“John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things?”
The full verse · Luke 9:9 · KJV
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Asked by
Herod Antipas: Herod the tetrarch, who had beheaded John the Baptist and now heard of all that was done by Jesus (Luke 9:7, 9)
Asked to
Herod Antipas: thinking aloud about the reports he was hearing; Luke names no listener
The Scene
While the twelve are out preaching and healing, Herod the tetrarch hears of all that Jesus is doing and is perplexed, because some say John is risen from the dead, others that Elias has appeared, and others that one of the old prophets has risen (Luke 9:6-8).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionHerod could not settle the reports about Jesus. He knew John was dead, because he had beheaded him himself. So who was this man doing such things? Gill describes Herod as "anxious, and distressed, not knowing well what to think of Christ."
His question also carried a troubled conscience. Matthew Henry says that when Herod heard what Christ was doing, "his guilty conscience flew in his face." Barnes, on the parallel in Matthew 14:2, says, "Herod feared John. His conscience smote him for his crimes." Matthew and Mark record that Herod came to say this was John risen from the dead (Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:16). Luke records instead the question he was asking.
The Response
What Scripture recordsNo one answers Herod here. Luke adds only, "And he desired to see him" (Luke 9:9). That desire was not met until Jesus' trial, when Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. Herod "was exceeding glad," because "he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him" (Luke 23:8). He "questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing" (Luke 23:9). Herod and his soldiers then mocked Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:11).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsBarnes explains that this Herod was "a son of Herod the Great," the king of Matthew 2, and that he ruled over Galilee and Perea. The title "tetrarch" literally means one who rules over a "fourth" part of a country. Elias is the Greek form of the name Elijah.
Luke does not tell the story of John's death, but Mark does: Herod had John beheaded in prison after a rash oath at his birthday feast (Mark 6:21-28). That is why Herod says, "John have I beheaded." Gill notes that "we do not find Herod had a sight of Christ, until he was sent by Pilate to him at Jerusalem."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's story"Who is this?" is a question Luke keeps putting in front of his readers. The scribes and Pharisees asked it when Jesus forgave sins (Luke 5:21). Those at the table asked it in Luke 7:49. After He calmed the storm, the disciples asked, "What manner of man is this!" (Luke 8:25). Now even Herod the tetrarch asks it. Luke answers the question a few verses later, when Peter confesses Jesus as "The Christ of God" (Luke 9:20).
Herod shows that asking the right question is not enough. He wanted to see Jesus, yet Matthew Henry notes that Herod never did until he saw Him at his own bar, and that putting off his convictions hardened his heart. When Herod finally met Jesus, hoping to see "some miracle" (Luke 23:8), Jesus "answered him nothing" (Luke 23:9).
Look Closer
Why was Herod perplexed by the reports about Jesus?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, I have heard many things about Jesus; who is He, and what are You asking me to do with what I hear?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Herod wanted to see Jesus, but mostly to see a miracle. What do you hope to get when you come to Jesus?
- Herod had many voices telling him who Jesus was. Whose voices have shaped what you believe about Jesus, and how have you tested them?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Curiosity about Jesus is a good start, but it is only a start. Herod heard about Jesus, asked the right question, and wanted to see Him, yet he never came to Him to learn. When they finally met, Herod wanted a show, and Jesus gave him silence (Luke 23:8-9).
If the question "Who is this?" stirs in you, do not set it aside for later. Follow it into the Gospels and to Jesus Himself. Matthew Henry notes that Herod delayed acting on his convictions, and his heart was hardened.
This does not mean a troubled conscience is bad. Herod's conscience was speaking truth. The trouble was what he did with it.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources