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Matthew Chapter 14

New Testament Gospel 36 Verses

What is Matthew 14 about?

The Gospel for a Jewish audience — Jesus as Messiah-King, fulfillment of OT prophecy, and teacher of the Sermon on the Mount. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1At that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
2and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore do these powers work in him.
3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip`s wife.
4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6But when Herod`s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod.
7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask.
8And she, being put forward by her mother, saith, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.
9And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given;
10and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
11And his head was brought on a platter, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
12And his disciples came, and took up the corpse, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
13Now when Jesus heard [it], he withdrew from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard [thereof,] they followed him on foot from the cities.
14And he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15And when even was come, the disciples came to him, saying, The place is desert, and the time is already past; send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.
16But Jesus said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat.
17And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18And he said, Bring them hither to me.
19And he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
20And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
21And they that did eat were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away.
23And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone.
24But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves; for the wind was contrary.
25And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea.
26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear.
27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto the upon the waters.
29And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, unto Gennesaret.
35And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into all that region round about, and brought unto him all that were sick,
36and they besought him that they might only touch the border of his garment: and as many as touched were made whole.
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What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 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 f824 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 (<410614>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…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“HEROD THINKS JESUS A RESURRECTION OF THE MURDERED BAPTIST--ACCOUNT OF HIS IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH. ( = Mark 6:14-29; Luk 9:7-9). (Mat 14:1-12) At that time Herod the tetrarch--Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great, and own brother of Archelaus (Mat 2:22), who ruled as ethnarch over Galilee and Perea. heard of the fame of Jesus--"for His name was spread abroad" (Mar 6:14).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“Herod the tetrarch - See also Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9. This was a son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great died probably in the first year after the birth of Christ, and left his kingdom to his three sons, of whom this “Herod Antipas” was one. He ruled over Galilee and Perea. See the notes at Matthew 2:15. The title “tetrarch” literally denotes one who rules over a “fourth” part of any country. It came, however, to signify the governor or ruler of any province subject to the Roman emperor - Robinson, Lexicon. Heard of the fame of Jesus - Jesus had been a considerable time engaged in the work of the ministry, and…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“At that time - When our Lord had spent about a year in his public ministry. Tetrarch - King of a fourth part of his father's dominions. Mar 6:14. Matthew 14:2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“14:1 Herod Antipas’s official title was tetrarch (ruler of a fourth part of a kingdom) of Galilee and Perea (4 BC—AD 39; see 2:19-22). Jesus referred to Antipas as “that fox” (Luke 13:32), and John the Baptist justly condemned him for adultery (Matt 14:3-12; Luke 3:19-20).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“Herod: This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, by Malthace, and tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, which produced a revenue of 200 talents a year. He married the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, whom he divorced in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living. Aretas, to revenge the affront which Herod had offered his daughter, declared war against him, and vanquished him after an obstinate engagement. This defeat, Josephus assures us, the Jews considered as a punishment for the death of John the Baptist. Having gone to Rome to solicit the title of king, he was accused…”
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