1Herod's opinion of Christ. 3The cause and manner of John the Baptist's death. 13Jesus departeth into a desert place, and feedeth there five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes. 22He walketh on the sea to his disciples: 34and landing at Gennesaret healeth the sick who touched but the hem of his garment.
1AT thata time 1Herod the 2tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
a Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7.
1 This was a son of Herod the Great and was surnamed Antipas.
2 Gr. tetrarches, that is, a ruler over the fourth part of a kingdom. For, after the death of Herod the Great his kingdom was divided amongst his sons by the Emperor Augustus, of which almost half, namely, Judea, Samaria and Idumæa, had the oldest son Archelaus; one fourth part, namely Galilee and the land beyond Jordan, this Herod. And the last fourth part, namely Ituræa and Trachonitis, had Philip, the youngest son. See Mat. 2:22; Luke 3:1, 19 and in Josephus, Antiq. lib. 17, cap. 13. These tetrarchs are also called kings, because they ruled as kings. See verse 9. Mark 6:14; Acts 25:24.
2And 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.
3¶Forb3Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for 4Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip's wife.
b Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19.
3 This history is related here by occasion, although it happened before. See Mat. 4:12.
4 This Herodias was the wife of Philip, the brother of Herod, by whom she, being deceived, forsook her husband, and in his life time was taken to wife by Herod. See Josephus, Antiq. lib. 18, cap. 7, 9.
4For John said unto him, Itc is not lawful for thee 5to have her.
c Lev. 18:16.
5 Namely, to wife.
5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, becaused they counted him as a prophet.
d Mat. 21:26.
6But when Herod’s 6birthdaye was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
6 Of such keeping the birthday, we have one more example, Gen. 40:20.
e Gen. 40:20; Mark 6:21.
7Whereuponf he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
f Judges 11:30.
8And she, being 7before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.g
7 Or, being stirred up and being incited, after that she had asked her mother’s advice about it, Mark 6:24.
g dish, large plate*
9And the king was 8sorry: nevertheless for 9the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
8 Not so much for John’s sake, but for the displeasure of the people which he feared.
9 Namely, which he had unlawfully made to this immodest dancer, verse 7.
10And he 10sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
10 Namely, a body-guard or executioner, as may be seen, Mark 6:27.
11And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13¶Whenh Jesus heard of it, he 11departed thence by ship into a desert place 12apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him 13on foot out of the cities.
h Mat. 12:15; Mark 6:31; Luke 9:10.
11 Not only to avoid the danger, seeing His hour was not yet come, but also because His disciples had need of rest, Mark 6:30, 31.
12 Or, out of the way, on the one side.
13 For, Christ was not passed unto the other side of the sea, but over a bay, abiding on the same side where they could follow Him on foot.
14Andi Jesus went forth, and saw a 14great multitude, and wasj moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
i John 6:5.
14 That is, that there was much people.
j Mat. 9:36.
15¶Andk when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and 15the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.l
k Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12.
15 Gr. the hour, namely, to take meat or food, nor the time of day to hold up the people any longer.
l food*
16But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18He said, Bring them hither to me.
19And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he 16blessed,m and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
16 The Greek word indeed sometimes signifies to give thanks, but must here be taken for to bless, which is joined with thanksgiving, as is to be seen, Luke 9:16, which blessing was done by a special prayer, that these loaves might suffice for the satisfying of all, 1 Tim. 4:4, 5.
m 1 Sam. 9:13.
20And they did all eat, and were filled: and 17they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
17 Namely, the disciples of Christ, as appears from John 6:12.
21And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
22¶Andn straightway Jesus 18constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
n Mark 6:45; John 6:17.
18 Namely, with earnest words, because they were unwilling to part from Him.
23Ando when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain 19apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
o Mark 6:46; John 6:15.
19 See the thirteenth verse.
24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, 20tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
20 Gr. tormented, that is, very much tossed or beaten by the waves.
25And in the fourth 21watchp of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
21 The night was then divided into four watches, each of three hours whereof the fourth ended with the day. Therefore the same was also called the morning-watch, Exod. 14:24; 1 Sam. 11:11. See Luke 12:38.
p 3:00AM to 6:00AM
26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a 22spirit; and they cried out for fear.
22 That is, a spirit appearing in a bodily shape.
27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is 23I; be not afraid.
23 Namely, in truth, and it is no apparition or ghost.
28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou 24doubt?
24 Or, waver.
32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34¶Andq when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
q Mark 6:53.
35And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36And besought him that they might only touch the 25hem of his garment: and as many as 26touched were made perfectly whole.
25 Namely, for a sign that they would be helped by Him; not that they ascribed such virtue to the hem. See the like, Mat. 9:20, 21.
26 Namely, the hem.