And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
5. when he would ] In modern language “although he was willing.” From St Mark we learn that Herodias was eager to kill John, while Herod, partly from fear of his prisoner, partly from interest in him, refused to take away his life. St Mark’s narrative gives a picture of the inner court intrigues, and bears evidence of keen questioning of some eye-witness as to facts. Possibly some of Herod’s own household were secret adherents of John.
feared the multitude, &c.] The same motive that held the tyrant’s hand, checked the arguments of the Pharisees, ch. Mat 21:26.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. He feared the multitude] Miserable prince! who fears more to offend his people, than to sin against his God, by shedding innocent blood. When a man resists sin only by the help of human motives, he cannot long defend himself.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
At first he had some reverence for John because he was a good man, but either John, by the frequent checks he gave to his lust, or Herodias, by her continual importunities to Herod to revenge her of her great enemy, prevailed, and made Herod willing enough to put him to death; but now he was afraid of some popular tumult, or insurrection, because of the great esteem which the Jews generally had of John, thinking him a prophet, one sent of God to reveal his will unto men.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when he would have put him to death,…. As soon as he apprehended him, and put him into prison; being provoked by his reproving him, and being stirred up by Herodias, who was greatly incensed and enraged, and would have killed him herself, but could not, being hindered by Herod: who, though he had a good will and strong inclination to take away his life, yet what with fearing the terror of his own conscience, and the reverence and respect he had for John, as a good man; and especially for the reason here given, he did not do it, for
he feared the multitude: not God, but the multitude; and these, not only the large number of people that attended on John’s ministry, and were baptized by him, and became his disciples, but the generality of the people, the whole body of the Jewish nation. So God is pleased oftentimes to restrain the wickedness of princes, by the fear of their subjects:
because they counted him as a prophet; a holy good man, and who was sent of God; they respected him as such, believing him to be a true and real prophet, and treated him with honour and reverence, suitable to his character; wherefore Herod was afraid, should he take away his life, that the people would mutiny, rise up against him, and revolt from him. In what esteem John was with the people of the Jews in general, may be learned from the character Josephus gives of him, as a good man; who stirred up the Jews to the practice of virtue, especially piety and justice; which made the common people fond of him and his doctrine; and who were of opinion, that the defeat of Herod’s army, which followed the death of John, was a just judgment of God upon him for it m.
m Antiqu. 1. 18. c. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “And when he would have put him to death,” (kai thelon auton apokteinai) “And (while) wishing or strongly, emotionally, impulsively desiring to kill him,” agitated by the expressed, nagging desire of Herodias, Mr 6:19.
2) “He feared the multitude,” (ephobethe ton ochlon) “He feared the crowd,” the masses of people under his tetrarch governing area. He was not very popular with his own people, perhaps because of his reputation for immorality, and he knew that John had a good reputation, Mr 6:19,20.
3) “Because they counted him as a prophet.” (hoti hos propheton auton eichon) “Because they held him (in esteem) as a prophet,” or considered John the Baptist to be a prophet of God, Luk 9:7-9. The people highly respected him, Mat 21:26; Luk 20:6.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
5. And though he wished to put him to death. There is some appearance of contradiction between the words of Matthew and Mark: for the former says that Herod was desirous to commit this shocking murder, but was restrained by the fear of the people; while the latter charges Herodias alone with this cruelty. But the difficulty is soon removed. At first Herod would have been unwilling, if a stronger necessity had not compelled him reluctantly to do so, to put to death the holy man; because he regarded him with reverence, and, indeed, was prevented by religious scruples from practising such atrocious cruelty against a prophet of God; and that he afterwards shook off this fear of God, in consequence of the incessant urgency of Herodias; but that afterwards, when infuriated by that demon he longed for the death of the holy man, he was withheld by a new restraint, because he dreaded on his own account a popular commotion. And here we must attend to the words of Mark, Herodias lay in wait for him; (359) which imply, that as Herod was not of himself sufficiently disposed to commit the murder, she either attempted to gain him over by indirect wiles, or labored to find some secret method of putting the holy man to death. I am more disposed to adopt the former view, that she employed stratagems for influencing the mind of her husband, but did not succeed, so long as Herod was prevented by remorse of conscience from pronouncing sentence of death on the holy man. Next followed another fear that the business of his death should excite the people to some insurrection. But Mark glances only at what prevented Herod from yielding immediately to the entreaties of the prostitute; for Herodias would have wished that, as soon as John was thrown into prison, he should be privately executed. Herod, on the contrary, reverenced the holy man, so far as even to comply willingly with his advises: Herod feared John Now the fear which is here mentioned, was not a dread arising from a mistaken opinion, as we dread those who have obtained some authority over us, though we reckon them to be unworthy of the honor. But this fear was a voluntary respect; for Herod was convinced that he was a holy man and a faithful servant of God, and therefore did not dare to despise him. (360) And this deserves our attention; for though John knew by experience that it was, in many respects, advantageous for him to have some share in the good wishes of the tetrarch, (361) yet he was not afraid to offend him, when he could find no other way of securing that favor, than by wickedly conniving at a known and disgraceful crime. He might indeed have protested that he did not at all consult his private interests, and that he had no other object in view than the public advantage; for it is certain that he requested nothing from motives of ambition (362) but that Herod yielded to his holy counsels, which had a reference to the lawful administration of the kingdom. But as he perceives that he has no right to accept this kind of compensation, (363) which would procure for him some kind offices by betraying the truth, he chooses rather to turn a friend into an enemy than to encourage, by flattery or silence, an evil which he is laid under the necessity of reproving with severity.
John has thus, by his example, furnished an undoubted rule for pious teachers, not to wink at the faults of princes, so as to purchase their favor at this price, how advantageous soever that favor might appear to be to the public interests. (364) In Herod, on the other hand, the Spirit of God exhibits, as in a mirror, how frequently it happens that those who do not sincerely worship God are nevertheless willing, in some measure, to obey His commands, provided that He will grant them some indulgence or abatement. But whenever they are hard pressed, they throw off the yoke, and break out not only into obstinacy, but into rage. There is no reason, therefore, why they who comply with many sound advises should be well satisfied with themselves, till they have learned to yield and surrender themselves unreservedly to God.
(359) “ Herodias cherchoit occasion;” — “Herodias sought an opportunity.”
(360) “ Estoit aucunement contreint en soy mesme de luv porter l’honneur, et ne l’osoit pas mespriser;” — “was somewhat constrained in himself to bear respect towards him, and did not dare to despise him.”
(361) “ Qu’il eust quelque entree en la Cour, et que le Roy l’eust aucunement agreable;” — “that he should have some access to the Court, and that the King should be somewhat favorable to him.”
(362) “ Qu’il n’a rien demande au Roy pour se faire valoir, ou pour monstrer son credit;” — “that he asked nothing from the King to put himself forward, or to display his influence.”
(363) “ Que ceste facon de compensation n’est point honneste, ne selon Dieu;” — “that this kind of compensation is not honorable, nor according to God.”
(364) “ Encore qu’ils ne la cherchent point pour leur regard particulier, mais seulement pour avoir occasion de profiter plus en d’autres endroits;” —”even though they do not seek it for their private interest, but solely in order to have an opportunity of doing more good in other respects.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) He feared the multitude.St. Mark, whose narrative is here much the fullest of the three, adds that Herod himself feared John, knowing him to be a just man and a holy, and was much perplexedthis, rather than did many things is the true readingand heard him gladly (Mar. 6:20). There was yet a struggle of conscience against passion in the weak and wicked tetrarch, as there was in Ahab in his relations with Elijah. In Herodias, as in Jezebel, there was no halting between two opinions, and she, in the bitterness of her hate, thirsted for the blood of the prophet who had dared to rebuke her guilt.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And when he would have put him to death, he feared the populace, because they counted him as a prophet.’
But although he would have liked to have John put to death, he dared not do so, for he was afraid of the disturbance that it would cause among the people. He knew that they believed that John was a prophet, so that to execute him would be looked on by them as sacrilege. And disturbances among the people would not be smiled on by his Roman masters.
Herod both feared and hated John. He wanted him alive, and he wanted him dead. But had he not superstitiously feared him John would no doubt have been dead already. Herod was clearly a weak man filled with conflicting emotions.
‘As a prophet.’ Jesus has just referred to Himself indirectly as a prophet (Mat 13:57). Perhaps there is an intended hint here of what happens to popular prophets in Israel.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Ver. 5. And when he would have put him to death ] Why, what had the good Baptist done, that he must die? The people must be made believe that he suffereth for practising against the king. But this was so thin a falsehood that it might be transparently seen through. a Therefore Herod dared not kill him, though he much desired to do it, lest the people should move to rebel. He knew himself hated by them already for his cruelty and other crimes. Now if he should exasperate them afresh by executing the Baptist, whom they highly honoured, who knew what they would do? Tyrants, how terrible soever, have their fears, that curb and keep them in, for a time at least, from many notorious outrages. In the beginning of Queen Mary’s reign, after the tumult at Bourn’s sermon at the Cross (where the people flung daggers, and were ready to pull him limb from limb out of the pulpit, for persuading them to Popery), the Lord Mayor and Aldermen were willed to call a common council, and to signify to the said assembly the Queen’s determination, sc. that albeit her Grace’s conscience is stayed in matter of religion, yet she graciously meant not to compel or strain other men’s consciences, otherwise than God shall, as she trusted, put in their hearts a persuasion of the truth that she is in, through the opening of the word unto them by godly, virtuous, and learned preachers.
a Tenue mendacium pellucet. Seneca.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
5. ] This verse is further expanded in Mark: . . , , , . Josephus, not being aware of any other grounds for his imprisonment, alleges purely political ones: . , , . Antt. xviii. 5. 2.
] literally, ‘ possederunt eum tanquam prophetam;’ and thus Meyer maintains it must be rendered: but as our ‘ hold ,’ so comes to be applied to the estimate formed of a man or thing, which subjectively is our possession of him or it.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 14:5 . : cf. Mat 1:19 . Mark gives a fuller statement as to Herod’s feelings towards John. No injustice is done Herod here by ascribing to him a wish to get rid of John. There are always mixed feelings in such cases. Compare the relations of Alcibiades to Socrates as described by Plato ( ). . .: that for one thing; also feared God and his conscience a little , not enough. It is well when lawless men in power fear anything. : they took John to be, regarded him as, a prophet. does not by itself mean to hold in high esteem ( in pretio habere , Kypke). The point is that John for the people passed for a prophet, belonged to a class commanding religious respect (so Fritzsche, Meyer, etc.). Vide Mat 21:46 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
when he would have put him to death. = wishing (App-102.) to kill him.
counted = held. Compare Mat 21:26, Mat 21:46
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
5.] This verse is further expanded in Mark: . . , , , . Josephus, not being aware of any other grounds for his imprisonment, alleges purely political ones: . , , . Antt. xviii. 5. 2.
] literally, possederunt eum tanquam prophetam; and thus Meyer maintains it must be rendered: but as our hold, so comes to be applied to the estimate formed of a man or thing, which subjectively is our possession of him or it.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 14:5. , feared) They often fear who crush the witnesses of truth, whilst the witnesses themselves fear not their oppressors.[664]
[664] An evil purpose, which has been scarcely begun, is afterwards, whenever a very slight opportunity may present itself, brought forth into action.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
when: Mar 6:19, Mar 6:20, Mar 14:1, Mar 14:2, Act 4:21, Act 5:26
because: Mat 21:26, Mat 21:32, Mar 11:30-32, Luk 20:6
Reciprocal: Jer 26:21 – the king sought Mat 11:9 – A prophet Mat 14:9 – sorry Mat 26:5 – lest Mar 11:32 – they Luk 1:76 – shalt be Act 16:38 – and they Act 24:25 – Go
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
14:5
Herod would have slain John in spite work, but was kept from it by the force of public opinion which held John in high esteem as a prophet of God. Besides, Herod might not personally have been inclined so harshly towards .him if he had not been influenced by his wicked wife. Mar 6:19 tells us that she quarreled with John and would have put him to death had she been able to do so.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 14:5. And when he would have put him to death. At the instigation of Herodias (Mar 6:19-20).
He feared the multitude, etc. The character of John also restrained him; but the political motive was needed to overbear the influence of Herodias.