Daily Writing

Saturday, 8 November 2025

And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. Matthew 14:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And desiring to kill him, he feared the multitude for they held him as a prophet” (CG).

In the previous verse, it was noted that John had told King Herod that having his brother Philip’s wife was unlawful. Therefore, Matthew continues with words concerning Herod’s attitude toward John, saying, “And desiring to kill him.”

In Mark, it notes that Herodias wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t because Herod feared John “knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him” (Mark 6:20). No contradiction should be considered between the two.

It should be obvious to anyone who has been accused by another that Herod was certainly miffed at John when he was confronted with his wrongdoing and scolded for it. Being king, he probably thought, “I’ll just have this guy killed… problem solved!”

However, after thinking about it, he would have then reconsidered, something Herodias was unwilling to do. As for Herod, the account next says, “he feared the multitude for they held him as a prophet.”

These words align with the thought given in Mark and match the suggested state of Herod just noted. Herod was confronted with his sin. He didn’t like it, and Herod wanted him killed. However, after thinking it through and realizing this would not be a popular course of action, he renounced that thought.

The prophets were often hated by everyone. They called out sin in the people, and depending on the overall attitude of the populace, they could go from being popular with the commoners to being hated by them as well. In John’s case, he not only called out for people to turn to the Lord, but he also proclaimed the immediate coming of the Messiah.

This would have been very popular with the commoners who had to suffer under the rule of the dirty priests, the oppressive kings, and the even more oppressive hand of Rome, to whom even these lesser positions were responsible. Add in the arrogant and controlling attitude of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, and they would have been elated at the thought of a new rule under the Messiah.

On the other hand, these people in positions of power and authority would openly claim they were happy about the coming of the Messiah, but only so far as He would continue to allow them to retain their exalted positions.

Regardless of what the leaders thought, the people were happy with John as a prophet and could have thrown the nation into turmoil if Herod executed him, especially when it was Herod who was violating the law and which brought about John’s words of rebuke.

Life application: It should come as no surprise when a Bible preacher is not liked by people in general. His job is to preach the whole counsel of God. In doing so, the general population will not like his message because it highlights sin in humanity.

This is not something people want exposed in their lives, even if nobody else is aware of it. Scripture exposes each individual’s sinful state in relation to God. People would rather hate the messenger than acknowledge their sin.

People in the church will also get miffed at preachers. If someone believes people can lose their salvation, but the preacher rightly explains why this is incorrect, the preacher will be mocked and spoken against by those who disagree with him.

The safest way to avoid such things is not to address them at all. Hence, some preachers have churches that fill stadiums because they give easy messages that the masses won’t feel intimidated by. Those who may have personal views on particular doctrines are never challenged on them.

For the preacher, it is a safe and often effective walk on a path of mediocrity that keeps money coming in, people content in their weekly church experience, and nobody is seemingly harmed by it.

But this is incorrect. People must be made aware of what the Bible expects and approves of and disapproves of. If not, they will not be properly prepared for the true challenges of a close walk with the Lord in a fallen world of choices that must be made to stay in line with what He expects from His people.

Consider what it is that you want when you select a church. If you are wise, you will desire to attend where the Bible is fully explained, even from those sections that can cause division and animosity. After all, they too are a part of God’s word.

Lord God, be with us as we pursue a right understanding of Your word. Open the eyes of our pastors and teachers to rightly understand and properly teach Your word so that we will know what is correct. Amen.

Friday, 7 November 2025

Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Matthew 14:4

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“For John, he said to him, ‘Not it permits for you to have her’” (CG).

In the previous verse, it was noted that Herod had bound John and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. That continues now with the words, “For John, he said to him, ‘Not it permits for you to have her.’”

John, being a prophet of the Lord, was careful to uphold the word of the Lord. In the case of Herod, it was especially important to call out his misdeeds because, as the record of the kings of Israel bears witness, as the leadership of the nation goes, so goes the nation.

When a king was willing to violate the law, the people would see this and gladly follow suit. With the turn of a page, the history of Israel as recorded in Scripture often goes from prosperity and a tendency to follow the Lord to corruption and rejection of Him and His law. The example of the king was the preeminent reason for this, time and again.

In the case of Herod, as noted in the commentary of the previous verse, he had taken his brother’s wife. Therefore, he was guilty of committing adultery, thus violating the seventh commandment –

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14

He was also guilty of breaking the moral codes recorded in Leviticus –

“You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.” Leviticus 18:16

Also, it is implicit that he first broke the tenth commandment –

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” Exodus 20:17

The term “neighbor” extends to any such situation, be it an actual neighbor or any other person, such as one’s brother. It was John’s responsibility to highlight the illegal actions of Herod, calling them out for the people to know that even someone of such a high position was not above God’s law.

Life application: The tenth commandment is a secret commandment when it is violated, except as it is then displayed in the actions of an individual. Nobody may know that another covets his neighbor’s wife. But the Lord does.

One can see that the Lord is not merely evaluating the external deeds we do, but He is searching our hearts, looking at the intent behind our actions. If one covets his neighbor’s wife for ten years, not another soul might know it. But then, in a fit of passion, he may take whatever action is needed to have her.

Once this occurs, that coveting has become another violation of the law. It may even lead to a third. First, there is the taking of another man’s wife, like King David did. From there, murder follows suit, as King David did. And it all started with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and/or the pride of life.

Any of these can step in and lead to catastrophe for us if we are not constantly in tune with the Lord. As human beings, we are not above temptation and falling prey to our temptations. And so, we should constantly be talking to the Lord, interacting with Him in our hearts and minds while staying in His word to remind us of our position in relation to Him.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:12-15

Lord God, be with us in our frailties and weaknesses. You fashioned us. You know our limitations and or proclivities. So help us to be attentive to You and our relationship with You. May You give us wisdom and strength to overcome those things which lure us into sin. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

Thursday, 6 November 2025

For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Matthew 14:3

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“For Herod, having seized John, he bound him, and he placed in prison for Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife” (CG).

In the previous verse, Herod exclaimed his belief that John the Immerser had risen from the dead, which is why he had the miracle powers working in him. The narrative will now explain what led to John’s imprisonment. That begins with the words, “For Herod, having seized John.”

Herod himself was behind the arrest of John. One can already sense that his conscience was nagging at him as the narrative begins. Something about John’s death came about because of Herod. Understanding this, the narrative continues, saying, “he bound him, and he placed in prison.”

Cambridge notes the location of this prison –

“At Machærus, in Peræa, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, near the southern frontier of the tetrarchy. Here Antipas had a palace and a prison under one roof, as was common in the East. Cp. Nehemiah 3:25, ‘The tower which lieth out from the king’s high house that was by the court of the prison.’ It was the ordinary arrangement in feudal castles.”

The reason Herod put him in prison is stated as, “for Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife.”

To understand the abbreviated thought, and in anticipation of the words of the next verse, Albert Barnes states –

This Herodias was a granddaughter of Herod the Great. She was first married to Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, probably the one that danced and pleased Herod. Josephus says that this marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias took place while he was on a journey to Rome. He stopped at his brother’s; fell in love with his wife; agreed to put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, King of Petraea; and Herodias agreed to leave her own husband and live with him. They were living, therefore, in adultery; and John, in faithfulness, though at the risk of his life, had reproved them for their crimes. Herod was guilty of two crimes in this act:

1. Of “adultery,” since she was the wife of another man.
2. Of “incest,” since she was a near relation, and such marriages were expressly forbidden, Leviticus 18:16.

John was the last prophet under the Law of Moses. His duty was to call the people to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Instead of the king turning and accepting his wrongdoing like David, he doubled down in his sin like so many of the biblical kings under the law had done.

And like so many of those kings, he acted against the Lord’s prophet, attempting to silence him from publicly exposing his deeds.

Life application: Under the New Covenant, there is no Law of Moses for believers to condemn people with by living it out for them to see. However, there is the truth, like during the time of Noah, that the world is accountable to God for its actions.

Paul says, “because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” Romans 4:15. And yet, he speaks elsewhere about the law of conscience –

“…for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) ¹⁶ in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” Romans 2:14-16

Because of conscience, especially since the coming of Christ and His fulfillment of the Law of Moses, it is still right for believers to call out wrongdoing in others, particularly those in positions of authority.

In the world, this has been a dicey thing to do at times. It is becoming that way again in much of the world. Like in the times of Noah, the whole world is marching towards ungodliness and actively pursuing wickedness. Despite this, believers need to stand fast on what is wholesome and morally proper.

Numerous denominations and churches have caved to the inappropriate and ungodly mores of fallen humanity. This only makes it more important for Christians to be ready to speak out concerning what is proper.

Not only are we tasked to evangelize the masses within society, but we need to do so with those who are supposedly members of the church. Let us continue to be beacons of light, even if the whole world is clamoring to be rid of us. This is right and proper, and it is what the ancients are remembered for –

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

Lord God, despite the trouble it is bound to bring us, help us to stand firm on Your word, openly living out what is expected of us for others to see. When the chance comes for us to defend Your word or to speak against the immorality around us, may we boldly do so, knowing that there is a reward ahead for the stand we take. Amen.

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” Matthew 14:2

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“and he said to his servants, ‘This, he is John the Immerser! He, he is aroused from the dead, and through this the miracles work in him!’” (CG).

In the previous verse, it said that Herod the tetrarch heard the words about Jesus. Now, that continues, saying, “and he said to his servants, ‘This, he is John the Immerser!’”

Both Matthew 16 and Luke 9 show that there was speculation about who Jesus was. Among them, there were three predominant views –

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’
¹⁴ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’” Matthew 16:13, 14

The reason Herod was certain that Jesus was actually John the Baptist will be the subject of the coming verses. Through verse 12, it will explain Herod’s interactions with John and members of his household that led him to a seemingly neurotic state concerning John. Of this deduction made by Herod, he emphatically continues, saying, “He, he is aroused from the dead.”

The word dead is plural. In English, “dead” is normally a cumulative word, especially when preceded by a definite article. Herod is stating that John was among those who had been dead, but he had somehow been raised from among them. The emphatic nature of his words shows that he was certain this was the case. As a result of this, he continues, saying, “and through this the miracles work in him!”

Herod ties the power of working miracles as the result of being raised from the dead. This confirms the words concerning John recorded in John’s gospel –

“Then many came to Him and said, ‘John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.’”  John 10:41

In his life, John didn’t perform any signs. However, Herod says, “through this,” meaning through the resurrection, he was now able to perform signs. If one thinks this through, it shows the ridiculous stupidity of his thought process.

If John were raised from the dead, after losing his head, that itself would be the greatest miracle, not any of the others instead. And more, it shows without any ambiguity at all that Herod thought that the dead could be raised.

Life application: Have you ever talked to someone about Jesus and been told that he didn’t believe it is possible for the dead to rise? It is not uncommon for people to hold this view.

And yet, the same type of people accept that the universe exploded itself into existence and then put itself together in such a way as to create the precision of life on planet Earth. Along with that, it planned the placement of the sun, moon, and earth, so that eclipses can take place with absolute predictability and precision, the seasons are perfectly marked to support life and return at the exact time necessary for the cycle to continue, etc.

Others claim that life is sacred and killing a person, even if he has committed the most horrendous of crimes, is wrong. And yet the same people claim that killing the unborn or euthanizing the physically or mentally defective and elderly is perfectly acceptable.

Still others believe that ghosts exist, demons can live within people, various gods have control over events in nature, or things coincide within the span of time in order to have certain objectives met according to predetermined plans (things understood by divination, for example).

People can accept the most ridiculous propositions, including people rising from the dead (like Herod’s belief about John the Baptist), but they turn around and deny that the dead can actually rise when presented with the evidence concerning Jesus.

It is as if we have a default setting in us that says, “If the true God is involved in the process, it cannot be true.” However, we will accept the exact same type of evidence without reservation once the true God is taken out of the picture.

God created and made everything perfect for man to inhabit the earth. “No, it cannot be!” God says that life is sacred and that when someone violates that principle, he must be executed. Jesus came to die for the sins of all people, including murderers. He died for them and rose again. “No, it cannot be!”

Jesus rose again, proving there is more than the material realm that is working in the world around us. “No, it cannot be!”

If you encounter such unclear thinking, as frustrating as it is, you can use their unclear reasoning (if they are willing to consider your thoughts) to show them that they already believe what they deny, and that what they need to do is to reconsider the source of their belief, going from a non-God centered reality to a God-centered reality.

It is not always easy, but if you have the time to work with people by learning what they accept or do not accept, you can then help them understand the hypocritical thoughts going on in their head, assisting them to realign their thinking to what is sound and reasonable.

Lord God, You have changed our hearts and minds to go from a state of unbelief to one of accepting the proposition concerning the good news of Jesus. Help us to now work with others to think clearly about what we believe, demonstrating to them why our thoughts are reasonable. We know the truth of Your word, so help us to present it to others so that they can see it as well. Amen.

Tuesday, 4 November 2025

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus Matthew 14:1

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“In that time, Herod the tetrarch, he heard the ‘Jesus hearing’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Chapter 13 ended with words concerning Jesus’ not doing many miracles in Nazareth due to their faithlessness. Chapter 14 now begins with, “In that time, Herod the tetrarch.”

A new word is seen, tetrarchés. It signifies the ruler of the one-fourth part of a country or region. In other words, he is not a ruler of a country with three other rulers. Instead, his rule covers one-fourth of the area of a county.

Thayer’s Lexicon notes that “the word lost its strict etymological force, and came to denote ‘the governor of a third part or half of a country, or even the ruler of an entire country or district provided it were of comparatively narrow limits; a petty prince.’”

Of this particular Herod, Charles Ellicott provides the following description –

“The son of Herod the Great by Malthace. Under his father’s will he succeeded to the government of Galilee and Peræa, with the title of Tetrarch, and as ruler of a fourth part of the Roman province of Syria. His first wife was a daughter of Aretas, an Arabian king or chief, named in 2Corinthians 11:32 as king of the Damascenes. Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip (not the Tetrarch of Trachonitis, Luke 3:1, but son of Herod the Great by Mariamne, and though wealthy, holding no official position as a ruler), was daughter of Aristobulus, the son whom Herod put to death, and was therefore niece to both her husbands. Prompted partly by passion, partly by ambition, she left Philip, and became the wife of Antipas (Jos. Ant. xviii. 5, §4). The marriage, at once adulterous and by the Mosaic law doubly incestuous, shocked the conscience of all the stricter Jews. It involved Antipas in a war with the father of the wife whom he had divorced and dismissed, and it was probably in connection with this war that we read of soldiers on actual duty as coming under the teaching of the Baptist in Luke 3:14. The prophetic spirit of the Baptist, the very spirit of Elijah in his dealings with Ahab and Jezebel, made him the spokesman of the general feeling, and so brought him within the range of the vindictive bitterness of the guilty queen.”

Concerning this Herod, Matthew records, “he heard the ‘Jesus hearing.’” In other words, the news (it is a noun signifying “a hearing”) of Jesus was circulating everywhere. He heard of this exciting news, and it set the stage for what lies ahead. Today, such a hearing might be precipitated by a statement like, “Have you heard the news about the guy from Nazareth, Jesus? He is incredible!”

Such a statement is the hearing. Herod heard it and will react to it.

Life application: Some of the translations of this verse say, the fame of Jesus, the news of Jesus, the report of Jesus, the reports of Jesus, heard about Jesus, the hearing of Jesus, concerning Jesus, etc. Various smaller changes from some of these exist.

Don’t think that because a translation doesn’t exactly match the original that there is an error. The intent is essentially the same. Some versions give a thought-for-thought rendering. Some attempt to give a closer rendering of each word, but amend it to sound more common to the hearing of the audience.

A literal, or close to literal, translation can be extremely unpleasant to listen to and tiring to the mind to read. Trying to make sense of the structure of the original language while also trying to understand the intent in a reasonable way is much more difficult with a direct rendering of each word.

Also, there is the consideration that different people will come up with different words to describe the same original word. Therefore, at times, there are going to be a seemingly infinite number of differences in translations, but they all will carry the same message to some extent.

We should never tolerate purposeful manipulation of the text, something that scholars will search for and highlight. Such manipulations have occurred in the New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as some Hebrew Roots Movement translations.

In order to meet their perverse agenda, such manipulations are underhandedly introduced. If you are looking for a new translation to read, be sure to check up on whatever you are leaning towards buying, just in case someone has identified such things.

But be sure to check the source you are reading as well. Some commentaries on Bible translations are biased towards one translation, the KJV, for example. Therefore, they will find all other versions damnable. That is not a healthy way of looking at such things either.

In the end, just keep reading the word. Keep thinking about what God has done in the giving of Jesus. Let the word of God dwell in you richly. It will bring delight to your heart, joy to your day, and contentment to your soul as you consider the eternal blessings that lie ahead for the redeemed of the Lord.

Lord God, thank You for allowing us to enter into the study of another chapter of the book of Matthew. We anticipate a great adventure as we analyze it day by day. Give us the clarity of mind that is needed to properly understand what is being conveyed. Amen.