Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 14:6-12

"But when Herod`s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask. And she, being put forward by her mother, saith, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given; and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought on a platter, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the corpse, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus." — Matthew 14:6-12 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: After relating John's imprisonment, the Evangelist proceeds to his execution, saying, "But on Herod's birthday," the daughter of Herodias danced in their midst. ¹

St. Jerome: We find no one else celebrating their birthday except for Herod and Pharaoh, so that those who were alike in their wickedness might also be alike in their festivities.

Remigius of Auxerre: It should be known that it is customary for mothers, both rich and poor, to raise their daughters so modestly that they are scarcely even seen by strangers. But this shameless woman had raised her daughter in such a way that she taught her not modesty but dancing.

Herod is no less to blame, for he forgot that his home was a royal palace, while this woman turned it into a theater. And it pleased Herod so much that he swore with an oath to give her whatever she asked of him.

St. Jerome: I do not excuse Herod for committing this murder against his will because of his oath, for perhaps he took the oath for the very purpose of causing the murder.

If he claims he did it for his oath's sake, consider this: had she asked for the death of her mother or father, would he have granted it? What he would have refused in a personal matter, he ought to have rejected in the matter of the Prophet.

Isidore of Seville: Therefore, break faith with evil promises. A promise that must be kept by committing a crime is wicked; an oath by which we have unknowingly pledged ourselves to evil must not be observed. ²

It follows: And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

St. Jerome: For Herodias, fearing that Herod might someday come to his senses, be reconciled with his brother, and dissolve their unlawful union by a divorce, instructed her daughter to immediately ask for John's head at the banquet—a reward of blood worthy of the dance.

St. John Chrysostom: Here there is a twofold accusation against the girl: that she danced, and that she chose to ask for an execution as her reward. Observe how Herod is at once cruel and compliant; he binds himself with an oath, yet leaves her free to choose her request. Yet when he knew the evil that would result from it, he was grieved. As the Scripture says, And the king was sorry, for virtue earns praise and admiration even from the wicked.

St. Jerome: Alternatively, it is the custom of Scripture to speak of events as they were commonly understood by everyone at the time. Thus, Joseph is called the father of Jesus by Mary herself; likewise, here Herod is said to be sorry because the guests believed him to be.

This man, who concealed his own inclinations and contrived a murder, displayed sorrow on his face when he felt joy in his heart. He did this, as the Scripture says, For his oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given.

He excuses his crime by his oath, so that his wickedness might be committed under a pretense of piety.

By adding the phrase "and them that sat at meat with him," he makes them all partners in his crime, ensuring that a bloody dish would be served at a luxurious feast.

St. John Chrysostom: If he was afraid of having so many witnesses to his perjury, how much more should he have feared having so many witnesses to a murder?

Remigius of Auxerre: Here a lesser sin is committed for the sake of a greater one. He would not extinguish his lustful desires, and so he resorted to luxurious living. He would not restrain his luxury, and thus he progressed to the guilt of murder, for, as it is written, He sent and beheaded John in the prison, and his head was brought in a charger.

St. Jerome: We read in Roman history that Flaminius, a Roman general, was sitting at supper with his mistress. When she remarked that she had never seen a man beheaded, he gave permission for a man sentenced to death for a capital crime to be brought in and executed during the entertainment. ³

For this, he was expelled from the senate by the censors, because he had mixed feasting with blood and had used death—even that of a criminal—for another's amusement, causing murder and enjoyment to be joined together.

How much more wicked were Herod, Herodias, and the girl who danced. She asked as her bloody reward the head of a Prophet, so that she might have in her power the very tongue that had condemned the unlawful marriage.

St. Gregory the Great: I consider it with the deepest wonder that he who was filled with the spirit of prophecy in his mother's womb—than whom no greater has arisen among those born of women—is cast into prison by wicked men, beheaded because of a girl's dance, and that a man of such a disciplined life dies for the sport of shameful men. ⁴

Are we to think that there was anything in his life that such a shameful death was meant to wipe away? God oppresses His people in the smallest matters because He sees how He may reward them in the highest ones.

And from this, we may gather what those whom He casts away will suffer, if He afflicts those He loves in this way.

John was not sought out to suffer for confessing Christ, but for the truth of righteousness. Yet, because Christ is truth, in dying for the truth, he died for Christ. ⁵

It follows: And his disciples came, and took up his body, and buried it.

St. Jerome: By this we may understand both the disciples of John himself and those of the Savior.

Rabanus Maurus: Josephus relates that John was sent in chains to the castle of Machaerus and there beheaded, but ecclesiastical history states that he was buried in Sebastia, a town in Palestine formerly called Samaria. ⁶

St. John Chrysostom: Observe how John's disciples are, from this point on, more attached to Jesus. It is they who told Him what was done to John: And they came and told Jesus. For leaving all, they take refuge in Him, and so, by degrees, after their calamity and the answer given by Christ, they are set right. ⁷

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Mystically, John represents the Law, for the Law preached Christ, and John came from the Law, preaching Christ out of the Law. Herod represents the Prince of the people, and as the Prince, he bears the name and represents the cause of the entire nation under him.

John, therefore, warned Herod not to take his brother's wife. For there are, and were, two peoples: that of the circumcision and that of the Gentiles. These are brothers, children of the same parent of the human race. But the Law warned Israel not to take to itself the works of the Gentiles and the unbelief that was united to them as if by the bond of marriage.

On the birthday—that is, amidst indulgence in things of the body—the daughter of Herodias danced. For pleasure, as if springing from unbelief, was carried in its alluring course throughout all of Israel, and the nation bound itself to it as by an oath. For the sake of sin and worldly pleasures, the Israelites sold the gifts of eternal life.

She (Pleasure), at the suggestion of her mother (Unbelief), begged that the head of John—that is, the glory of the Law—be given to her. The people, knowing the good that was in the Law, yielded to these terms for pleasure's sake, not without sorrow for their own danger, conscious that they should not have given up such great glory from their teachers.

But forced by its sins, as if by the power of an oath, and also overcome by fear and corrupted by the example of neighboring princes, the nation sorrowfully yields to the enticements of pleasure. So, among the other gratifications of a debauched people, the head of John is brought on a platter; that is, through the loss of the Law, the pleasures of the body and worldly luxury are increased.

It is carried by the girl to her mother; thus, depraved Israel offered up the glory of the Law to pleasure and unbelief. With the era of the Law having expired and been buried with John, his disciples declare what was done to the Lord, which is to say, they come to the Gospels from the Law.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, even today we see that in losing the head of the Prophet John, the Jews have lost Christ, who is the head of the Prophets.

St. Jerome: And so the Prophet has lost both his tongue and his voice among them.

Remigius of Auxerre: Alternatively, the beheading of John marks the increase of the fame that Christ has among the people, just as the exaltation of the Lord on the cross marks the progress of the faith. This is why John had said, He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).

1. non occ.
2. Lib. Syn., ii, 10
3. Hieron. Liv. xxxix, 43
4. Mor., iii, 7
5. Mor., xxix, 7
6. Antiq. xviii, 5
7. Hom., xlix