Herod Antipas

Biblical Record

A son of Herod the Great, he inherited Galilee and Perea after his father's death and ruled them as tetrarch (a ruler who received and governed a portion of a divided kingdom). The name "Antipas" does not appear in the Bible. Matthew and Luke call him "Herod the tetrarch" (Matthew 14:1; Luke 3:1), while Mark calls him "king Herod" (Mark 6:14). The name Antipas comes from the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus.

• Execution of John the Baptist: Herod married Herodias, who had been the wife of his brother Philip. When John the Baptist rebuked him for this, Herod shut John up in prison (Luke 3:19-20). Mark reports that Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man, and heard him gladly (Mark 6:20). At a birthday banquet, however, when the daughter of Herodias danced, Herod swore to give her whatever she asked. When the daughter, at her mother's prompting, requested John's head, Herod, for the sake of his oath and his guests, had John beheaded (Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29).
• Response to Jesus: On hearing reports about Jesus, Herod thought that John had risen from the dead (Matthew 14:1-2). Luke records that he desired to see Jesus (Luke 9:7-9). When Jesus was told that Herod wanted to kill him, he called Herod "that fox" (Luke 13:31-32). Jesus also warned his disciples to beware of "the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15).
• The Trial of Jesus: This episode appears only in Luke. When Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean, he sent him to Herod, who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. Herod, hoping to see a miracle, questioned him at length, but Jesus gave no answer. Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and mocked him, then arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him back. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends (Luke 23:6-12).
• Other References: Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, ministered to Jesus and his company (Luke 8:3). Manaen of the church at Antioch is introduced as one "which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch" (Acts 13:1).

There are also records outside the Bible. According to Josephus, Herod founded Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. After he divorced the daughter of the Nabataean king Aretas IV and married Herodias, he went to war with Aretas and was defeated; he is said to have later been exiled by the Roman emperor Caligula. Many scholars date his reign from about 4 BC to about AD 39.

Significance in the Bible

In the Gospels, Herod is portrayed as a ruler who, though he knew the truth, put a righteous man to death out of concern for his reputation and because of a rash oath. He is also a figure who met Jesus face to face yet showed only curiosity about signs. Luke records that neither Pilate nor Herod found any fault in Jesus (Luke 23:15), so Herod serves as a witness to Jesus' innocence. In Acts 4:27 the believers confess that Herod and Pontius Pilate were gathered together against Jesus.

Interpretations and Debated Points

• Others with the Same Name: The Herod of Matthew 2 is his father, Herod the Great. The Herod of Acts 12 is his nephew Herod Agrippa I, and the Agrippa of Acts 25–26 is Agrippa I's son. The "Antipas" of Revelation 2:13 is a martyr of the church at Pergamos and is unrelated to Herod.
• Herodias's Former Husband: The Gospels call him Philip, while Josephus calls him Herod. Some regard these as two names for the same person; others see them as a discrepancy between the sources.
• Reason for John's Execution: The Gospels give John's rebuke of the marriage as the reason. Josephus writes that Herod feared John might stir the people to revolt. Many scholars hold that both factors were at work.
• The Dancing Daughter: The Bible does not give the daughter's name. The commonly used name "Salome" comes from Josephus (see Herodias and Salome). Depictions of her dance as sensual stem from later literature and art, such as Oscar Wilde's play Salome; the biblical text contains no such description.
• Meaning of "Fox": Some interpret the term as referring to cunning, while others take it to mean an insignificant person.

In the Korean Church

Sermons on Mark 6 often warn against placing reputation above conscience and against making rash oaths. Luke 23 is also used to prompt reflection on treating Jesus as a mere spectacle. In Sunday school, Herod is usually taught as part of the story of John the Baptist's martyrdom. Because he is easily confused with Herod the Great of the Christmas story, teachers sometimes take care to distinguish the two.