The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ- G071 The Death of John the Baptist and the Perplexity of King Herod

Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G071 The Death of John the Baptist
and the Perplexity of King Herod
Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version.

Matthew 14:1-12

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

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

5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.

9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Mark 6:14-29

14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Luke 9:7-9

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;

8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

In this lesson, we learn about the death of John the Baptist and King Herod’s confusion after he heard rumors about the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 14:1

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

Mark 6:14a

14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:)

Luke 9:7a

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him:

According to Matthew 14:1 and Luke 9:7, we see that King Herod is referred to as “the tetrarch” because he ruled a quarter of a territory. This territory was the kingdom of Judea. The Greek term “τετράρχης” (tetrarchēs) /tet-rar’-khace/ (G5076) means a ruler of a quarter of a territory.

In 63 BC, the Roman Empire occupied the Middle East, and the kingdom of Judea became a Roman province. In 37 BC, the Roman Empire appointed Herod the Great as king of Judea, which included the territory of the kingdom of Judea. He was the one who ordered the massacre of the children in Bethlehem and its vicinity when he heard about the birth of the Lord Jesus. After Herod the Great died in 4 BC, the Roman Empire divided Judea into four regions, assigning his sons and one of his sisters to govern them:

Archelaus: ruled Judea, Samaria, and Edom from 4 BC to 6 AD before being deposed by the Romans due to incompetence. After that, Judea, Samaria, and Edom became a Roman province under the governance of a procurator. Pontius Pilate was the procurator of this province from 26 to 36 AD. Archelaus is referred to as “ἐθνάρχης” (ethnarchēs) /eth-nar’-khace/ (G1481), which means “ruler of a nation or a tribe.”
Herod Antipas: ruled Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to 39 AD before being deposed by the Romans. The territory he governed was annexed to the Roman province of Syria. He is referred to as “τετράρχης” (tetrarchēs) /tet-rar’-khace/ (G5076), which means: a ruler of a quarter of a territory.
Philip: ruled the regions east of the Jordan River, including Iturea and Trachonitis, from 4 BC to 34 AD. When he died, the territory he governed was annexed to the Roman province of Syria. He was also referred to as “the tetrarch” (τετράρχης).
Salome I (sister of Herod the Great) ruled a small area, including the cities of Jamnia, Azotus, and Phasaelis, from 4 BC to 10 AD. When she died, the territory she governed was annexed to the Roman province of Judea.

The events we are studying likely took place around early 26 AD, before the Passover and before the Lord Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying the loaves for the first time. By then, the Lord Jesus had been conducting His ministry for over a year. Rumors about His teachings and miracles had spread throughout the regions of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Decapolis, and the surrounding areas. Jerusalem was a place where Israelites from all over came annually to participate in the three major festivals: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Thus, the teachings and miracles of the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem were also spread to distant regions within the Roman Empire.

When King Herod Antipas heard the rumors about the teachings and miracles of the Lord Jesus, he was perplexed. The term “διαπορέω” (diaporeō) /dee-ap-or-eh’-o/ (G1280), translated as “perplexed,” in the original Greek of the Bible means not knowing how to make a judgment.

Matthew 14:2

2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Mark 6:14b-16

14 …and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

Luke 9:7b-9

7 …and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;

8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Both Matthew and Mark record that King Herod believed the Lord Jesus was John the Baptist coming back to life. Mark even specifies that when King Herod heard others say the Lord Jesus was the prophet Elijah or one of the other prophets, he reiterated his own belief: “It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead” (Mark 6:16).

Luke, on the other hand, notes that many people thought the Lord Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected, or the prophet Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets who come back to life. Luke records that King Herod was perplexed and unsure how to interpret this, so he said, “John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things?” At the same time, he also wanted to see Jesus.

We understand that Luke recorded King Herod’s initial reaction. Luke was acquainted with some people in the court, perhaps because he was a physician and had treated members of their family. Therefore, he received their account of Herod’s reaction when the king first heard rumors about the Lord Jesus. Matthew only notes the main point of King Herod’s final reaction. Mark provides more detail about how, after Herod concluded that the Lord Jesus was John the Baptist who came back to life, the king also rejected other opinions from others.

The reason King Herod thought that the Lord Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected was because he had heard John preach and had followed some of John’s teachings. He recognized John as a righteous and holy man (Mark 6:20), so it was easy for him to believe that Jesus was John the Baptist who came back to life.

Matthew 14:3-4

3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

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

Mark 6:17-18

17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

Previously, when John the Baptist rebuked King Herod for marrying his brother’s wife, the king had John imprisoned.

The verb “to bind” is used to generally refer to physical restraint and loss of freedom, and here it can be understood as John the Baptist being chained in prison.

The verb “to have” implies marriage. It is used similarly in 1 Corinthians 5:1, where a man is said to “have his father’s wife,” meaning “to marry his father’s wife.”

According to historical accounts, once, while King Herod was traveling to the Roman capital, he visited his brother Philip. During this visit, he and Philip’s wife became infatuated with each other, so he divorced his own wife, and Herodias divorced her husband, allowing them to marry each other. This divorce and marriage were legal according to Roman law but were not in accordance with God’s law. Thus, King Herod and Herodias both committed adultery before God. John the Baptist directly accused the king of this sin.

King Herod knew that John the Baptist was followed by many people, so he did not want John’s words to incite widespread opposition against him. Therefore, he had John the Baptist imprisoned.

Matthew 14:5

5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

Mark 6:19-20

19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Matthew records that King Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist. Mark notes that King Herod feared John the Baptist and continued to observe him. The verb “to observe” implies keeping guard to protect. We can understand that King Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist but was afraid of the people. On the other hand, King Herod kept John the Baptist under strict guard to prevent Herodias from harming him. King Herod feared John the Baptist because he had heard him preach and recognized John as a righteous and holy man. In fact, the king had been pleased to hear John’s teachings and followed many of them. However, when John spoke about the king’s adultery, Herod was displeased and did not heed his words.

Many people in this world are like King Herod. They listen to the Word of God and willingly follow many of its teachings. But when it comes to something they deeply desire that does not please the Lord, they cannot forsake it to fully follow God.

Matthew 14:6-7

6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

Mark 6:21-23

21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

Matthew provides a brief summary of the events. Mark offers more detail.

“A convenient day was come” refers to the day when Herodias found it convenient to carry out her desire to kill John the Baptist.

It was Herod Antipas’s birthday. The king had organized a feast to entertain important figures, including the high officials of his court, senior officers in the Roman army who commanded a thousand soldiers, and prominent people from the region of Galilee.

Herodias’s daughter was the child she had with her previous husband, King Philip. We do not know the exact age of Herodias’s daughter at that time, but according to the Biblical term used, “damsel” (G2877), she was likely a young woman under 20 years old. The girl was skilled in dancing, and her performance pleased King Herod and the guests at the banquet.

In a moment of impulsiveness, King Herod, in high spirits, made a vow to the girl, swearing, “Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.”

King Herod’s impulsive promise reminds us of Jephthah’s vow to God:

“And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” (Các Quan Xét 11:30-31)

When Jephthah returned victorious, his daughter came out to greet him. Jephthah had to keep his vow.

We should not exclude the possibility that demons can incite people to make impulsive promises. Then they provoke human pride, compelling the person who made the impulsive vow to follow through with it. As God’s people, we need to adhere to the Word of God, which teaches us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak,” so that our words align with God’s Word.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19)

King Herod’s promise to give half his kingdom to a girl who danced to please him reminds us of King Ahasuerus’s promise to Queen Esther. That was also a promise to give half the kingdom (Esther 5:3; 7:2). King Herod, captivated by a dance, and King Ahasuerus, enamored with his queen, were both willing to offer half their kingdoms.

Matthew 14:8-10

8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.

9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

Mark 6:24-27

24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

Matthew continues to provide a brief account, while Mark offers more detail. Herodias’s daughter went to her mother and asked what she should request. Herodias seized the opportunity and instructed her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist. Herodias’s daughter obeyed her mother. As soon as she heard her mother’s request, she hurried back in to make the request to the king. We see that there was no hesitation or debate; the daughter immediately acted according to her mother’s wishes.

Often, children of non-believers obey their parents more than children of believers obey theirs. The disobedience of believers’ children often stems from the parents’ failure to diligently teach them according to God’s Word from a young age. Every Christian parent has a duty and responsibility toward their children. If they are lost, it is primarily due to their own free will. However, if parents fail to discipline them strictly according to God’s teachings, including corporal punishment, then the parents share responsibility for their children’s lost state.

Parents should memorize the following Bible verses: Proverbs 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15. They should also always remember that God’s teachings surpass human laws.

When King Herod heard Herodias’s daughter request the head of John the Baptist, he was greatly distressed. He feared that killing John would be detrimental to him. However, his pride led him to comply with the girl’s request. He sent one of his guards to the prison to behead John the Baptist.

Matthew 14:11-12

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Mark 6:28-29

28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

The guard went into the prison, beheaded John the Baptist, placed the head on a platter, and brought it to Herodias’s daughter. The girl then handed it over to her mother.

When John the Baptist’s disciples heard the news, they came, took the body, and buried it. We are not sure whether they received John the Baptist’s head or if Herodias did something with it. After burying John the Baptist, his disciples went to inform the Lord Jesus.

There is a side issue related to this lesson. Many people, especially the Jehovah’s Witnesses, use the events of Pharaoh hanging the chief baker on Pharaoh’s birthday (Genesis 40:20-22) and King Herod beheading John the Baptist on his birthday to teach that God’s people should not celebrate birthdays.

The fact that Pharaoh and King Herod killed people on their birthdays does not imply that celebrating birthdays is sinful. The Bible does not forbid God’s people from celebrating birthdays. The Bible teaches that:

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalm 127:3)

Therefore, the day when an heritage from the Self-Existing and Eternal One, a reward from Him, comes to God’s people is a day of joy and significance.

God’s people should celebrate their birthdays with joy because it is the day that God has appointed for them to be born and become part of His heritage. They should also celebrate each other’s birthdays. This is one of the three most blessed times in the life of each believer during the Church Age. These three blessed times are:

The day of being born as a human.
The day of receiving God’s salvation.
The day when Christ takes the believer out of this world.

However, we should not be extravagant or wasteful when celebrating birthdays.

Wishing each other a happy birthday is also an opportunity to bless and encourage one another. God’s people in the same locality can meet, eat, and have fellowship together. Anything that brings benefit, builds each other up, and glorifies God’s name is permissible for God’s people to do.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
07/20/2024