Herod
the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
Luke 3:19-20
Luke 3 [15.] As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ, John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Luke 3 [18.] Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people, but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
Meaning:
Luke has been describing the ministry of John the Baptizer: his call to repentance, his practical teaching to crowds, tax collectors and soldiers, and his announcement of one mightier than himself who would baptize “in the Holy Spirit and fire”. Before he tells of Jesus’ baptism, Luke briefly jumps ahead to the end of John’s ministry. In two verses he explains how John’s preaching brought him into conflict with the ruler of Galilee.
- “Herod the tetrarch”
This is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, who ruled Galilee and Perea under Roman authority. Antipas would appear again in the Gospels: he beheaded John (Matthew 14:9-13), and he later wondered whether Jesus was John raised from the dead (Matthew 14:1-2).
- “Being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife”
Herodias had been married to Herod’s brother Philip, and Herod had taken her as his wife. Mark records John’s words to Herod: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18). The Law of Moses said plainly, “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness” (Leviticus 18:16). The marriage was a public scandal, because the ruler was openly breaking God’s law.
- “And for all the evil things which Herod had done”
Luke makes clear that John’s rebuke was not only about one marriage. John spoke against “all the evil things” Herod had done. He was not a court prophet who told the ruler what he wanted to hear. He applied God’s standards to a powerful man’s whole life, as he applied them to tax collectors and soldiers in the same chapter. Scripture values such honest correction: “One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue” (Proverbs 28:23).
- “Added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison”
Herod did not repent. Instead he added one more sin to his list by imprisoning the messenger. Mark explains that “Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him”, but Herod protected John for a time because he “feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man” (Mark 6:19-20). In the end, John was beheaded in prison (Matthew 14:10).
Luke places this note here so that his story can turn fully to Jesus. The very next verses describe Jesus’ baptism, the opening of the sky, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the Father’s voice: “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22). John decreases; Jesus increases.
The Significance of Luke 3:19-20
- Faithful rebuke
John shows that God’s messengers must speak to the powerful as well as to the weak. Paul urged Timothy, “preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Believers are told, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).
- Adding sin to sin
Herod responded to a rebuke by silencing the one who gave it. When our conscience is pricked by God’s word, the right response is repentance, not anger toward the messenger.
Cross-References:
Mark 6:18: "It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife." John’s words to Herod.
Leviticus 18:16: "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife." The law Herod broke.
Proverbs 28:23: "One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue." The value of honest correction.
Conclusion: Luke briefly records that Herod the tetrarch, rebuked by John for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all his other evil deeds, added to his sins by shutting John up in prison. The passage honors John’s courage in confronting a ruler with God’s law and warns against answering correction by silencing the one who gives it.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible