewish ruler of the region. Jesus and the disciples take a boat to a desolate place only to find crowds waiting. Jesus heals many and then feeds as many as twenty thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Later, the disciples row against a strong wind until Jesus walks on the water to meet them and calm the wind. Peter walks on water briefly and then doubts and begins to sink. The disciples worship Jesus. On the other side of the lake, Jesus continues to heal the sick.

Matthew 13 included more of Jesus' parables and an unfortunate incident where His own hometown rejected His ministry. Chapter 14 begins with news that Herod the tetrarch—the man who killed John the Baptist—is aware of Jesus' fame and power. Jesus and the disciples intend to withdraw to somewhere desolate, but a crowd is waiting for them. Jesus heals people, miraculously feeds thousands, and walks on water. When they reach the other side, Jesus heals more people. Chapter 15 sees Jesus once again debating with His critics and performing more healings.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 11/21/2024 11:08:22 AM