And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
And he sent,…. “An executioner”, as in Mr 6:27 where the Latin word “speculator”, or as it is sometimes written “spiculator”, is used; and is the name of an officer concerned in executions, and particularly in beheading of persons; and so is used by Latin writers.
“In a civil war (says x Seneca), a servant hid his master that was proscribed; and when he had fitted his rings for himself, and put on his clothes, he met “speculatoribus”, the “speculators”; he told them he desired nothing, but that they would perform their orders, and immediately stretched out his neck.”
And the same writer elsewhere y speaks of a soldier that was condemned by Piso, on suspicion of murdering his fellow soldier;
“Who was had without the camp, and as soon as he stretched out his neck, he, who was thought to be killed, suddenly appeared; upon which the centurion that had the management of the execution, ordered “speculatorem”, the “speculator”, to put up his sword, and returned the condemned person to Piso.”
The word is also used by the Jewish doctors, and in the same sense: take the following instance among many z.
“R. Ishmael said to R. Simeon ben Gamaliel (when they were both apprehended, in order to be executed), brother, there was a man ready to receive his blow, and they entreated
, “the speculator”: one said, I am a priest, the son of an high priest, slay me first, that I may not see the death of my companion; and the other said to him, I am a prince, the son of a prince, slay me first, that I may not see the death of my companion: he replied unto them, cast lots; and they cast lots, and the lot fell on R. Simeon ben Gamaliel; immediately he took a sword, “and cut off his head”.”
And as this word is often used by them a for an executioner, so
, “specula” is often made mention of by them b, as a sort of punishment by death: and such an officer was sent by Herod, to inflict this punishment upon John; who accordingly executed it,
and beheaded John in the prison; that is, of Machoeras, where he lay, without giving him a hearing, or allowing him to speak for himself, or with his friends: and which was done in this private manner, partly for dispatch, and partly on account of the people; who it might have been feared, had the execution been public and known, would have rose and rescued him.
x De beneficiis, 1. 3. c. 25. y De ira, l. 1. c. 16. Vid. Julium Firmicum, l. 8. c. 26. & Florum, l. 4. c. 7. & Suetonium in vit. Caligul. c. 52. Octav. August. c. 74. & Claud. c. 35. Tertullian. de Corona, c. 1. z Abot R. Nathan, c. 38. fol. 9. 1. a Vid Targum Jon. in Gen. xxxvii. 36. & xxxix. 1. & Targ. Sheni in Esth. v. 2. Jarchi in Exod. iv. 11. T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 108. 1. & Gloss. in ib. b Bereshit Rab. sect. 79. fol. 69. 3. Vajikra Rab. sect. 24. fol. 165. 2. & Bemidbar Rab. sect. 7. fol. 187. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Beheaded John ( ). That is, he had John beheaded, a causative active tense of a late verb . Took his head off.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And he sent and beheaded John,” (kai pempsas apekephallsen loannen) “And sending out (servants) he beheaded John,” at the hands of the courtier servants immediately, or forthwith. It was a sudden, violent, gory, ghastly death, to meet the demand of Herodias and his dancing daughter, Mat 14:8; Mr 6:16,24.
2) “In the prison.” (en te phulake) “In the prison,” where he was being held, or detained. A jealous, adulterous woman, Herodias, a lust inciting, dancing, and twisting daughter, and an equally immoral king Herod, joined in the murder of the first Baptist sent from God, Joh 3:6; Mat 11:11-12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(10) He sent, and beheaded John in the prison.Measured by the standard of earthly greatness, it seems almost like a paradox to say of one who had only been for a few short months a preacher of righteousness in the wilderness of Juda, as men have said of the kings and conquerors of the world, So passed from the earth one of the greatest of her sons; and yet this, and nothing less than this, if we accept our Lords words, must be our estimate of the Baptists character. Intensity of purpose, dauntless courage, profound humility, self-denial carried to its highest point, a burning love that passed beyond the limits of race and nation, tenderness of sympathy for the toilers of the world, for the fallen and the outcast, all these were there; and what elements of moral greatness can go beyond them? And the consciousness of Christendom has recognised that greatness. Art and poetry have symbolised it in outward form, and the work of the Forerunner, the conviction that the preaching of repentance must precede that of forgiveness, has been reproduced in every great revival of religious life which has brought the kingdom of heaven nearer to mens hearts and hopes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Beheaded John in the prison From the banquet of dissolute royalty the executioner goes, probably by night, to the prophet’s dungeon. No doubt the victim met the messenger with serene fortitude, and passed with final triumph through his severe transition to his blessed reward. He was the greatest of prophets and the last of the pre-Christian martyrs. He was the moral terror of his guilty age. Nobly did he fulfil his office as reformer and preparer. If at one moment he was perplexed with the mysterious slowness of his principal, never, for even that moment, did his faith in the true one fail. Not many months did he precede his Lord in the path to glory.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he sent and beheaded John in the prison.’
Thus he sent and arranged for John, lying in prison at Machaerus, to be beheaded. This was strictly illegal without a trial, but he would do it on the basis that he was an insurrectionist. Perhaps Pilate was present and gave him the nod. His soldiers entered the dark and dreary dungeon where John was still waiting in hope of Messianic deliverance (Mat 11:3-4), made him kneel, and smote off his head. It was another reminder to all of the destiny of prophets, and that the way of Jesus was the way of the cross.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 14:10. And he sent, and beheaded John This was contrary to the law of Moses, whereby it was enjoined that malefactors should be publicly executed. Thus the Baptist, having performed his office, died soon after Christ had begun his ministry. God took him then to himself, as St. Chrysostom has observed, that the people might no longer be divided between him and Christ, but might the more readily follow the Messiah. His reputation, however, ended not with his life: the people continued to honour his memory; insomuch, that when Herod had lost an army by a great overthrow, the Jews, as Josephus informs us, said that it was a divine judgment, and a just punishment inflicted upon him for putting John to death. See his Antiq. lib. 18. 100. 7. Chrysostom’s 28th homily upon John, and Jortin’s Discourses, p. 187.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 14:10-11 f. Considering that it would require rather more than two days to return from Machaerus (see note on Mat 14:3 ), the fortress on the southern frontier between Peraea and the dominion of Aretas, to Tiberias (where Antipas was residing), Fritzsche thinks that it is out of the question to suppose that the head can have been actually delivered at the feast; comp. Lightfoot. But this circumstance, helping as it does to lend a tragic air to the whole proceeding, is just one which the reader naturally takes for granted, and one which is found to be necessary in order to give unity and completeness to the scene (Strauss, I. p. 397); so that, with Maldonatus, Grotius, Baumgarten-Crusius, Gerlach, Keim, we must suppose the festival to have taken place in Machaerus , and not in Tiberias. Not even Wieseler’s view, that the feast was held in Julias in Peraea, and that the head was brought thither by messengers travelling post-haste, can be said to be in sufficient accord with the tragic scenery of the simple narrative. The account in Mark (Mat 6:25 , ; Mat 14:27 , ) is unfavourable to such a view, as is also the in Mat 14:8 and Mat 14:11 , which plainly implies that the thing was done there and then.
] therefore in private by the hand of an assassin. “Trucidatur vir sanctus ne judiciorum quidem ordine servato; nam sontes populo omni inspectanti plecti lex Mosis jubet,” Grotius.
. . . . .] the horrible scene in a few simple words.
Mat 14:12 . The disciples , to be near their master, had remained somewhere in the neighbourhood of the prison, probably in the town of Machaerus itself. For , a corpse , see Phrynichus, ed. Lobeck, p. 375.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
Ver. 10. And he sent and beheaded John ] Put him to death secrecy, as the Papists did and do still (in the bloody Inquisition house especially) many of the martyrs. Stokesby, bishop of London, caused Mr John Hunne to be thrust in at the nose with hot burning needles, while he was in the prison, and then to be hanged there; and said he had hanged himself. Another bishop having in his prison an innocent man, because he could not overcome him by Scripture, caused him privily to be snarled, and his flesh to be torn and plucked away with pincers; and bringing him before the people, said the rats had eaten him. And I have heard of a certain bishop, saith Melancthon, that so starved ten good men whom he held in prison for religion, that before they died they devoured one another. Quis unquam hoc audivit in Phalaridis historia? saith he: who ever heard of such a cruelty? But it so pleaseth God, for excellent ends, to order that all things here come alike to all, yea, that none out of hell suffer more than the saints. This made Erasmus say, upon occasion of the burning of Berquin, a Dutch martyr, Damnari, dissecari, suspendi, exuri, decollari piis cum impiis sunt communia. Damnave, dissecare, in crucem agere, exurere, decollare, bonis iudicibus cum piratis ac tyrannis communia sunt. Varia sunt hominum iudicia; ille faelix, qui iudice Deo absolvitur. The Athenians were much offended at the fall of their general Nicias, discomfited and slain in Sicily; as seeing so good a man to have no better fortune. a But they knew not God, and therefore raged at him. But we must lay our hands upon our mouths when God’s hand is upon our backs or necks: and stand on tiptoes, with Paul, to see which way Christ may be most magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death, Phi 1:20 .
a Nec te tua plurima Pantheu Labentem texit pietas. .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10. ] It appears from the damsel’s expression and this verse, that the feast was held either at Machrus or at no great distance from it. Antipas had a palace near, , B. J. ii. 4. 2; but he was not there on account of the war with Aretas , see above.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 14:10 . : expressive word, all too clear in meaning, though not found in Attic usage, or apparently much used at all; a plebeian word, according to Salmasius cited by Kypke, who gives instances from late authors.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
10.] It appears from the damsels expression and this verse, that the feast was held either at Machrus or at no great distance from it. Antipas had a palace near, , B. J. ii. 4. 2; but he was not there on account of the war with Aretas,-see above.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 14:10. , he beheaded) Even this kind of death was a proof that John was not the Messiah: cf. Joh 19:36.[666]-, John) a sudden and violent death, even by decapitation, is not always miserable.
[666] It was not fitting, to wit, that even a bone of Christs body should be broken, much less His head taken off.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
and beheaded: Mat 17:12, Mat 21:35, Mat 21:36, Mat 22:3-6, Mat 23:34-36, 2Ch 36:16, Jer 2:30, Mar 6:27-29, Mar 9:13, Luk 9:9, Rev 11:7
the prison: Josephus informs us that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded by Herod in the strong castle of Machaerus, which he describes as situated about 60 stadia east of Jordan, not far from where the river discharges itself into the Dead Sea.
Reciprocal: 2Sa 12:13 – David Jer 26:23 – who 2Co 6:5 – imprisonments
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE CAUSES OF HERODS SIN
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
Mat 14:10
When the executioner came into the prison to behead John he came as an angel of light. John was bound in an awful dungeon, without light and without air, and when the executioner came to tell John his order he was welcomed. Why did Herod do this fearful thing? He was not without religious instincts. He feared John. Nay, he did more, he went to hear him preach. He went to hear sermons, and did many things because of them. They entered into his heart and mind. Where, then, was the flaw?
I. He heard John, but saw not the Saviour.Now see why it was that this listening to sermons did this man no good, for it did him absolutely no goodit hardened. He went down and listened to John, but he never saw the Saviour. He was interested in the preacher; he was one of those characters who would always be interested with preaching, but he never saw the Saviour. What is the end of all preaching? Only thisto bring men to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
II. He never gave his heart to God.Another reason why he so entirely failed was that though he did many things, the one thing needful he never did. He never gave his heart to God. Many things may be desirable, many things may be beautiful, many things may be ecclesiastical, but there is one thing needful for us all, for you and me alikewe must give our heart to our Saviour.
III. He would not give up his pet sin.And another point why he failed was thishe would not give up his pet sin, which was lust. The woman was an odious creature, hideous and odious morally. What did that matter? Her daughter could dance; she danced his soul into hell. The blood of the best man that ever lived was upon that mans hands. And he lived to mock his Saviour. But to the man who had silenced the voice of John, the Saviour never uttered a word.
You come to hear sermons; not only hear them, not only put them into practice, but give your heart to your Saviour.
The Rev. A. H. Stanton.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
4:10
John was in prison and the beheading was done there.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
[He beheaded John.] Josephus relates that John was imprisoned by Herod in Machaerus: Through the suspicion of Herod he was sent prisoner to Machaerus. Now Machaerus was the utmost bounds of Perea: and Perea was within Herod’s jurisdiction. But now if John lay prisoner there, when the decree went out against his life, the executioner must have gone a long journey, and which could scarcely be performed in two days from Tiberias, where the tyrant’s court was, to execute that bloody command. So that that horrid dish, the head of the venerable prophet, could not be presented to the maid but some days after the celebration of his birthday.
The time of his beheading we find out by those words of the evangelist John, “but now the Passover was nigh,” by reasoning after this manner: It may be concluded, without all controversy, that the disciples, as soon as they heard of the death of their master, and buried him, betook themselves to Christ, relating his slaughter, and giving him caution by that example to take care of his own safety. He hearing of it passeth over into the desert of Bethsaida, and there he miraculously feeds five thousand men, when the Passover was now at hand, as John relates, mentioning that story with the rest of the evangelists. Therefore we suppose the beheading of the Baptist was a little before the Passover, when he had now been in durance half a year, as he had freely preached by the space of half a year before his imprisonment.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 14:10. And he sent, etc. If the feast took place in Machaerus, the head was brought in before the feast closed. Some however infer from Marks account that the messengers went some distance, and hence that the feast was given in a royal palace at Livias (not far from Machaerus), while others think the nobility of Galilee would more probably be invited to Tiberias, the usual residence of Herod. But the words give me here (Mat 14:8), indicate that the prison was not far off.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 14:10-11. And he sent and beheaded John in the prison How mysterious is the providence of God, which left the life of so holy a man in such infamous hands! which permitted it to be sacrificed to the malice of an abandoned harlot, the petulancy of a vain girl, and the rashness of a foolish, perhaps drunken prince, who made a prophets head the reward of a dance! But we are sure the Almighty will repay his servants in another world, for whatever they suffer in this. And his head was brought and given to the damsel. The head of the prophet, whose rebukes had awed the king in his loosest moments, and whose exhortations had often excited him to virtuous actions, was immediately brought, pale and bloody, in a charger, and given to the daughter of Herodias, in the presence of the guests; and she brought it to her mother The young lady gladly received the bloody present, and carried it to her mother, who enjoyed the whole pleasure of revenge, and feasted her eyes with the sight of her enemys head, now rendered silent and harmless. But the Baptists voice became the louder for his being murdered, filling the earth, reaching up to heaven, and publishing the womans adultery to all ages and to all people! St. Jerome tells us that Herodias treated the head in a very disdainful manner, pulling out the tongue, which she imagined had injured her, and piercing it with a needle. Thus they gratified themselves in the indulgence of their lusts, and triumphed in the murder of this holy prophet, till the righteous judgment of God overtook them all. For, as Dr. Whitby, with many others, observes, Providence interested itself very remarkably in the revenge of this murder on all concerned; Herods army was defeated in a war occasioned by his marrying Herodias, which even many Jews thought a judgment sent upon him for the murder of John. Both he and Herodias, whose ambition occasioned his ruin, were afterward driven from their kingdom in great disgrace, and died in banishment at Lyons in Gaul: and, if any credit may be given to Nicephorus, Salome, the young lady who made this cruel request, fell into the ice, as she was walking over it, which closing suddenly cut off her head. See Macknight and Doddridge.