Matthew 14
14
John the Baptist’s Head Is Cut Off
1At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee and Perea, heard reports about Jesus. 2He said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead! That is why he has the power to do miracles.”
3Herod had arrested John. He had tied him up and put him in prison because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. 4John had been saying to Herod, “It is against the Law for you to have her as your wife.” 5Herod wanted to kill John. But he was afraid of the people, because they thought John was a prophet.
6On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased Herod very much. 7So he promised to give her anything she asked for. 8Her mother told her what to say. So the girl said to Herod, “Give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate.” 9The king was very upset. But he thought of his promise and his dinner guests. So he told one of his men to give her what she asked for. 10Herod had John’s head cut off in the prison. 11His head was brought in on a big plate and given to the girl. She then carried it to her mother. 12John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
13Jesus heard what had happened to John. He wanted to be alone. So he went in a boat to a quiet place. The crowds heard about this. They followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. He healed their sick people.
15When it was almost evening, the disciples came to him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “It’s already getting late. Send the crowds away. They can go and buy some food in the villages.”
16Jesus replied, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17“We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18“Bring them here to me,” he said. 19Then Jesus directed the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the people. 20All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces. 21The number of men who ate was about 5,000. Women and children also ate.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22Right away Jesus made the disciples get into the boat. He had them go on ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Then he sent the crowd away. 23After he had sent them away, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone. 24The boat was already a long way from land. It was being pounded by the waves because the wind was blowing against it.
25Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to the disciples. He walked on the lake. 26They saw him walking on the lake and were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said. And they cried out in fear.
27Right away Jesus called out to them, “Be brave! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28“Lord, is it you?” Peter asked. “If it is, tell me to come to you on the water.”
29“Come,” Jesus said.
So Peter got out of the boat. He walked on the water toward Jesus. 30But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid. He began to sink. He cried out, “Lord! Save me!”
31Right away Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “Your faith is so small!” he said. “Why did you doubt me?”
32When they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those in the boat worshiped Jesus. They said, “You really are the Son of God!”
34They crossed over the lake and landed at Gennesaret. 35The men who lived there recognized Jesus. So they sent a message all over the nearby countryside. People brought all those who were sick to Jesus. 36They begged him to let those who were sick just touch the edge of his clothes. And all who touched his clothes were healed.
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Matthew 14: NIrV
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Matthew 14
14
Herod’s Opinion of Jesus. 1#The murder of the Baptist by Herod Antipas prefigures the death of Jesus (see Mt 17:12). The Marcan source (Mk 6:14–29) is much reduced and in some points changed. In Mark Herod reveres John as a holy man and the desire to kill him is attributed to Herodias (Mk 6:19, 20), whereas here that desire is Herod’s from the beginning (Mt 14:5). #Mk 6:14–29. At that time Herod the tetrarch#Herod the tetrarch: Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. When the latter died, his territory was divided among three of his surviving sons, Archelaus who received half of it (Mt 2:23), Herod Antipas who became ruler of Galilee and Perea, and Philip who became ruler of northern Transjordan. Since he received a quarter of his father’s domain, Antipas is accurately designated tetrarch (“ruler of a fourth [part]”), although in Mt 14:9 Matthew repeats the “king” of his Marcan source (Mk 6:26). #Lk 9:7–9. heard of the reputation of Jesus#Lk 3:1. 2and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
The Death of John the Baptist. 3#Lk 3:19–20. Now Herod had arrested John, bound [him], and put him in prison on account of Herodias,#Herodias was not the wife of Herod’s half-brother Philip but of another half-brother, Herod Boethus. The union was prohibited by Lv 18:16; 20:21. According to Josephus (Antiquities 18:116–19), Herod imprisoned and then executed John because he feared that the Baptist’s influence over the people might enable him to lead a rebellion. the wife of his brother Philip, 4#Lv 18:16; 20:21. for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5#21:26. Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. 6But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod 7so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, 10and he had John beheaded in the prison. 11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
The Return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand.#The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus that is recounted in all four gospels. The principal reason for that may be that it was seen as anticipating the Eucharist and the final banquet in the kingdom (Mt 8:11; 26:29), but it looks not only forward but backward, to the feeding of Israel with manna in the desert at the time of the Exodus (Ex 16), a miracle that in some contemporary Jewish expectation would be repeated in the messianic age (2 Bar 29:8). It may also be meant to recall Elisha’s feeding a hundred men with small provisions (2 Kgs 4:42–44). 13#15:32–38; Mk 6:32–44; Lk 9:10–17; Jn 6:1–13. When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 14When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16[Jesus] said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” 17But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking#The taking, saying the blessing, breaking, and giving to the disciples correspond to the actions of Jesus over the bread at the Last Supper (Mt 26:26). Since they were usual at any Jewish meal, that correspondence does not necessarily indicate a eucharistic reference here. Matthew’s silence about Jesus’ dividing the fish among the people (Mk 6:41) is perhaps more significant in that regard. the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over#The fragments left over: as in Elisha’s miracle, food was left over after all had been fed. The word fragments (Greek klasmata) is used, in the singular, of the broken bread of the Eucharist in Didache 9:3–4.—twelve wicker baskets full. 21Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
The Walking on the Water.#The disciples, laboring against the turbulent sea, are saved by Jesus. For his power over the waters, see note on Mt 8:26. Here that power is expressed also by his walking on the sea (Mt 14:25; cf. Ps 77:20; Jb 9:8). Matthew has inserted into the Marcan story (Mk 6:45–52) material that belongs to his special traditions on Peter (Mt 14:28–31). 22#Mk 6:45–52; Jn 6:16–21. Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23#Mk 1:35; Lk 5:16; 6:12. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. 24Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 25During the fourth watch of the night,#The fourth watch of the night: between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. The Romans divided the twelve hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. into four equal parts called “watches.” he came toward them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I;#It is I: see note on Mk 6:50. do not be afraid.” 28Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30#8:25–26. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,#You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Why did you doubt?: the verb is peculiar to Matthew and occurs elsewhere only in Mt 28:17. why did you doubt?” 32After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 33#This confession is in striking contrast to the Marcan parallel (Mk 6:51) where the disciples are “completely astounded.” #16:16. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
The Healings at Gennesaret. 34#Mk 6:53–56. After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick 36#9:20–22. and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.
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