Matthew 14:2

2 . he ] The Greek is emphatic, “he himself,” “in his own person.” risen from the dead ] A proof that Herod did not hold the Sadducean doctrine, that there is no resurrection. and therefore ] In consequence of having risen from the dead he is thought to be possessed of larger powers. Alford remarks that this incidentally confirms St John’s statement (ch. Matthew 10:41 ), that John wrought no miracle while living. mighty works do shew forth themselves ] Literally, works of power are active in him .

Matthew 14:2 . παισὶν αὐτοῦ : not his sons, but his servants, i.e. , the courtiers, great men in their way, not the menials in the palace. The king would propound his odd theory in familiar talk, not in solemn conclave.— αὐτός ἐστιν , etc. It is this theory we have to thank for the narrative following, which in itself has no special connection with the evangelic history, though doubtless Christians would naturally read with interest the fate of the forerunner of Jesus. The king has the Baptist on the brain; and remarkable occurrences in the religious world recall him at once to mind. It is John! he ( αὐτὸς ) is risen; theory begotten of remorse; odd enough, but better than Pharisaic one begotten of malevolence; both witnessing to the extraordinary in Christ’s career.— διὰ τοῦτο : the living John did no miracles, but no saying what a dead one redivivus can do?— ἐνεργοῦσιν , not: he does the mighty works, but: the powers ( δυνάμεις ) work in him, the powers of the invisible world, vast and vague in the king’s imagination.

(2) This is John the Baptist. —In Matthew 16:14 , Luke 9:7-9 , this is given as one of the three opinions that were floating among the people as to our Lord’s character, the other two being, (1) that He was Elijah, and (2) that He was one of the old prophets who had risen again. The policy of the tetrarch connected him with the Sadducean priestly party rather than with the more popular and rigid Pharisees, and a comparison of Matthew 16:6 with Mark 8:15 at least suggests the identity of the “leaven of Herod” with that of the Sadducees. On this supposition, his acceptance of the first of the three rumours is every way remarkable. The superstitious terror of a conscience stained with guilt is stronger than his scepticism as a Sadducee, even though there mingled with it, as was probable enough, the wider unbelief of Roman epicureanism. To him the new Prophet, working signs and wonders which John had never worked, was but the re-appearance of the man whom he had murdered. It was more than a spectre from the unseen world, more than the metempsychosis of the soul of John into another body. It was nothing less than John himself.

2. And said unto his servants—his counsellors or court-ministers. This is John the Baptist: he is risen from the dead, &c.—The murdered prophet haunted his guilty breast like a specter and seemed to him alive again and clothed with unearthly powers in the person of Jesus. Account of the Baptist's Imprisonment and Death (Mt 14:3-12). For the exposition of this portion, see on [1301]Mr 6:17-29.

Matthew 14:2 . Παισὶν , servants ) The friends of princes are for the most part yonng.[655] In time of fear, the great speak promiscuously with the small.— ΟὟΤΟς , this ) Herod was tormented by his conscience.[656] It was not consistent with the character of such a king to arrive at an absolute decision. He concluded, but with doubt; see Luke 9:7 ; Luke 9:9 . Herod was a Sadducee; but Sadduceeism wavers when anything strange occurs. Reason [mere human reason] prefers ascribing marvellous circumstances to ancient, or at least departed saints, rather than to those who are alive; and to those whom it has once begun to esteem highly rather than to others.[657]— ἸΩΆΝΝΗς , John ) Herod had not heard of the works of Jesus before the death of John. John had not performed any miracles during his life; but because he had been a holy man, men now suppose that he must nevertheless have possessed miraculous power; cf. ch. Matthew 16:14 . So great power has the reputation of holiness even with those who are themselves unholy. Moreover, as the actions of Christ were ascribed to John even when dead, it was necessary that he should decrease in order that Christ might increase. The Greeks speak much and often of the things which our Lord’s forerunner, slain before Him, announced and preached to the dead; see Leo Allatius,[658] de libris ecclesiast. Gr. pp. 303, 304; and Wetstein[659] on the dialogue against the Marcionites, p. 33.

So do the Latins also, quoted by Ittigius[660] in his dissertation on the gospel preached to the dead, § xi.; see also Ambrose on Luke 1:17 , and Gerson’s[661] second lecture on St Mark.— ὁ βαπτιστής , the Baptist ) This surname is given to John even by Herod, even by the daughter of Herodias, even by Josephus, so celebrated was it.— αὐτὸς , he ) himself.— αἱ δυνάμεις , mighty works ) He speaks of them as objective realities.— ἐν αὐτῷ in Him ) sc. in Jesus. [655] Alluding to two of the meanings of παὶς , the one implying youth, the other attendance on a superior.—(I. B.) [656] So far was he from speaking thus in jest .—E. B. [657] John most speedily attained the consummation of his course; but those who had deprived him of life, subsequently atoned most dearly for it.—V. g. [658] LEO ALLATIUS (or ALLACCI). A laborious and indefatigable writer, of a vast memory, whose writings display great reading. Born in the Isle of Chios, of Greek parents, 1586. Having been admitted into the Greek College at Rome, he embraced the Roman Catholic religion, and was eventually appointed keeper of the Vatican library by Pope Alexander VII. Died 1669.—(I. B.) [659] The author here intended is not J. J. Wetstein, Bengel’s great critical rival, but JOHN RUDOLPH WETSTEIN, son of the author of the same name. He was a native of Basle, and became a theologian and philologist of that Academy. He was born in 1647, and died in 1711.

Ver. 1,2. This and the following history is related by Mark more largely, Mark 6:14-30 ; by Luke more shortly, Luke 9:7-9 . We heard before, that the Romans, under whom the Jews now were, had altered the government of the Jews from a kingdom to a tetrarchy, or government of four. Luke telleth us who were the tetrarchs, Luke 3:1 . Herod (as we read there) was the tetrarch of Galilee. He had before this time put John Baptist to death, upon what occasion, and in what manner, we shall hear by and by. He heareth of the fame of Jesus. Luke saith he heard of all that was done by him, and was perplexed; that some said John the Baptist was risen from the dead; others, that Elias had appeared; others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. But Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. Mark saith, Mark 6:14 , that king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad): and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. So as it seems though others had various opinions, yet Herod was fixed in this, that this man was John the Baptist risen again from the dead.

Though Luke reports him as speaking more doubtfully, (as he might do to the people), yet Matthew and Mark speak him affirming of it more confidently (probably to his courtiers and confidants). There was an opinion amongst the heathens, that the souls of men and women, when they died, went into other bodies. Some think that Herod was infected with that, and that this is the meaning of his suspicion that John was risen from the dead; that his soul, which he had forced from his body, was gone into another body, so as it might be revenged on him. Or else he thought that John was indeed raised from the dead, (which yet by search might quickly have been known), and therefore mighty works showed themselves in him.

Matthew 14:2 . Τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ ] to his slaves (comp. note on Matthew 8:6 ), who, according to Oriental ideas, are no other than his courtiers . Comp. 1 Samuel 16:17 ; 1Ma 1:6 ; 1Ma 1:8 ; 1 Maccabees 3 Esdr. Matthew 2:17 ; Diod. Sic. xvii. 36. αὐτός ] indicating by its emphasis the terror-stricken conscience: He, the veritable John . ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν ] from the dead , among whom he was dwelling in Hades. The supposition of Wetstein and Bengel, that Herod was a Sadducee (erroneously founded upon Mark 8:15 , comp. Matthew 16:6 ), is no less inconsistent with what he here says about one having risen from the dead, than the other supposition that he believed this to be a case of metempsychosis (Grotius, Gratz, von Cölln); for he assumes that not merely the soul, but that the entire personality of John, has returned. Generally speaking, we do not meet with the doctrine of transmigration among the Jews till some time after; see Delitzsch, Psychol. p. 463 f. [E. T. 545 f.]. Herod’s language is merely the result of terror, which has been awakened by an evil conscience, and which, with the inconsistency characteristic of mental bewilderment, believes something to have happened—though contrary to all expectation—which, in ordinary circumstances, was looked upon as theoretically impossible; while, again, the opinions that were circulating respecting Jesus ( Luke 9:7 f.) would suggest, in the case before us, the particular idea to which Herod here gives expression.

The Pharisaic belief in the resurrection, which was not unknown to Herod, became, in spite of himself, the psychological starting-point. διὰ τοῦτο ] on this account , because he is no ordinary man, but one risen from the dead. αἱ δυνάμεις ] the powers manifesting themselves in his miracles.