Matthew 4:12

Preaching in Galilee

4:12 Now when Jesus ¹  heard that John had been imprisoned, ²  he went into Galilee.

Mark 6:17

6:17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod ³  had married her.

Luke 3:19-20

3:19 But when John rebuked Herod ⁴  the tetrarch ⁵  because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, ⁶  and because of all the evil deeds ⁷  that he had done, 3:20 Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.

John 3:23-24

3:23 John ⁸  was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, ⁹  because water was plentiful there, and people were coming ¹⁰  to him ¹¹  and being baptized. 3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ¹² 

¹ tn Grk “he.”

² tn Or “arrested,” “taken into custody” (see L&N 37.12).

³ tn Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.

⁴ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.

⁵ sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.

⁶ tc Several mss (A C K W Ψ 33 565 579 1424 2542 al bo) read τῆς γυναικὸς Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ (th" gunaiko" Filippou tou adelfou autou, “the wife of his brother Philip”), specifying whose wife Herodias was. The addition of “Philip,” however, is an assimilation to Matt 14:3 and is lacking in the better witnesses.

⁷ tn Or “immoralities.”

⁸ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

⁹ tn The precise locations of Αἰνών (Ainwn) and Σαλείμ (Saleim) are unknown. Three possibilities are suggested: (1) In Perea, which is in Transjordan (cf. 1:28). Perea is just across the river from Judea. (2) In the northern Jordan Valley, on the west bank some 8 miles [13 km] south of Scythopolis. But with the Jordan River so close, the reference to abundant water (3:23) seems superfluous. (3) Thus Samaria has been suggested. 4 miles (6.6 km) east of Shechem is a town called Salim, and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Salim lies modern Ainun. In the general vicinity are many springs. Because of the meanings of the names (Αἰνών = “springs” in Aramaic and Σαλείμ = Salem, “peace”) some have attempted to allegorize here that John the Baptist is near salvation. Obviously there is no need for this. It is far more probable that the author has in mind real places, even if their locations cannot be determined with certainty.

¹⁰ tn Or “people were continually coming.”

¹¹ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

¹² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.