Matthew 14:3-11

14:3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, ¹  and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 14:4 because John had repeatedly told ²  him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ³  14:5 Although ⁴  Herod ⁵  wanted to kill John, ⁶  he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 14:6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 14:7 so much that he promised with an oath ⁷  to give her whatever she asked. 14:8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 14:9 Although it grieved the king, ⁸  because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 14:10 So ⁹  he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 14:11 His ¹⁰  head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

¹ tc ‡ Most witnesses (א² C D L W Z Θ 0106 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various important witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 pc ff¹ h q). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.

² tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.

³ sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.

⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (Jomologew); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise with an oath” for certain contexts such as here.

⁸ tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”

⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

¹⁰ tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.