ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 14
1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament
14 εν εκεινω τω καιρω ηκουσεν ηρωδης ο τετρααρχης την ακοην ιησου
2 και ειπεν τοις παισιν αυτου ουτος εστιν ιωαννης ο βαπτιστης αυτος ηγερθη απο των νεκρων και δια τουτο αι δυναμεις ενεργουσιν εν αυτω
3 ο γαρ ηρωδης κρατησας τον ιωαννην εδησεν και εν φυλακη απεθετο δια ηρωδιαδα την γυναικα φιλιππου του αδελφου αυτου
4 ελεγεν γαρ ο ιωαννης αυτω ουκ εξεστιν σοι εχειν αυτην
5 και θελων αυτον αποκτειναι εφοβηθη τον οχλον οτι ως προφητην αυτον ειχον
6 γενεσιοις δε γενομενοις του ηρωδου ωρχησατο η θυγατηρ της ηρωδιαδος εν τω μεσω και ηρεσεν τω ηρωδη
7 οθεν μεθ ορκου ωμολογησεν αυτη δουναι ο εαν αιτησηται
8 η δε προβιβασθεισα υπο της μητρος αυτης δος μοι φησιν ωδε επι πινακι την κεφαλην ιωαννου του βαπτιστου
9 και λυπηθεις ο βασιλευς δια τους ορκους και τους συνανακειμενους εκελευσεν δοθηναι
10 και πεμψας απεκεφαλισεν ιωαννην εν τη φυλακη
11 και ηνεχθη η κεφαλη αυτου επι πινακι και εδοθη τω κορασιω και ηνεγκεν τη μητρι αυτης
12 και προσελθοντες οι μαθηται αυτου ηραν το πτωμα και εθαψαν αυτον και ελθοντες απηγγειλαν τω ιησου
13 ακουσας δε ο ιησους ανεχωρησεν εκειθεν εν πλοιω εις ερημον τοπον κατ ιδιαν και ακουσαντες οι οχλοι ηκολουθησαν αυτω πεζη απο των πολεων
14 και εξελθων ειδεν πολυν οχλον και εσπλαγχνισθη επ αυτοις και εθεραπευσεν τους αρρωστους αυτων
15 οψιας δε γενομενης προσηλθον αυτω οι μαθηται λεγοντες ερημος εστιν ο τοπος και η ωρα ηδη παρηλθεν απολυσον τους οχλους ινα απελθοντες εις τας κωμας αγορασωσιν εαυτοις βρωματα
16 ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν απελθειν δοτε αυτοις υμεις φαγειν
17 οι δε λεγουσιν αυτω ουκ εχομεν ωδε ει μη πεντε αρτους και δυο ιχθυας
18 ο δε ειπεν φερετε μοι ωδε αυτους
19 και κελευσας τους οχλους ανακλιθηναι επι του χορτου λαβων τους πεντε αρτους και τους δυο ιχθυας αναβλεψας εις τον ουρανον ευλογησεν και κλασας εδωκεν τοις μαθηταις τους αρτους οι δε μαθηται τοις οχλοις
20 και εφαγον παντες και εχορτασθησαν και ηραν το περισσευον των κλασματων δωδεκα κοφινους πληρεις
21 οι δε εσθιοντες ησαν ανδρες ωσει πεντακισχιλιοι χωρις γυναικων και παιδιων
22 και [ευθεως] ηναγκασεν τους μαθητας εμβηναι εις πλοιον και προαγειν αυτον εις το περαν εως ου απολυση τους οχλους
23 και απολυσας τους οχλους ανεβη εις το ορος κατ ιδιαν προσευξασθαι οψιας δε γενομενης μονος ην εκει
24 το δε πλοιον ηδη σταδιους πολλους απο της γης απειχεν βασανιζομενον υπο των κυματων ην γαρ εναντιος ο ανεμος
25 τεταρτη δε φυλακη της νυκτος ηλθεν προς αυτους περιπατων επι την θαλασσαν
26 οι δε μαθηται ιδοντες αυτον επι της θαλασσης περιπατουντα εταραχθησαν λεγοντες οτι φαντασμα εστιν και απο του φοβου εκραξαν
27 ευθυς δε ελαλησεν [ο ιησους] αυτοις λεγων θαρσειτε εγω ειμι μη φοβεισθε
28 αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος ειπεν αυτω κυριε ει συ ει κελευσον με ελθειν προς σε επι τα υδατα
29 ο δε ειπεν ελθε και καταβας απο του πλοιου πετρος περιεπατησεν επι τα υδατα και ηλθεν προς τον ιησουν
30 βλεπων δε τον ανεμον εφοβηθη και αρξαμενος καταποντιζεσθαι εκραξεν λεγων κυριε σωσον με
31 ευθεως δε ο ιησους εκτεινας την χειρα επελαβετο αυτου και λεγει αυτω ολιγοπιστε εις τι εδιστασας
32 και αναβαντων αυτων εις το πλοιον εκοπασεν ο ανεμος
33 οι δε εν τω πλοιω προσεκυνησαν αυτω λεγοντες αληθως θεου υιος ει
34 και διαπερασαντες ηλθον επι την γην εις γεννησαρετ
35 και επιγνοντες αυτον οι ανδρες του τοπου εκεινου απεστειλαν εις ολην την περιχωρον εκεινην και προσηνεγκαν αυτω παντας τους κακως εχοντας
36 και παρεκαλουν [αυτον] ινα μονον αψωνται του κρασπεδου του ιματιου αυτου και οσοι ηψαντο διεσωθησαν
Matthew 14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 14
Herod’s Opinion of Jesus. 1 [a](A)At that time Herod the tetrarch[b](B) heard of the reputation of Jesus(C) 2 and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
The Death of John the Baptist. 3 (D)Now Herod had arrested John, bound [him], and put him in prison on account of Herodias,[c] the wife of his brother Philip, 4 (E)for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 (F)Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. 6 But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod 7 so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, 10 and he had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
The Return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand.[d] 13 (G)When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 14 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 [Jesus] said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” 17 But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18 Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19 and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking[e] the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over[f]—twelve wicker baskets full. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
The Walking on the Water.[g] 22 (H)Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 (I)After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night,[h] he came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27 At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I;[i] do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 (J)But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,[j] why did you doubt?” 32 After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 33 [k](K)Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
The Healings at Gennesaret. 34 (L)After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick 36 (M)and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.
Footnotes
- 14:1–12 The murder of the Baptist by Herod Antipas prefigures the death of Jesus (see Mt 17:12). The Marcan source (Mk 6:14–29) is much reduced and in some points changed. In Mark Herod reveres John as a holy man and the desire to kill him is attributed to Herodias (Mk 6:19, 20), whereas here that desire is Herod’s from the beginning (Mt 14:5).
- 14:1 Herod the tetrarch: Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. When the latter died, his territory was divided among three of his surviving sons, Archelaus who received half of it (Mt 2:23), Herod Antipas who became ruler of Galilee and Perea, and Philip who became ruler of northern Transjordan. Since he received a quarter of his father’s domain, Antipas is accurately designated tetrarch (“ruler of a fourth [part]”), although in Mt 14:9 Matthew repeats the “king” of his Marcan source (Mk 6:26).
- 14:3 Herodias was not the wife of Herod’s half-brother Philip but of another half-brother, Herod Boethus. The union was prohibited by Lv 18:16; 20:21. According to Josephus (Antiquities 18:116–19), Herod imprisoned and then executed John because he feared that the Baptist’s influence over the people might enable him to lead a rebellion.
- 14:13–21 The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus that is recounted in all four gospels. The principal reason for that may be that it was seen as anticipating the Eucharist and the final banquet in the kingdom (Mt 8:11; 26:29), but it looks not only forward but backward, to the feeding of Israel with manna in the desert at the time of the Exodus (Ex 16), a miracle that in some contemporary Jewish expectation would be repeated in the messianic age (2 Bar 29:8). It may also be meant to recall Elisha’s feeding a hundred men with small provisions (2 Kgs 4:42–44).
- 14:19 The taking, saying the blessing, breaking, and giving to the disciples correspond to the actions of Jesus over the bread at the Last Supper (Mt 26:26). Since they were usual at any Jewish meal, that correspondence does not necessarily indicate a eucharistic reference here. Matthew’s silence about Jesus’ dividing the fish among the people (Mk 6:41) is perhaps more significant in that regard.
- 14:20 The fragments left over: as in Elisha’s miracle, food was left over after all had been fed. The word fragments (Greek klasmata) is used, in the singular, of the broken bread of the Eucharist in Didache 9:3–4.
- 14:22–33 The disciples, laboring against the turbulent sea, are saved by Jesus. For his power over the waters, see note on Mt 8:26. Here that power is expressed also by his walking on the sea (Mt 14:25; cf. Ps 77:20; Jb 9:8). Matthew has inserted into the Marcan story (Mk 6:45–52) material that belongs to his special traditions on Peter (Mt 14:28–31).
- 14:25 The fourth watch of the night: between 3 A.M. and 6 A.M. The Romans divided the twelve hours between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M. into four equal parts called “watches.”
- 14:27 It is I: see note on Mk 6:50.
- 14:31 You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Why did you doubt?: the verb is peculiar to Matthew and occurs elsewhere only in Mt 28:17.
- 14:33 This confession is in striking contrast to the Marcan parallel (Mk 6:51) where the disciples are “completely astounded.”
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.