V. Herod the tetrarch (9:7–9)
V. Herod the tetrarch (9:7–9)
While the apostles are away on their mission Luke tells us a little about Herod the tetrarch. This man had heard about Jesus and he was perplexed.
7–8. For Herod the tetrarch see the notes on 3:1, 19. He was the ruler of the territory in which Jesus had done most of his work, so he would be interested in the reports that reached him. He was puzzled. Some people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist, now raised from the dead. Matthew and Mark tell us that this was Herod’s own view and Luke may mean that in the end he came round to it. Others saw Jesus as Elijah or another of the prophets. All this may mean Messianic speculation, for Elijah was expected to precede the Messiah (Mal. 4:5) and the Jews thought other prophets would also come. It is clear that Jesus’ ministry had aroused a lot of interest and caused a lot of talking. It is not unlikely that Herod had heard also of the band of apostolic preachers who had gone forth in Jesus’ name. But with all the talking and all the interest people did not know what to make of Jesus.
9. Herod did some talking to himself. ‘John? I beheaded him’ (Rieu), he said. But that he came back to John after canvassing the other suggestions shows that the thought that the Baptist might have risen from the dead disturbed him. His conscience was perhaps troubling him when he thought of that good man. So he wanted to see Jesus for himself, perhaps to check up on whether he was John.