Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Matthew 14:3 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 3. 3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Begins the flashback with Herod imprisoning John because of Herodias.
Read It With
- Matthew 14:1–14:12
Read Matthew 14:3 with 14:1–14:12. In isolation, this verse's contribution—begins the flashback with Herod imprisoning John because of Herodias—can be detached from its speaker, audience, narrative or teaching sequence, and outcome. The complete unit establishes: Herod hears of Jesus, recalls imprisoning John over Herodias, makes a rash public promise after a dance, orders John's beheading, and gives the body for burial by disciples.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Begins the flashback with Herod imprisoning John because of Herodias. This precise contribution belongs inside “Herod kills John after a manipulated banquet oath” because Herod hears of Jesus, recalls imprisoning John over Herodias, makes a rash public promise after a dance, orders John's beheading, and gives the body for burial by disciples.
What Remains True
Herod hears of Jesus, recalls imprisoning John over Herodias, makes a rash public promise after a dance, orders John's beheading, and gives the body for burial by disciples. Matthew 14:3's proportionate contribution is this: Begins the flashback with Herod imprisoning John because of Herodias.
How It Can Shape Life
- Matthew 14:3 contributes this specific claim: Begins the flashback with Herod imprisoning John because of Herodias. In a coercive adult setting, place responsibility on the ruler and decision-makers; protect minors from sexualization, blame, and pressure to carry adults' guilt.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Matthew 14:1–14:12 — Herod kills John after a manipulated banquet oathSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Matthew 14:1–14:12, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control without treating one edition as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file data/sblgnt/text/Matt.txt, Matthew 14:1–14:12
Open the Matthew Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for the expressions actually discussed in this thought unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data TAGNT rows for Matthew 14:1–14:12
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Matthew with Translators' and Textual Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, historical, Jewish-background, and Synoptic notes for this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Matthew PDF, printed pp. 1808-1867, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 14:1–14:12
Open source ↗