Luke 9:7-8

Herod’s Confusion about Jesus

9:7 Now Herod ¹  the tetrarch ²  heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, ³  because some people were saying that John ⁴  had been raised from the dead, 9:8 while others were saying that Elijah ⁵  had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. ⁶ 

[9:7]  ¹ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.

[9:7]  ² sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.

[9:7]  ³ tn Or “was very confused.” See L&N 32.10 where this verse is given as an example of the usage.

[9:7]  ⁴ sn John refers to John the Baptist, whom Herod had beheaded (v. 9).

[9:8]  ⁵ sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.

[9:8]  ⁶ sn The phrase had risen could be understood to mean “had been resurrected,” but this is only a possible option, not a necessary one, since the phrase could merely mean that a figure had appeared on the scene who mirrored an earlier historical figure. The three options of vv. 7-8 will be repeated in v. 19.