The
king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given, and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother. His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
Matthew 14:9-13
Matthew 14 [1.] At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.” For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask. She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”
Matthew 14 [9.] The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given, and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother. His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
Matthew 14 [14.] Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”
Meaning:
At Herod’s birthday feast the daughter of Herodias had danced, and Herod had sworn to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptizer on a platter (Matthew 14:1-8). These verses tell how the request was carried out, how John’s disciples honored their teacher, and how Jesus responded to the news.
- “The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths”
Herod was sorry, but not sorry enough to do what was right. Mark says, “The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her” (Mark 6:26). He was more afraid of losing face before his nobles than of shedding innocent blood. An oath to do evil is not binding before God; keeping it only adds a second sin to the first. “The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:25).
Scripture records a similar tragedy in the story of Jephthah, who rashly vowed to offer up whatever came out of his house to meet him, and then saw his only daughter come out (Judges 11:30-31). Both men were trapped by their own words, but Herod’s victim was a prophet of God.
- “He sent and beheaded John in the prison”
John was killed without a trial, out of sight, in a prison cell. Josephus places his imprisonment at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea, where Herod also had a palace. The man whom Jesus called the greatest among those born of women (Matthew 11:10-11) died because a ruler did not want to look weak at a party. The head was carried in on a platter, handed to the girl, and given to her mother.
God’s view of such a death is very different from the world’s: “Precious in Yahweh’s sight is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). Jesus had told his followers, “Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). Herod could take John’s life, but not his reward.
- “His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it”
John’s disciples showed courage and love by claiming the body and laying it in a tomb (Mark 6:29). Then they went and told Jesus. This is fitting, because John had always pointed beyond himself: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). In their grief, John’s followers turned to the one John had announced.
John’s death also foreshadowed what lay ahead for Jesus. Later Jesus said that Elijah had already come in the person of John, and that people “did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them” (Matthew 17:12).
- “He withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart”
Jesus heard the news and withdrew. Mark also connects this journey with the return of the apostles, to whom Jesus said, “You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile” (Mark 6:30-31). Jesus felt grief; at the tomb of Lazarus he wept (John 11:35). He also knew that Herod was now curious about him. His time to suffer had not yet come, so he withdrew. Yet the crowds followed on foot, and his quiet retreat would soon become the setting for the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:14-21).
The Significance of Matthew 14:9-13
- Doing right when it costs face
Herod knew that killing John was wrong, yet he did it to save his reputation. When keeping a promise or pleasing others would mean doing evil, the right course is to break the sinful promise and accept the embarrassment.
- Faithful to the end
John died as he had lived, faithful to God’s truth. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew 5:11). Faithfulness is measured by God, not by the world’s verdict.
- Bringing grief to Jesus
John’s disciples brought their loss to Jesus, and Jesus himself sought a quiet place. In times of sorrow we can do the same: tell him everything and seek time alone with God.
Cross-References:
Mark 6:26: "The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her." Mark’s parallel account.
Proverbs 29:25: "The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe." Herod’s trap.
Psalm 116:15: "Precious in Yahweh’s sight is the death of his saints." God’s view of John’s death.
Conclusion: Herod regretted his promise but kept it to save face, and John the Baptizer was beheaded in prison. His disciples buried him and told Jesus, who withdrew to a deserted place, though the crowds soon followed. The passage exposes the snare of the fear of people, honors the faithfulness of a prophet who died for the truth, and points ahead to the suffering of Jesus himself.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible