ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 14
The Death of John the Baptist
14 v At that time w Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, x “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For y Herod had seized John and bound him and z put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, [1] 4 because John had been saying to him, a “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, b he feared the people, because they held him to be c a prophet. 6 But when Herod's d birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And e his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 Now when Jesus heard this, f he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he g saw a great crowd, and g he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; h send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; i you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, j he looked up to heaven and k said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 l Immediately he m made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, n he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When o evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way [2] from the land, [3] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And l in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, p they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, q “Take heart; it is I. q Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and r walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, [4] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, s “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, t “O you of little faith, why did you u doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, s the wind ceased. 33 And v those in the boat w worshiped him, saying, x “Truly you are y the Son of God.”
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34 z And when they had crossed over, they came to land at a Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and b brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch c the fringe of his garment. And d as many as touched it were made well.
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Matt. 13:54–16:20 The Identity of the Messiah Revealed. This section marks a major new emphasis in Matthew's narrative as Jesus' messianic identity is increasingly clarified.
Matt. 13:54–14:12 Prophet(s) without Honor. Jesus is rejected at Nazareth (13:54–58); John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod Antipas (14:1–12).
Matt. 14:1 Herod the tetrarch. Herod Antipas was the Roman ruler over the region where Jesus ministered. He was only 17 years old when his father, Herod the Great, died. The kingdom was divided among three of Herod's sons—Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip II (see note on 2:22). Herod Antipas was made tetrarch (the ruler of a fourth part of a kingdom) of Galilee and Perea and had a long rule (4 b.c.–a.d. 39).
Matt. 14:2 This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead. Herod Antipas's reaction at hearing of Jesus' ministry reveals a curious blend of theology and superstition, based partly on semi-pagan ideas of returning spirits.
Matt. 14:3–4 For Herod had seized John. Verses 3–12 are a historical flashback. Herod Antipas had fallen in love with Herodias, the wife of his half brother Herod Philip I (not the tetrarch Philip mentioned in Luke 3:1), even though both were married at the time. Herodias divorced Herod Philip I and Herod Antipas divorced his wife (the daughter of the Nabatean king, Aretas IV), and they were married. John the Baptist had publicly condemned Herod Antipas for his actions (it is not lawful for you to have her). Josephus reports that John the Baptist was imprisoned at Herod Antipas's fortress-palace called Machaerus (Jewish Antiquities 18.116–119; cf. the description in Jewish War 7.164–177), which was a fortress built atop a steep hill east of where the Jordan River flows into the north end of the Dead Sea. It had been fortified by the Hasmonean Jewish kings (2nd century b.c.), destroyed by the Romans (c. 56 b.c.), and rebuilt as a palace by Herod the Great. Archaeological investigation has delineated the Herodian palace enclosure, including a cistern from this era.
Matt. 14:6–7 When Herod's birthday came a great celebration was held in his honor at the palace at Machaerus. Herodias had her daughter (named Salome in Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 18.136) perform a dance for Herod Antipas. She was only 12 to 14 years old, but in that debased setting it likely was a sensual dance, which pleased Herod.
Matt. 14:8 Prompted by her mother. Herodias steps in to eliminate the accusing voice of John the Baptist, a threat to her husband's reign.
Matt. 14:12 disciples. John's disciples had remained loyal to him throughout his imprisonment. They now devotedly cared for his burial, since all of John's family was quite likely deceased by this time (cf. “advanced in years,” Luke 1:7).
Matt. 14:13–21 Compassionate Healer and Supplier for Israel. Jesus begins his withdrawal from Galilee (vv. 13–14) and feeds the 5,000 (vv. 15–21)—the only miracle from Jesus' earthly ministry recorded in all four Gospels.
Matt. 14:13 withdrew. See note on 12:15.
Matt. 14:15–21 Having followed Jesus to a desolate place, the great crowd (v. 14) is stranded late in the day without food. The scene recalls the nation of Israel wandering in the wilderness after the exodus, and God's gracious provision of manna for his people. The explicit mention of twelve baskets left over may symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel as well as the abundance of God's provision. They all ate and were satisfied may also be a prefiguring of the messianic banquet in the kingdom at the end of the age (cf. 8:11). loaves . . . fish. Staple foods of bread and dried or pickled fish, ideal for short journeys into the hills. The loaves were small cakes sufficient for one person's afternoon meal. looked up to heaven. A typical posture for prayer (cf. John 17:1). Jesus said a blessing for the meal miraculously provided by God the Father—a fitting practice for all who trust the Father for the daily provision of their needs (see Matt. 6:11). five thousand men, besides women and children. The total number may have included 10,000 or more. Jesus is the new and better Moses, who supplies the needs of his people.
Matt. 14:22–36 The Son of God Worshiped. Jesus walks on the water (vv. 22–27), saving Peter and calming the storm (vv. 28–32), with the result that the disciples worship Jesus as the Son of God (v. 33). After the storm, the Son of God heals at Gennesaret (vv. 34–36).
Matt. 14:22 other side. See note on 8:28.
Matt. 14:23 by himself to pray. In preparation for his mission into Gentile regions (see 15:21), and with his trials in Jerusalem impending, Jesus spends the evening and night in concentrated prayer with his heavenly Father.
Matt. 14:24 long way from the land. The disciples are probably about 3 miles (4.8 km) out into the lake (cf. John 6:19), which would have been 4–5 miles (6.4–8.0 km) wide at that point, depending on exactly where they crossed (cf. Matt. 14:34; also John 6:17).
Matt. 14:25 fourth watch. The Roman military divided the night into four watches of three hours each, from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. The fourth watch would have been between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., which means the disciples had been battling the storm for over nine hours (cf. “by this time,” v. 24).
Matt. 14:26 Ghost represents phantasma, a Greek term for spirit appearances or apparitions. The disciples may have thought an evil spirit was trying to deceive them.
Matt. 14:27 It is I (Gk. egō eimi, lit., “I am”) may recall Yahweh's voice from the burning bush (Ex. 3:14), which when spoken now by Jesus provides assurance to the disciples of the Lord's presence in their midst as Savior (cf. Isa. 43:10–13).
Matt. 14:28–33 Lord. By walking on water in a furious storm, Jesus demonstrates that he indeed is the Lord over all creation, and so there is no need to be afraid (v. 27) or to doubt (v. 32). The only fitting response is to worship Jesus and to acknowledge that truly he is the Son of God, which is the only time in Matthew that the disciples use this full title to address Jesus.
Matt. 14:34 Gennesaret. Either the town or the plain on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, south of Capernaum, known for its fertile soil and abundance of walnuts, figs, and olives.
Matt. 14:35–36 recognized. There is no record of any prior ministry by Jesus in Gennesaret, but its people had certainly heard about him, knowing that even touching the fringe of his garment could bring healing.
