# Connecting Statement:

Here the author begins to tell about how Herod had executed John the Baptist. These events occur some time before the event in the previous verses. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-events]])

# General Information:

Matthew recounts the story of John the Baptist's death in order to show why Herod reacted the way he did when he heard about Jesus.

# For Herod ... as your wife

If needed, you can present the events of 14:3-4 in the order that they happened, as in the UDB. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-events]])

# Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison

It says that Herod did these things because he ordered others to do them for him. AT: "Herod ordered his soldiers to arrest and bind John the Baptist and put him in prison" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# Philip's wife

Philip was Herod's brother. Herod had taken Philip's wife to be his own wife. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

# For John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her as your wife."

This can be expressed as an indirect quote, if needed. AT: "For John had said to Herod that it was not lawful for Herod to have Herodias as his wife." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]])

# For John had said to him

"For John had kept saying to Herod"

# It is not lawful

Philip was still alive when Herod married Herodias. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# he feared

"Herod feared"

# they regarded him

"they regarded John"

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/herodantipas]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/johnthebaptist]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/prison]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/herodias]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/lawful]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/death]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/fear]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/prophet]]