Which OT laws back John's rebuke of Herod?
What Old Testament laws relate to John's rebuke of Herod in Matthew 14:4?

Setting the Scene

Matthew 14:4 records John’s words to Herod Antipas: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

• Herod had taken Herodias, the former wife of his living half-brother Philip (cf. Mark 6:17).

• John’s charge rests solidly on specific Old Testament statutes that define the boundaries of marriage and sexual ethics.


Key Old Testament Texts Behind John’s Rebuke

Leviticus 18:16

“You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother.”

Leviticus 20:21

“If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.”

Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.”

Leviticus 20:10

“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.”

Deuteronomy 22:22

“If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both the man who lay with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”

Malachi 2:14-16 highlights God’s hatred of faithless divorce and reinforces the permanence of the marital covenant.

Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (levirate marriage) allowed a man to marry his deceased brother’s childless widow. Philip, however, was alive and had a daughter by Herodias, so the exception did not apply.


How These Laws Speak to Herod’s Situation

• Incestuous Union

Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 explicitly forbid marrying a brother’s wife while he lives.

– Herod’s action violated this clear boundary.

• Adultery and Divorce

– Herod divorced his first wife to wed Herodias, who divorced Philip (Mark 10:11-12 echoes the sinfulness of such remarriage while a previous spouse lives).

Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22 all condemn adultery.

• Public Leadership Accountability

– As tetrarch over predominantly Jewish territories, Herod was expected to honor Mosaic Law.

– John, functioning as a prophet, called a ruler back to covenant obedience (cf. 2 Samuel 12:7-9; 1 Kings 18:17-18 for prophetic confrontation precedents).


Why John Could Speak with Authority

• The Law of Moses remained God’s unchanging standard; John simply applied it.

• Prophetic ministry involves confronting sin, regardless of the offender’s status (Isaiah 58:1).

• John’s boldness sprang from allegiance to God’s Word rather than political expediency (Acts 5:29).


Today’s Takeaways

• God’s design for marriage is fixed, sacred, and protected by His commands.

• Civil or cultural approval never overrides Scriptural authority.

• Faithful believers must lovingly but firmly uphold biblical truth, even when it confronts influential figures.

How does Matthew 14:4 emphasize the importance of upholding God's moral laws?
Top of Page
Top of Page