SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:1
¶ En aquel tiempo Herodes el tetrarca oy la fama de Jess,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 14:1
Verse 1. Herod the tetrarch] This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. See the notes on chap. ii. 1, where an account is given of the Herod family. The word tetrarch properly signifies a person who rules over the fourth part of a country; but it is taken in a more general sense by the Jewish writers, meaning sometimes a governor simply, or a king; see ver. 9. The estates of Herod the Great were not, at his death, divided into four tetrarchies, but only into three: one was given by the Emperor Augustus to Archelaus; the second to Herod Antipas, the person in the text; and the third to Philip: all three, sons of Herod the Great.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. At that time Herod the tetrarch , etc.] 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 rightly observes, Herod Antipater, whom they call yqrtyj , the tetrarch; the son of Herod the First, and brother of Archelaus, and the third king of the family of Herod. And though he is here called a tetrarch, he is in ( Mark 6:14) called a king: the reason of his being styled a tetrarch was this; his father Herod divided his large kingdom into four parts, and bequeathed them to his sons, which was confirmed by the Roman senate: Archelaus reigned in Judea in his stead; upon whose decease, that part was put under the care of a Roman governor; who, when John the Baptist began to preach, was Pontius Pilate; this same Herod here spoken of, being tetrarch of Galilee, which was the part assigned him; and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea, and of the region of Trachonitis; and Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene, ( Luke 3:1) the word tetrarch: signifying one that has the fourth part of government: and in Munsters Hebrew Gospel, he is called one of the four princes; and in the Arabic version, a prince of the fourth part; and in the Persic, a governor of the fourth part of the kingdom.
The time referred to, was after the death of John the Baptist; and when Christ had been for a good while, and in many places, preaching and working miracles; the particular instant which respect is had unto, is the sending forth of the twelve disciples to preach and work miracles; and which might serve the more to spread the fame of Christ, and which reached the court of Herod; who, it is said here, heard of the fame of Jesus : what a wonderful preacher he was, and what mighty things were done by him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - The terror and reproach of conscience, which Herod, like other darin offenders, could not shake off, are proofs and warnings of a futur judgment, and of future misery to them. But there may be the terror of convictions, where there is not the truth of conversion. When me pretend to favour the gospel, yet live in evil, we must not favou their self-delusion, but must deliver our consciences as John did. The world may call this rudeness and blind zeal. False professors, or timi Christians, may censure it as want of civility; but the most powerfu enemies can go no further than the Lord sees good to permit. Hero feared that the putting of John to death might raise a rebellion amon the people, which it did not; but he never feared it might stir up his own conscience against him, which it did. Men fear being hanged for what they do not fear being damned for. And times of carnal mirth an jollity are convenient times for carrying on bad designs against God' people. Herod would profusely reward a worthless dance, whil imprisonment and death were the recompence of the man of God who sough the salvation of his soul. But there was real malice to John beneat his consent, or else Herod would have found ways to get clear of his promise. When the under shepherds are smitten, the sheep need not be scattered while they have the Great Shepherd to go to. And it is bette to be drawn to Christ by want and loss, than not to come to him at all.
Greek Textus Receptus
εν 1722 PREP εκεινω 1565 D-DSM τω 3588 T-DSM καιρω 2540 N-DSM ηκουσεν 191 5656 V-AAI-3S ηρωδης 2264 N-NSM ο 3588 T-NSM τετραρχης 5076 N-NSM την 3588 T-ASF ακοην 189 N-ASF ιησου 2424 N-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Tetrarch. A ruler of a fourth part. Archelaus had obtained two-fourths of his father's dominions, and Antipas (this Herod) and Philip each one-fourth.The fame (akohn). Better as Rev., report. Lit., hearing.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:1 {Herod the tetrarch} (Herwides tetraarches). Herod Antipas ruler of Galilee and Perea, one-fourth of the dominion of Herod the Great. {The report concerning Jesus} (ten akouen iesou). See on 4:24. Cognate accusative, heard the hearing (rumour), objective genitive. It is rather surprising that he had not heard of Jesus before.
