Matthew 14:4 kjv
For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
Matthew 14:4 nkjv
Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
Matthew 14:4 niv
for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."
Matthew 14:4 esv
because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
Matthew 14:4 nlt
John had been telling Herod, "It is against God's law for you to marry her."
Matthew 14 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:6 | “None of you shall approach anyone in his own flesh to uncover nakedness..." | Incest is forbidden by God's law. |
| Lev 18:16 | "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife..." | Specific law violated by Herod and Herodias. |
| Lev 20:21 | "If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity..." | Defines the union as unlawful and defiling. |
| Deut 24:3-4 | "...her former husband...may not take her to be his wife again..." | Jewish law's stance on divorce & remarriage. |
| Gen 2:24 | "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." | Foundation of biblical marriage as one flesh. |
| Mal 2:16 | "For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD..." | God's perspective on the covenant of marriage. |
| Matt 5:32 | "But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery..." | Jesus' teaching on divorce leading to adultery. |
| Matt 19:4-6 | "He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female... what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”" | Jesus reaffirms permanence of marriage. |
| Mk 6:17-18 | "For Herod himself had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”" | Direct parallel account of John's rebuke. |
| Lk 3:19-20 | "But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison." | Another parallel confirming John's rebuke. |
| Rom 7:2-3 | "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives... So then, if while her husband lives she lives with another man, she would be called an adulteress." | Explains marriage bond and adultery. |
| 1 Cor 5:1 | "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you... a man has his father's wife." | Condemnation of similar incestuous union. |
| 2 Sam 12:7-9 | "Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”... and you have taken his wife to be your wife." | Prophet Nathan confronting King David's sin. |
| 1 Kgs 18:17-18 | "When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD..." | Prophet Elijah confronting King Ahab. |
| Amos 7:10-13 | "Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel... Amos has conspired against you... he is prophesying in Israel, and the land is not able to bear all his words... Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there and prophesy there..." | Prophet Amos confronted by royal authority. |
| Jer 26:20-23 | "There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD... and when King Jehoiakim with all his warriors and all the officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death..." | Prophet Urijah killed for prophetic truth. |
| Acts 4:19-20 | "But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”" | Principle of obeying God over human authority. |
| Acts 5:29 | "But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”" | Reiterates the divine obedience principle. |
| Matt 3:7-10 | "He said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?... bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”" | John's fearless and direct preaching style. |
| Matt 11:11 | "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist..." | Jesus' high commendation of John's ministry. |
| Mk 6:27-28 | "And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter..." | The consequence of John's faithful witness. |
| Prov 29:25 | "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe." | Contrasts Herod's fear of Herodias/oath with John's divine trust. |
Matthew 14 verses
Matthew 14 4 Meaning
Matthew 14:4 states the direct and unwavering accusation by John the Baptist to King Herod Antipas, declaring his marriage to Herodias unlawful. This assertion highlights John's adherence to God's divine law concerning marriage and his courageous confrontation of a powerful ruler for moral transgression, ultimately leading to John's imprisonment and execution.
Matthew 14 4 Context
Matthew chapter 14 begins with Herod Antipas hearing about Jesus' growing renown, prompting him to assume Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead. This serves as a pivot to recount the immediate reason for John's death. John had earlier challenged Herod's unlawful marriage to Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. Herod, while acknowledging John as a righteous man and initially listening to him, ultimately succumbed to Herodias's desire for revenge and the social pressure of an ill-conceived oath. John's imprisonment and execution are narrated immediately preceding Jesus' most notable miracle, the feeding of the five thousand. This sequence highlights the stark contrast between worldly power, corruption, and spiritual truth, establishing John as the last of the Old Testament prophets whose life culminated in speaking divine truth to a corrupt ruler.
Historically and culturally, Herod Antipas was a tetrach (a lesser king) appointed by Rome over Galilee and Perea. His marriage to Herodias, his half-brother Philip's living wife and his niece (Herodias was Philip's daughter and therefore also niece to Antipas himself), violated strict Jewish law regarding incest and marriage to a brother's wife (Leviticus 18:16). While Roman law had different allowances for divorce and remarriage, Jewish conscience, as championed by John the Baptist, upheld the divine statutes. John's direct condemnation challenged Herod's authority and moral standing within a populace that still largely revered Mosaic Law. This defiance was perceived as sedition by Herodias, fueling her desire for John's demise.
Matthew 14 4 Word analysis
- For (γάρ - gar): A conjunction introducing a causal explanation. It explains why Herod believed Jesus was John, by recounting John's history with Herod.
- John (Ἰωάννης - Iōannēs): John the Baptist, the divinely appointed forerunner of the Messiah. His identity as a prophet committed to righteousness is paramount here.
- had been saying (ἔλεγεν - elegen): Imperfect tense verb. This implies a repeated or ongoing action. John had not said this only once but had consistently or persistently told Herod about the illegality of his marriage. It emphasizes his courage and unwavering conviction.
- to him (αὐτῷ - autō): Refers directly to Herod Antipas, the ruler. John specifically directed his moral confrontation to the one in authority, not just speaking generally.
- “It is not lawful (Οὐκ ἔξεστίν - Ouk exestin): A definitive declaration. "Lawful" here refers not to human statutes or Roman decree, but specifically to divine law and the commandments of God, as found in the Old Testament, particularly Leviticus. The negation "not" (οὐκ - ouk) makes it an absolute prohibition. John bases his statement on God's established moral order for marriage.
- for you (σοι - soi): Direct address, making it a personal indictment of Herod himself. It underscores Herod's responsibility and culpability in the violation of divine law.
- to have her (ἔχειν αὐτήν - echein autēn): Literally "to have her." In this context, it signifies "to have as one's wife," to be married to her, or to maintain an illicit marital relationship. The emphasis is on the current state of their union, which John declares null and void in God's eyes.
Words-group analysis:
- "For John had been saying to him...": This phrase introduces the prophet's steadfast, repeated witness against sin, demonstrating his commitment to truth over self-preservation. It paints John as a persistent moral voice challenging unchecked power.
- "“It is not lawful for you to have her.”": This precise phrase forms the crux of the moral and theological confrontation. It unequivocally states the divine standard regarding marriage, directly applicable to Herod's situation, asserting God's authority over human desire or political arrangement.
Matthew 14 4 Bonus section
The "unlawful" aspect of Herod's marriage to Herodias extended beyond just marrying a living brother's wife (Lev 18:16; 20:21). Herodias was also Herod Antipas's niece, being the daughter of his half-brother Aristobulus. Thus, from a stricter Jewish interpretation of incest laws, their union compounded multiple prohibitions (e.g., related to a brother's daughter, or a father's sister per Lev 18:13). While not explicitly stated by John in this verse, the foundational "not lawful" would have encompassed these intricate familial connections under Mosaic Law.
Furthermore, John's public pronouncements and condemnation were unusual. While prophets often spoke against sin, confronting a ruler on a highly personal marital matter, and doing so repeatedly as implied by "had been saying," showcased John's profound conviction and direct challenge to Herod's moral authority in the eyes of his Jewish subjects. This public confrontation heightened Herod's embarrassment and likely increased Herodias's venom, making John's eventual execution not just an act of vengeance but also a political consolidation of Herod's power.
Matthew 14 4 Commentary
Matthew 14:4 encapsulates John the Baptist's profound courage and fidelity to God's law. His unwavering declaration that Herod's marriage was "unlawful" was not a mere political statement, but a righteous stand rooted in divine command, specifically the Mosaic law condemning a man taking his brother's wife. This act positioned John as the ultimate prophetic voice, willing to confront ultimate authority at the cost of his own life. The verse highlights the radical nature of divine truth challenging the established power structures and corrupt morality of the world. John, unswayed by fear or personal gain, became a martyr for speaking the truth, exemplifying a life solely dedicated to God's righteousness, even in the face of brutal opposition. This demonstrates the constant tension between worldly power seeking its own desires and God's unbending moral standards.
- Example for Practical Usage: Like John, believers are called to stand for righteousness in areas of public morality and personal ethics, even when it is unpopular or dangerous. This may involve speaking against cultural norms that contradict biblical teaching regarding family, life, or justice, relying on God's authority rather than societal approval.