Matthew 14:12
in Matthew 14Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And his disciples came, and took up the corpse, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
KJV
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
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This verse in Matthew 14
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAnd his disciples came and took his body and buried it. Josephus reports in a certain town of Arabia that John was beheaded. And what follows: His disciples came and took the body, both of him (John) and of the Savior, we can understand.
This site's exposition
took up the body
His disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, the last honor John's own followers could pay their teacher, and went and told Jesus closes the account by turning it toward the one it always pointed to. The bench reads this small notice as significant: John's disciples, some of whom had already transferred allegiance to Jesus at John 1:35-37, bring the news of his death directly to the one whose way he had come to prepare, the forerunner's ministry ending where it had always aimed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Amid the other enjoyments of the profligate company, the head of John is brought on a platter. Thus the pleasures of the body and worldly extravagance reach the point where the girl carries the head to her mother. And so shameful Israel surrenders the glory of the law to the pleasure and infidelity of its Herodian household, who were formerly Gentiles. Now that the time of the law is over and buried with John, his disciples announce to the Lord the events that transpired, as they leave the law and come to the Gospels.
The times of the Law being expired, and buried with John, his disciples declare what is done to the Lord, coming, that is, to the Gospels from the Law.
A commentator
JosephusAntiquities of the Jews - Book XVIII, Chapter 5, Section 2 · Written before 100.
proposed
Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the …
(Hom. xlix.) Observe how John's disciples are henceforth more attached to Jesus; they it is who told Him what was done concerning John; And they came and told Jesus. For leaving all they take refuge with Him, and so by degrees after their calamity, and the answer given by Christ, they are set right.
By which we may understand both the disciples of John himself, and of the Saviour. And the Prophet has lost among them both tongue and voice.
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church4 voices
And his disciples came and took his body and buried it. Here the burial of John is treated, and it is counted among the works of mercy; and yet it seems that mercy does not pertain to the dead, because if it pertains to him, …
Ecclesiastical history relates that he was buried in Sebastia, a town of Palestine, which was formerly called Samaria.
The body of the Baptist was buried in Sebaste Caesarea. But his precious head was buried the first time in Emesa. "And they went and told Jesus." What did they tell Jesus? Not that John had died, for the account of John's death was given …
(Mor. xxix. 7.) And John is not sought out to suffer concerning the confession of Christ, but for the truth of righteousness. But because Christ is truth, he goes to death for Christ in going for truth. It follows, And his disciples came, and took up his body, and buried it.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And his disciples came,.... To the prison where his body was left, and to which they had liberty of recourse before; see Mat 11:2 and very probably, upon hearing what was done, might apply to Herod, as Joseph of Arimathea did to Pilate, for the body of Jesus; who might, as he did, give them leave to take it: and took up the body and buried it. Theophylact says, his body was buried in Baste Caesarea, and that his head was first reposited in Emesesa.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
His disciples came, and took up the Body - The Head was in the possession of Herodias, who, ’tis probable, took a diabolic pleasure in viewing that speechless mouth which had often been the cause of planting thorns in her criminal bed; and in offering indignities to that tongue from which she could no longer dread a reproof. Her character justifies every bad conjecture that can well be formed on this head: and St. Jerome positively says that, when she got it, she drew out the tongue, and thrust it through with her bodkin.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσελθόντες | proselthontes | having come | G4334 → | 86 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταὶ | mathetai | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἦραν | eran | took | G142 → | 100 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πτῶμα | ptoma | body | G4430 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἔθαψαν | ethapsan | buried | G2290 → | 11 times |
| αὐτόν, | auton | it, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐλθόντες | elthontes | having come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ἀπήγγειλαν | apengeilan | they told | G518 → | 43 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦ.¶ | iesou | Jesus. | G2424 → | 908 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσελθόντεςhaving come
proselthontesG4334 →86 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταὶdisciples
mathetaiG3101 →260 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ἦρανtook
eranG142 →100 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πτῶμαbody
ptomaG4430 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἔθαψανburied
ethapsanG2290 →11 times
αὐτόν,it,
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐλθόντεςhaving come
elthontesG2064 →628 times
ἀπήγγειλανthey told
apengeilanG518 →43 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Ἰησοῦ.¶Jesus.
iesouG2424 →908 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 8:2God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
it leads to
- Genesis 50:10–11
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
- 1 Samuel 28:3
Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
- 2 Samuel 3:31
Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
- Genesis 23:2
She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
- Jeremiah 22:10
Do not weep for the dead king; do not mourn his loss. Weep bitterly for the one who is exiled, for he will never return to see his native land.
- Genesis 50:10–11
Where this verse is studied
About Matthew
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 14.8; Hilary of Poitiers, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews - Book XVIII, Chapter 5, Section 2; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.