Matthew 14:4-12

14:4 because John had repeatedly told ¹  him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ²  14:5 Although ³  Herod ⁴  wanted to kill John, ⁵  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 ⁶  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, ⁷  because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 14:10 So ⁸  he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 14:11 His ⁹  head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 14:12 Then John’s ¹⁰  disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.

[14:4]  ¹ tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.

[14:4]  ² 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.

[14:5]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[14:5]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:5]  ⁵ 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.

[14:7]  ⁵ 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.

[14:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”

[14:10]  ⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[14:11]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ¹³ tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”