Matthew 14

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Matthew 14
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Gospel of Matthew 14:28–31 on Uncial 073, from 5th or 6th century
Book Gospel of Matthew
Category Gospel
Christian Bible part New Testament
Order in the Christian part1

Matthew 14 is the fourteenth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. It continues the narrative about Jesus' ministry in Galilee and recounts the circumstances leading to the death of John the Baptist.

Contents

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 36 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Structure

This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to parallel passages in the other gospels):

The reaction of Herod Antipas (14:1–12)

Herod Antipas (Herod the tetrarch) was the son of Herod who was king when Jesus was born (Matthew 2:1) and reigned over Galilee when Jesus performed his ministry in the area (cf. Mark 6:14–29; Luke 9:7–9; 3:19–20). [1] His 'tender conscience over the reluctant execution of John the Baptist made him treating the report of Jesus' miracles with a 'bizarre idea' that Jesus was John who was risen from the dead. [1]

Dale Allison notes the multiple parallels between the Passion of Jesus and the account of John the Baptist in this section. [2]

Verse 12

Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. [3]

This is a further mission of John's disciples to Jesus in Galilee, following on from the one reported in Matthew 11. For Ernest Bengel, interpreting the words of Lutheran Pietist Johann Bengel, "the death of their master becomes the means of leading [John's disciples] to Jesus". [4]

Jesus's withdrawal to a 'deserted place' (14:13–15)

Matthew 14:13 and 14:15 refer to a 'deserted' (NKJV) or 'secluded' (Amplified Bible) place, clarified as 'a place where no one lived' in the Easy-to-Read Version. In Luke's gospel, he goes at this point in the narrative to 'a town called Bethsaida', i.e. an inhabited place, but nevertheless one where 'he and his apostles could be alone together. [5]

Miraculous feeding of a large crowd (14:16–21)

Eating together was a symbol of unity and Jesus was acting as the host of a large family gathering, welcoming the crowd into a new community. [6]

Verse 19

Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. [7]

Looked up to heaven, blessed, broke, and gave indicate a 'communal, liturgical context' which is found in the early church; the same actions are to be seen in the Last Supper in Matthew 26:26. [8]

Walking on water (14:22–33)

After the public miracle of loaves, the disciples witnessed in private one miracle that showed Jesus' authority over material things. [6]

Jesus the Healer (14:34–36)

When they were back in Herod's territory, Jesus' popularity was shown again in his healing ministry, which was more extensive than so far recorded. [6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 France 1994, p. 922.
  2. 1 2 Allison, Dale C. Jr. (2007). "57. Matthew". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 863. ISBN   978-0199277186 . Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. ↑ Matthew 14:12: KJV
  4. ↑ Bengel, Johann. Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament: Matthew 14, editorial note, accessed 24 April 2019
  5. ↑ Luke 9:10
  6. 1 2 3 France 1994, p. 923.
  7. ↑ Matthew 14:19 NKJV
  8. ↑ Coogan 2007, p. 29 New Testament.

Sources

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