Matthew 14:4

Matthew 14:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
• New International Version (NIV)for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

Context of Matthew 14:4

2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet. 6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod,

Matthew 14:4 word by word

ἔλεγεν γὰρ ὁ Ἰωάννης αὐτῷ· οὐκ ἔξεστίν σοι ἔχειν αὐτήν.Read the interlinear

• For JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
• had been sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• It is not lawfulἔξεστι, ἐξόνexesti · be permittedG1832
• for you to haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192

Cross-references for Matthew 14:4

• Leviticus 18:16You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
• Leviticus 20:21If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is detestable; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.
• Deuteronomy 25:5“When brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall have relations with her and take her to himself as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
• 2 Samuel 12:7Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.
• 1 Kings 21:19And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘The Lord says this: “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, yours as well.”’”
• 2 Chronicles 26:18They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been untrue and will have no honor from the Lord God.”
• Proverbs 28:1The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
• Isaiah 8:20To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak in accordance with this word, it is because they have no dawn.
• Mark 6:18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
• Acts 24:24Now some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla his wife, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.

Commentaries on Matthew 14:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. - Here is an instance of zeal, fidelity, and courage, highly worthy of imitation. Plainness, mildness, and modesty, are qualifications necessary to be observed when we reprove the great. The best service a subject can render his prince is to lay before him, in the plainest but most respectful manner, what the law of God requires of him, and what it forbids. How unutterable must the punishment…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-5Verses 3-5 For Herod had laid hold on John … - See Mark 6:17-20; Luke 3:19-20. This Herodias was a granddaughter of Herod the Great. She was first married to Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, probably the one that danced and pleased Herod. Josephus says that this marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias took place while he was on a journey to Rome. He stopped at his brother‘s; fell in love with his wife; agreed to put away his own wife, the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4John kept warning Herod about his sin (see Leviticus 18:6; 20:21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-12The time of this alarm of Herod Antipas appears to have been during the mission of the Twelve, and shortly after the Baptist--who had been in prison for probably more than a year--had been cruelly put to death. Herod's Theory of the Works of Christ (Mt 14:1, 2). 1. At that time Herod the tetrarch--Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great, and own brother of Archelaus (Mt 2:22), who ruled as ethnarch over Galilee and Perea. heard of the fame…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 14:4

• Adultery
• Herod
• Incest
• John
• Malice
• Oath
• Persecution
• Politics
• Prisoners
• Rulers
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Antipas
• Bid
• Dead
• Delay
• Herodias
• Instruct
• John the Baptist
• Save
• Sorry
• Walk

Commentaries on Matthew 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings