Matthew 14

 

 1 At (*) (1) that time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

 

(*) Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7 .

(1) Here is in John, an example of an invincible courage, which all faithful Ministers of God's word ought to follow; in Herod, an example of tyrannous vanity, pride, and cruelty, and to be short, of a courtly conscience, and of their inservable slavery, which have once given themselves over to pleasures; in Herodias and her daughter, an example of whorelike wantonness, and womanlike cruelty.

 

 2 And said unto his servants, This is John Baptist. (*) He is risen again from the dead, and therefore great (a) (♣) works are wrought by him.

 

(*) He spake after the common error, for they thought that the souls of them that were departed, entered into another body.

(a) By works he meaneth that force and power, whereby works are wrought and not the works, as is seen oft before.

(♣) To approve his resurrection, and to get him greater authority.

 

 3  (*) For Herod had taken John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

 

(*) Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19 .

 

 4 For John said unto him, It is not (*) (♣) lawful for thee to have her.

 

(*) Leviticus 18:16; Leviticus 20:21 .

(♣) As well because nature abhorreth such horrible incest, as also that he had taken her by force from his brother.

 

 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a (*) Prophet.

 

(*) Matthew 21:26 .

 

 6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased (b) Herod.

 

(b) There were three Herods; the first of them was Antipater's son, who is also called Ascalonius, in whose reign Christ was born, and he it was that caused the children to be slain. The second was called Antipas, Magnus his son, whose mother's name was Malthaca or Martaca, and this was called Tetrarch, by reason of enlarging his dominion, when Archelaus was banished to Vienna in France. The third was Agrippa, Magnus his nephew by Aristobulus, and he it was that slew James.

 

 7 Wherefore he (*) promised with an oath, that he would give her whatsoever she would ask.

 

(*) The promise was wicked; but yet it was more vile to be obstinate in the same, that he might seem constant.

 

 8 And she being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a platter.

 

 9 And the King was sorry. Nevertheless, because of the oath, and them that sat with him at the table, he commanded it to be given her,

 

 10 And sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

 

 11 And his head was brought in a platter, and given to the maid, and she brought it unto her mother.

 

 12 And his disciples came, and took up the (*) body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

(*) Or, carcass.

 

 13  (*) And when Jesus heard it, he departed thence by ship into a (♣) desert place apart. And when the multitude had heard it, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

 

(*) Mark 6:32; Luke 9:10 .

(♣) To the intent that his disciples now after their ambassage might somewhat rest them, or else that he might instruct them to greater enterprises.

 

 14  (2) And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

 

(2) Christ refresheth a great multitude with five loaves and two little fishes, shewing thereby, that they shall want nothing, which lay all things aside and seek the kingdom of heaven.

 

 15  ¶ And when even was come, (*) his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is already past; let the multitude depart, that they may go into the towns, and buy them (♣) vitailles.

 

(*) Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12; John 6:5 .

(♣) Or, Food; victuals.

 

 16 But Jesus said to them, They have no (*) need to go away; give ye them to eat.

 

(*) Christ leaveth them not destitute of bodily nourishment, which seek the food of the soul.

 

 17 Then said they unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

 

 18 And he said, Bring them hither to me.

 

 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looked up to heaven, and (*) blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

 

(*) Or, prayed and gave thanks to God.

 

 20 And they did all eat, and were sufficed, and they took up of the fragments that remained, twelve baskets full.

 

 21 And they that had eaten, were about five thousand men, beside women and little children.

 

 22  ¶ And straightway Jesus (*) compelled his disciples to enter into a ship, and to go over before him, while he sent the multitude away.

 

(*) The disciples were loathe to depart from Christ; but yet they shewed their obedience.

 

 23 And as soon as he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain alone to pray; and (*) when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 

(*) Mark 6:45-47; John 6:16-18 .

 

 24  (3) And the ship was now in the midst of the sea, and was tossed with waves; for it was a contrary wind.

 

(3) We must sail even through mighty tempests, and Christ will never forsake us, so that we go whither he hath commanded us.

 

 25 And in the (c) (*) fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

 

(c) By the fourth watch is meant the time near to day breaking; for in old time they divided the night into four watches, in which they scouted.

(*) The night was divided into four watches, whereof every one contained three hours.

 

 26 And when his disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a (d) spirit, and cried out for fear.

 

(d) A spirit, as it is here taken, is that which a man imagineth to himself vainly in his mind, persuading himself that he seeth something, and seeth nothing.

 

 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, (*) Be of good comfort, It is I; be not afraid.

 

(*) The presence of Christ maketh his bold.

 

 28  (4) Then Peter answered him, and said, Master, if it be thou, (*) bid me come unto thee on the water.

 

(4) By faith we tread under our feet even the tempests themselves, but yet by the virtue of Christ, which helpeth that virtue, which he of his mercy hath given.

(*) His zeal was great, but he had not sufficiently considered the measure of his faith.

 

 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

 

 30 But when he saw a mighty wind, he was afraid, and as he (*) began to sink, he cried, saying, Master, save me.

 

(*) His enterprise was to great, and therefore he must needs fall in danger, when his faith failed.

 

 31 So immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said to him, (*) O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

 

(*) Christ correcteth his fault, and also giveth remedy both at once.

 

 32 And as soon as they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

 

 33 Then they that were in the ship, came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

 

 34  ¶ (*) And when they were come over, they came into the land of (e) Gennesaret.

 

(*) Mark 6:53 .

(e) This Gennesaret was a lake nigh to Capernaum, which is also called the Sea of Galilee, and Tiberias, so that the country itself grew to be called by that name.

 

 35  (5) And when the men of that place knew him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were sick,

 

(5) In that which Christ healeth the sick, we are given to understand that we must seek remedy for spiritual diseases at his hands; and that we are bound not only to run ourselves, but also to bring others to him.

 

 36 And besought him, that they might touch the hem of his (*) garment only; and as many as touched it were made whole.

 

(*) It seemeth they were led with a certain superstition, notwithstanding our Saviour would not quench the smoking flax, and therefore did bear with these small beginnings.

 

Steve

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