AT THAT TIME HEROD THE TETRARCH,.... Not Herod the Great, in whose
reign Christ was born, and who slew the infants of Bethlehem, but his
son; this was, as the Jewish chronologer c rightly observes,
"Herod Antipater, whom they call טיתרקי, "the tetrarch"; the son
of Herod the First, and brother of A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS,.... Those of his household, his courtiers,
with whom he more familiarly conversed; to these he expressed his
fears, that it might be true what was suggested by the people, and he
was ready to believe it himself;
THIS IS JOHN THE BAPTIST: some copies add, "whom I have beh... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HEROD HAD LAID HOLD ON JOHN,.... By his servants, whom he sent to
apprehend him:
AND BOUND HIM; laid him in chains, as if he was a malefactor;
AND PUT HIM IN PRISON, in the castle of Machaerus d,
FOR HERODIAS'S SAKE; who was angry with him, had a bitter quarrel
against him, and by whose insti... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JOHN SAID UNTO HIM,.... John having heard of this incestuous
marriage, went to Herod, and reproved him to his face for it; and, as
Luke says, "for all the evils he had done", Luke 3:19 for he was a
very wicked man, and guilty of many flagitious crimes: John, in so
doing, showed his zeal for holi... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN HEROD'S BIRTHDAY WAS KEPT,.... The birthdays of princes, both
of their coming into the world, and accession to the throne of
government, were kept by the Gentiles; as by the Egyptians, Genesis
40:20 and by the n Persians, and Romans o, and other nations, but not
by the Jews; who reckon thes... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREUPON HE PROMISED WITH AN OATH,.... On account of her fine
dancing, and being extremely pleased with it himself; and the more,
that it gave such pleasure to the whole court: he first promised her,
TO GIVE HER WHATSOEVER SHE WOULD ASK; and then repeating it, he
confirmed it with an oath; adding,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE BEING BEFORE INSTRUCTED OF HER MOTHER,.... What request to
make; for as Mark says, "she went forth" to her mother immediately, as
soon as she had received the king's promise, and took advice of her,
what she should ask; who bid her ask for the head of John the Baptist;
and accordingly she we... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING WAS SORRY,.... As he might be upon many accounts; partly
on account of John, whom, notwithstanding his freedom in reproving
him, he had a respect; and partly on his own account, his conscience
dictating to him that it was an evil action, and would leave a brand
of perpetual infamy upon... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SENT,.... "An executioner", as in Mark 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... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 11 AND HIS HEAD WAS BROUGHT IN A CHARGER,.... By the executioner
that cut it off, to Herod, whilst he and his guests were at table; by
which it should seem, that the prison was very near; and it is not
improbable, that it was the castle of Macheerus that Herod made this
entertainment in:
AND G... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME,.... To the prison where his body was left, and
to which they had liberty of recourse before; see
Matthew 11:2 and very probably, upon hearing what was done, might
apply to Herod, as Joseph of Arimathea did to Pilate, for the body of
Jesus; who might, as he did, give them lea... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JESUS HEARD OF IT,.... Of the death of John, and of the cruel
usage he had met with; and particularly, that his fame had reached the
court of Herod, and that he was talked of there, and said by Herod
himself to be John the Baptist, that was risen from the dead;
HE DEPARTED THENCE BY SHIP, INTO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS WENT FORTH,.... Either from the mountain where he sat with
his disciples, John 6:3 or out of the desert, where he had retired for
secrecy; or out of the ship, which seems best, the company having got
thither before his landing:
AND SAW A GREAT MULTITUDE; for, there were about five thousan... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN IT WAS EVENING,.... Mark says, "when the day was now far
spent"; and Luke, "when the day began to wear away"; it was upon the
decline of the day. The Jews, as Grotius rightly observes, had two
evenings; the one began when the sun declined at noon, and the other
at sun setting: now it was th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JESUS SAID UNTO THEM,.... the disciples,
THEY NEED NOT DEPART; meaning so long as he was with them, who had
power enough to provide a sufficient meal for them, as well as by a
word speaking, to heal their diseases; however, to try their faith,
and make way for the working of the following mirac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAY UNTO HIM,.... In order to excuse themselves, and to show
the impossibility of feeding such a large number of people;
WE HAVE HERE BUT FIVE LOAVES; and these barley ones, coarse bread;
AND TWO FISHES; small ones, which were dried and salted, and fit for
present eating; which they eithe... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAID, BRING THEM HITHER TO ME. The loaves and the fishes,
signifying that they were sufficient; or that he would make them so:
this he said, to try their faith in him, their obedience to him, and
their liberality to others: and indeed, the best way to have an
increase of temporal supplies, is to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE COMMANDED THE MULTITUDE TO SIT DOWN ON THE GRASS,.... The other
evangelists say, that he ordered the disciples to cause the people to
sit down; both no doubt were done: the multitude were commanded to sit
down by Christ, which, without his orders, they would never have done;
and the disciples... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY DID ALL EAT,.... Christ and his twelve disciples, and the
five thousand men, with the women and children, of the five loaves and
two fishes; everyone had their portion,
AND WERE FILLED; they were satisfied, they had a full meal, they had
enough, and to spare; see 2 Chronicles 31:10 which t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT HAD EATEN WERE ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND MEN,.... The word
"about", is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, in Munster's Hebrew Gospel,
and in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, which expressly say
there were so many. A large number indeed, to be fed with five loaves
and two fishes!
BESIDES... [ Continue Reading ]
AND STRAIGHTWAY JESUS CONSTRAINED HIS DISCIPLES,.... As soon as ever
he had wrought the above miracle, and perceived that the people were
so convinced by it, of his being the Messiah, that they were
determined, whether he would or not, to set him up for a temporal
king, to deliver them from the Roma... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD SENT THE MULTITUDES AWAY,.... Had ordered them at
least to go away; for, it seems, according to John 6:22 that they did
not in general disperse: there was a large body of them that continued
upon the spot all night, expecting his return; in which being
disappointed, they took shippin... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE SHIP WAS NOW IN THE MIDST OF THE SEA,.... That is, the ship in
which the disciples were put into, to go on the other side, had by
this time got into the midst of the sea: the Syriac and Persic
versions say, it was "many furlongs from land"; and the Arabic
expressly says, "about twenty five f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE FOURTH WATCH OF THE NIGHT,.... This is said, according to
the division of the night into four watches, by the Jews; who o say,
that
"there are four watches in the night, and four watches in the day.''
It is true indeed, that it is disputed among them, whether there were
four watches, or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE DISCIPLES SAW HIM WALKING ON THE SEA,.... It being now
morning, and perhaps might have moon light; and besides, there is
always more light upon the water than land; they were able to discern
something like a man, walking upon the surface of the sea, but had not
light enough to distingui... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT STRAIGHTWAY JESUS SPAKE UNTO THEM,.... Directly, the very moment,
as soon as ever they cried out, and he perceived the consternation
they were in, as one truly affected towards them, and concerned for
their welfare; he called out aloud unto them, not coming with any
intention to fright them, but... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PETER ANSWERED HIM AND SAID,.... Who knew his voice, and was ready
to believe it might be Christ; and having more courage, and being more
forward than the rest of the disciples, ventured to speak to him;
saying,
LORD, IF IT BE THOU; for he was not fully assured that it was he: he
might consider... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, COME,.... This he said, partly to assure them who he was;
for had he denied him, he and the rest might have concluded, it was
none of Jesus; and partly to commend his love, and confirm his faith,
by giving a further instance of his power, in enabling him to walk
upon the water, as he di... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN HE SAW THE WIND BOISTEROUS,.... Or "strong", blowing hard
against him, and raising up the waves, which beat with great violence
upon him,
HE WAS AFRAID; though Christ was so nigh him, and he had had such an
instance of his power in bearing him up, causing him to walk upon the
waters thus f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IMMEDIATELY JESUS STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND,.... The Syriac reads
it, וברשעתה, "and in that very moment"; for his case requires
immediate assistance, and Christ readily gave it; he reached out his
hand at once, being just by him,
AND CAUGHT HIM; as he was sinking to the bottom, and lifted him up... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE COME INTO THE SHIP,.... Christ and Peter. The
Arabic and Persic versions, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read, "when he
ascended", or "was come into the ship"; but there is no doubt but
Peter went with him into it, though the following effect is only to be
ascribed to Christ's coming... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY THAT WERE IN THE SHIP,.... Not only the rest of the
disciples, who remained in it, whilst Peter came forth out of it, to
walk upon the sea, to go to Christ: but the mariners also, the owners
of the vessel, and their servants that managed it,
CAME AND WORSHIPPED HIM: not merely in a civil,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE GONE OVER,.... That is, "the sea", as Munster's
Hebrew Gospel adds, the sea of Tiberias, or Galilee;
THEY CAME INTO THE LAND OF GENNESARET; the same with Cinnereth, or
Chinnereth, or Cinnerot, Numbers 34:11 in all which places, the
Chaldee paraphrase renders it by גינוסר, "Ginusa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE MEN OF THE PLACE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF HIM,.... Not merely by
report, but by face, having seen, and heard him before; see Luke 5:1.
THEY SENT OUT INTO ALL THAT COUNTRY ROUND ABOUT, AND BROUGHT UNTO HIM
ALL THAT WERE DISEASED; which not only expresses their faith in him,
that he was able to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BESOUGHT HIM THAT THEY MIGHT TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT,.... As
the woman with the bloody issue did; Matthew 9:20. This they desired,
partly to show the strength of their faith in him, that they doubted
not of a cure, could they be admitted so near his person; and partly,
to signify the sense... [ Continue Reading ]