Matthew14

Herod the tetrarch, believing Jesus to be John the Baptist risen, recounts John's beheading at the request of Herodias' daughter. Following this, Jesus miraculously feeds over five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes. Later, he walks on water to his disciples during a storm, where Peter briefly attempts to join him before sinking due to doubt, and Jesus calms the wind.

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Herod Executes John the Baptist

¶ At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¶ When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

He said, Bring them hither to me.

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Sea

¶ And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Healings in Gennesaret

¶ And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Study Notes for Matthew 14

Verse 1

Herod the tetrarch is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, who ruled Galilee and Perea. His hearing of Jesus’ fame is framed by his guilty conscience concerning John.

Verse 2

Herod’s belief that Jesus is John risen from the dead reveals his superstitious fear and paranoia, suggesting that the power of John’s prophetic ministry continued to haunt him.

Verse 3

Herod Antipas had illegally married Herodias, the wife of his half-brother (also named Philip). This incestuous and adulterous union was a violation of Mosaic Law (Lev. 18:16).

Verse 4

John the Baptist, acting as a true prophet, publicly denounced the moral failures of the ruling class, confronting the king directly and leading to his imprisonment.

Verse 5

Herod was a political pragmatist; he feared executing John not out of moral conviction but because the masses held John to be a prophet and might revolt.

Verse 8

A 'charger' is a large platter or serving dish. This detail emphasizes the brutality and public nature of the execution, demanded by Herodias to satisfy her vengeful hatred.

Verse 9

Herod regretted the command, not out of repentance, but due to political fear and the solemnity of his public oath, which he felt obligated to keep for the sake of his guests.

Verse 12

The action of John's disciples telling Jesus links the ministry of the forerunner directly to the Messiah, signifying the transition of the prophetic movement to Jesus.

Verse 13

Jesus sought solitude, likely to mourn John’s death and to rest from intense ministry. The crowds’ persistence demonstrates the depth of their need and their eagerness to follow him.

Verse 14

Jesus was 'moved with compassion' (splagchnizomai), a deep, visceral emotion that drives his ministry, leading him first to heal the sick before addressing their hunger.

Verse 16

Jesus’ command, 'give ye them to eat,' challenges the disciples to confront their own limitations and rely entirely upon his power, serving as a critical lesson in discipleship.

Verse 19

The actions of blessing, breaking, and giving the bread strongly echo the language later used to describe the Last Supper (Matt. 26:26), identifying Jesus as the provider of true sustenance.

Verse 20

The collection of twelve baskets of fragments symbolizes the superabundance of the miracle and may allude to the twelve tribes of Israel, indicating that the Messianic provision is complete.

Verse 22

Jesus urgently ‘constrained’ the disciples to leave, possibly to dismiss the crowd before they attempted to make him a political king following the miraculous feeding (cf. John 6:15).

Verse 23

Jesus models the necessity of spiritual devotion by withdrawing to pray in solitude after intense public ministry and a significant emotional event (John’s death).

Verse 25

The 'fourth watch of the night' (3:00 AM to 6:00 AM) emphasizes the disciples' prolonged difficulty and danger, highlighting Jesus’ timely and sovereign intervention.

Verse 26

The disciples’ initial reaction—crying out that Jesus was a ghost—shows they recognized the supernatural nature of the event but failed to recognize the unique, divine identity of the one controlling the sea.

Verse 28

Peter’s request demonstrates characteristic impulsiveness mixed with genuine, though imperfect, faith, seeking experiential confirmation of Jesus’ divine authority.

Verse 30

Peter began to sink when he shifted his focus from Jesus’ command to the power of the natural storm, illustrating the fragility of faith when attention is diverted by earthly fears.

Verse 31

The term 'O thou of little faith' (oligopistos) is a gentle rebuke, not of unbelief, but of wavering or incomplete trust when facing a trial.

Verse 33

This confession, 'Of a truth thou art the Son of God,' is the highest declaration of Jesus’ identity made by the disciples up to this point, prompted by His demonstration of divine power over creation.

Verse 34

Gennesaret was a fertile plain on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus resumed his ministry of healing, confirming his authority to the surrounding area.

Verse 36

The desire to touch the 'hem of his garment' reflects a belief in the healing power emanating from Jesus, possibly referencing the Jewish tradition regarding the symbolic power of the tzitzit (fringes).

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Matthew14

Herod Executes John the Baptist

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Jesus Walks on the Sea

Healings in Gennesaret

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