Philip the Tetrarch

Biblical Record

A tetrarch is a ruler who received a portion of a kingdom. The term renders the Greek tetrarchēs, which originally meant "ruler of a fourth part." After the death of Herod the Great, Rome divided his territory among his sons. At that time Philip received the region northeast of the Sea of Galilee.

The passage in which Scripture clearly names him is Luke 3:1. In dating the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist, Luke lists the rulers of the time in order: the emperor Tiberius, Pontius Pilate as governor of Judaea, and Herod (Antipas) as tetrarch of Galilee, together with "his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis." Philip does not appear directly anywhere else in the Bible.

Significance Within Scripture

Philip's name survives in the Gospels through Caesarea Philippi, the city he rebuilt. The city was originally called Banias (Paneas). Philip is said to have enlarged it and named it after the Roman emperor (Caesar) and himself. Near this city Peter confessed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13–16; Mark 8:27–29). Philip's territory is therefore significant as part of the geographical setting of Jesus' ministry.

Interpretation and Issues

• Relationship to Philip, the husband of Herodias: Matthew 14:3 and Mark 6:17 record that Herod Antipas had taken Herodias, "his brother Philip's wife." The Jewish historian Josephus calls Herodias's first husband simply "Herod," and he reports that Philip the Tetrarch married Salome, the daughter of Herodias. Scholars are therefore divided. Most regard the "Philip" of the Gospels as a son of Herod the Great distinct from Philip the Tetrarch and commonly call him "Herod Philip." Others hold that this man bore both names, "Herod" and "Philip." Various explanations have been offered for how to reconcile the Gospel accounts with that of Josephus.
• Distinction from other Philips: He is a different person from Philip, one of the twelve disciples, and from Philip, one of the seven deacons in the Book of Acts.
• Extrabiblical sources: Josephus reports that Philip ruled with relative moderation and that he enlarged Bethsaida and renamed it Julias. He also records that Philip died without a son and that his territory was annexed to the Roman province of Syria. This information comes from Josephus, not from the biblical text. His reign is generally dated from about 4 BC to the early AD 30s, though scholars differ somewhat on the dates.

In the Korean Church

Philip the Tetrarch is rarely the central figure of sermons or Sunday school lessons. He is mentioned chiefly when preachers or Bible study leaders, treating the passage on Peter's confession of faith, explain the origin of the place name Caesarea Philippi. Because he is sometimes confused with Philip, the husband of Herodias, in treatments of the passages on the death of John the Baptist, commentaries and Bible dictionaries often take care to distinguish the two figures.