Verse 3 For Herodias' sake - This infamous woman was the daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grand-daughter of Herod the Great. Her first marriage was with Herod Philip, her uncle, by whom she had Salome: some time after, she left her husband, and lived publicly with Herod Antipas, her brother-in-law, who had been before married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea. As soon as Aretas understood that Herod had determined to put away his daughter, he prepared to make war on him: the two armies met, and that of Herod was cut to pieces by the Arabians; and this, Josephus says, was supposed to be a judgment of God on him for the murder of John the Baptist. See the account in Josephus, Antiq. lib. xviii. c. 7.

His brother Philip's wife - Who was still alive. Mark 6:17.

Mat 14:3

For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him. Although had simplifies the meaning to the English reader, as definitely marking what must have been the case, that John’s imprisonment began some time before, yet in the Greek only the aorist is used to commence a vivid narrative. And put him in prison; "put him away in prison (ἐν φυλακῇ ἀπέθετο)." So of Micaiah by Ahab (2Ch 18:26, LXX., but not Lucian’s text). Probably here in allusion to the distance of Machaerus from Herod’s usual residence at Tiberius. Possibly, also, a reference to John being safer there from the designs of Herodias. Anyhow, notice the stages in Herod’s action—capture, binding, imprisonment in a place where he was quite out of the way. For Herodias’sake. John was imprisoned, according to the New Testament,

(1) as a punishment for his rebuke of Herod;

(2) to protect him from Herodias’ vengeance.

(On the statement by Josephus, that it was for political reasons, see Mat 3:1, note.) His brother Philip’s wife. According to Josephus (’Ant.,’ 18.5. 4), the first husband of Herodias was "Herod," son of Herod the Great by Mariamne the high priest’s daughter, and the daughter of Herodias, Salome, married Philip the tetrarch, who was also the son of Herod the Great by Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Hence many critics (e.g. Ewald; Schurer, I. 2.22) suppose the account in Matthew and Mark to be mistaken, and due to a confusion of Herodias with her daughter. But, although it is curious that two sons of Herod the Great should have been called Philip, yet, in view of their being by different mothers, it cannot be pronounced impossible ("Antipas" and "Antipater" are not precisely identical). Besides, Herod the son of Mariamne would probably have had some other name than that of his father alone. It is noticeable that, in the same context, Josephus speaks also of Antipas by the name Herod only.

Verses 3-5. For Herod had laid hold on John, etc. See Mr 6:17-20 Lu 3:19,20. This Herodias was a grand-daughter of Herod the Great. She was first married to Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, probably the one that danced and pleased Herod. Josephus says that this marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias took place while he was on a journey to Rome. He stopped at his brother's; fell in love with his wife; agreed to put away his own wife, the daughter of Arteas, king of Petraea; and Herodias agreed to leave her own husband, and live with him. They were living, therefore, in adultery; and John in faithfulness, though at the risk of his life, had reproved them for their crimes. Herod was guilty of two crimes in this act: (1) of adultery, as she was the wife of another man; (2) of incest, as she was a near relation, and such marriages were expressly forbidden, Lev 18:16.