Matthew 14

Matthew 14:6

Mark vi., note [b]. ¹⁶ scandalized at: see note [c] on ch. xi.

Matthew 14:8

[a] instructed] The word προβιβάζω, saith Budæus, hath a peculiar notion for a client instructing an advocate in his cause, telling him the heads of his defence; and so it may properly signify here; and, so the Vulgar reads præmonita, that Herodias instructed her daughter, admonished her beforehand, what she should propose to the king by way of request. So in Xenophon, Ἀπομνημ. a. the masters having shewed their scholars how to do their business, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ προβιβάζουσι, “do also by words premonish them.” But besides this, Hesychius renders προβιβασθεὶς, προαχθεὶς; and in the Old Glossary, προβιβάζω, promoveo, proveho; and Suidas, προβιβάζεις, πείθεις, παραινεις; in all of these to stir up, persuade, instigate. The interpreters of the Old Testament use it for μιν, to sharpen, Deut. vi. 7, and that belongs to the same sense.

Matthew 14:9

This petition was very unacceptable to Herod, yet because he had sworn, and that it might not appear a levity or inconstancy to those that were at the feast with him when he made the oath, he gave appointment it should be so.

[b] was sorry] Of Herod’s sorrow many motives and reasons might be collected; one less observable might be, because this was his birthday feast. On such days they were wont to make merry and entertain the people, and make it holyday from all secular employments; and they took special care to avoid all ill omens, to have no quarrels nor contentions, no pleadings in foro, (Natalem colimus, tacete lites, Mart. l. 10. 87,) but especially no shedding of blood, no executions, counting it unfit to deprive any of life that day, wherein they received theirs, (Ἔθος ἦν μηδίνα κολάζειν τῶν κατακρίτων ἄχρις ἂν ἐπιφανείς, γενέθλιοι, καὶ πανηγύρεις, &c. διεξέλθωσι, saith Philo against Flaccus; and if any hanged on the gallows or cross before, they were then to be taken down. This was done by the pagans, lest they should offend, or sadden or displease their genius; and Herod, being more than half a pagan, might well have this cause of grief, and so be troubled to do this on John Baptist this day. But beyond this, two other reasons of Herod’s sorrow are set down by the evangelists, on Mark vi. 20, where it is said, Herod feared John, and looked upon him as a just and holy man; and thereupon reformed many things upon his instance, and took

Matthew 14:12

And John’s disciples took care of his burial; and that being done came to Jesus, whose forerunner John was, and told him what had befallen John, and (probably) continued with him as his disciples. ¶ that the same might not befall him before he had fulfilled his office, for which he was sent, (see ch. xii. 15,) he departed by ship from thence, taking none but his disciples with him, and went to a place which was not inhabited; and when the people heard whither he was gone, they took a compass by land, and came to him thither. ‘was so kind, as not to conceal himself from them any longer, but came to them, and when he was come, he healed— ’the time of evening, when every one gets him to his inn and provides for his supper, is already past; send— ¹ lay, evermore than. P 2

Matthew 14:19

[c] blessed] That εὐλογεῖν, to bless, signifies to give thanks, is sufficiently known; and the same is otherwise expressed by praising, glorifying, singing, confessing, calves of lips, but especially giving thanks; and two of them together, ἐν χάριτι ᾤδοντες, Col. iii. 16, with thanks-giving, singing, or praising. The only difficulty here is, whether the verb εὐλόγησε, he blessed, be to be rendered so as to join with the bread and fishes, or with the word God understood, that is, whether it be, he gave thanks to God, or he blessed the bread, &c., praying for God’s blessing upon them. The sense in either notion will be much the same; for if he blessed, or gave thanks to God, he is to be supposed also to have prayed for his blessing upon them; and so if he gave thanks, or prayed for blessing on them, it must be to God that this was performed. But the use of the phrase in the New Testament inclines it (both here and Mark vi. 41, and viii. 7.) to the latter notion, that of blessing the bread, giving thanks for it; for so 1 Cor. x. 16, where it hath an accusative case joined with it, it is ποτήριον, the cup, or pot, the cup of blessing, ὁ εὐλογοῦμεν, which we bless, which makes it necessary to render the word in that place, not to give thanks simply, but to bless, that is, by giving of thanks to separate or consecrate it to a holy use; as when, Gen. ii. 3. it is said of God, that he hallowed the seventh day, and blessed it. Thus 1 Sam. ix. 13, we read εὐλογεῖν τὴν θυσίαν, to bless the sacrifice, that is, by giving thanks to God to consecrate it. And so Luke ix. 16, it is clearly (without the notion of any extraordinary consecration) of the loaves and fishes, εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς, he blessed them, and brake, &c. And this is ἀγιάζειν, to sanctify with prayer, &c., 1 Tim. iv. 5, which belongs to the use of every creature, and not only of those which are consecrated to a peculiar use in the service of God.

Matthew 14:22

Upon this the multitudes designing to take him and proclaim him king, John vi. 15, he presently sent his disciples before him by sea to the wilderness, Mark vi. 32, (which was on the same side with Bethsaida and Capernaum, whither it seems they went, John vi. 17,) that so he might quietly dismiss the multitude. towards the morning Jesus— the evening being ended.

Matthew 14:23

[d] evening] The different signification of ὀψίας γενομένης, the evening being come, in this verse, from the same phrase, ver. 15, may be observed; for betwixt that and this, the people were set to supper, and risen again, the disciples sent to take boat, and the multitudes dismissed by Christ; and all that being done, Jesus goes by himself to the mount to pray; and then after that it follows, ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, the evening being come. The sure way of understanding this must be by comparing these passages with the relations of the other evangelists. St. John assigns not any part of the day to the former part of the action, but to the latter he doth, John vi. 16, ὡς δὲ ὀψία ἐγένετο, when the evening was come. St. Mark in the first place hath a different phrase, ἤδη ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένης, much time being now spent, ch. vi. 35; and St. Luke another, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤρξατο κλίνειν, ch. ix. 12, now the day began to wane. In the latter place, St. Mark reads with St. Matthew, ὀψίας γενομένης, evening being come; and St. Luke proceeds not to that part of the story. By this it is clear, that the latitude of the word ὀψία, which we render evening, is it which must reconcile the seeming difference. The evening and the morning were the first day, saith Moses, and so it is clear that the ὀψία signifies all from the beginning of the evening till