Matthew 14:1-21

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Matthew 14:1 sn A tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
2. Matthew 14:3 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א¹ C D L N W Z Γ Δ Θ 0106 ƒ^{1, 13} 33 565 579 1241 1424 M lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various significant witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 ff¹ h q al). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA²⁸ includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
3. Matthew 14:4 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
4. Matthew 14:4 sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
5. Matthew 14:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
6. Matthew 14:5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7. Matthew 14:5 tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8. Matthew 14:7 tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (homologeō); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise” for certain contexts such as here.
9. Matthew 14:9 tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
10. Matthew 14:10 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
11. Matthew 14:11 tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12. Matthew 14:12 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
13. Matthew 14:13 sn See the note at Matt 4:21 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
14. Matthew 14:13 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
15. Matthew 14:13 tn Or “cities.”
16. Matthew 14:15 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
17. Matthew 14:16 tc ‡ The majority of witnesses read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) here, perhaps to clarify the subject. Although only a few Greek mss, along with several versional witnesses (א* D Z^vid 579 1424 e k sy^s,c,p sa bo), lack the name of Jesus, the omission does not seem to be either accidental or malicious and is therefore judged to be most likely the original reading. Nevertheless, a decision is difficult. NA²⁸ has the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
18. Matthew 14:16 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (humeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
19. Matthew 14:17 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
20. Matthew 14:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
21. Matthew 14:19 tn Grk “And after instructing the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass, after taking the five loaves and the two fish, after looking up to heaven, he gave thanks, and after breaking the loaves he gave them to the disciples.” Although most of the participles are undoubtedly attendant circumstance, there are but two indicative verbs—“he gave thanks” and “he gave.” The structure of the sentence thus seems to focus on these two actions and has been translated accordingly.
22. Matthew 14:19 tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”