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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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14 1 Herod’s judgment of Christ. 3 Wherefore John was bound, 10 and beheaded. 13 Jesus departeth. 18 Of the five loaves, etc. 23 Christ prayeth. 24 The Apostles tossed with the waves. 28 Faith. 30 Peter in jeopardy. 36 The hem of Christ’s garment.

At (A)[a]that time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

And said unto his servants, This is that John Baptist, he is risen again from the dead, and therefore great [b]works are wrought by him.

(B)For Herod had taken John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

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

And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a (D)Prophet.

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

Wherefore he promised with an oath, that he would give her whatsoever she would ask.

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

And the king was sorry: nevertheless, because of the oath, and them that sat with him at the table, he commanded it to be given her,

10 And sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

11 And his head was brought in a platter, and given to the maid, and she brought it unto her mother.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 14:1 Here is in John an example of an invincible courage, which all faithful Ministers of God’s word ought to follow: in Herod, an example of tyrannous vanity, pride and cruelty, and to be short, of a courtly conscience, and of their insufferable slavery, which have once given themselves over to pleasures: in Herodias and her daughter, an example of whore-like wantonness, and womanlike cruelty.
  2. Matthew 14:2 By works he meaneth that force and power, whereby works are wrought and not the works, as is seen oft before.
  3. Matthew 14:6 There were three Herods: the first of them was Antipater’s son, who is also called Ascalonius, in whose reign Christ was born, and he it was that caused the children to be slain. The second was called Antipas, Magnus his son, whose mother’s name was Malthace or Martaca, and this was called Tetrarch, by reason of enlarging his dominion, when Archelaus was banished to Vienna in France. The third was Agrippa, Magnus his nephew by Aristobulus, and he it was that slew James.