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Quick Summary
Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great who ruled Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to AD 39. He is the Herod of Jesus' adult life: the ruler who imprisoned and beheaded John the Baptist, who wondered whether Jesus was John raised from the dead (Luke 9:7-9), whom Jesus called "that fox" (Luke 13:32), and who questioned Jesus during his trial before sending him back to Pilate (Luke 23:6-12). Antipas was never formally a king. His title was tetrarch, a ruler over part of a divided kingdom. He built the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, married his brother's wife Herodias, and was eventually removed by the emperor Caligula and sent into exile. The Gospels remember him as a man who was curious about holy things but would not let them change him.
Who Was Herod Antipas?
The New Testament has several men named Herod, and it is easy to confuse them. Herod Antipas is the one who appears most often in the Gospels during Jesus' ministry. He was the son of Herod the Great, the king who ordered the killing of the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16), and his mother was Malthace, a Samaritan woman.
When Herod the Great died in 4 BC, Rome divided his kingdom among three of his sons. Archelaus received Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Philip received the territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Antipas received Galilee in the north and Perea, east of the Jordan River. That meant Jesus grew up and did most of his ministry in Antipas' territory. Nazareth, Capernaum, and the towns around the Sea of Galilee were all under his rule.
For the whole family, see the Herodian dynasty family tree and my longer guide to the Herods of the New Testament.
| Herod | Role in the New Testament | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Herod the Great King, 37 to 4 BC |
King when Jesus was born; met the magi and ordered the killing of the infants in Bethlehem. Rebuilt the temple. | Matthew 2:1-19; Luke 1:5 |
| Herod Antipas Tetrarch, 4 BC to AD 39 |
Ruled Galilee and Perea. Beheaded John the Baptist, wondered who Jesus was, and mocked him at his trial. | Luke 9:7-9 Herod's Perplexity; Luke 23:6-12 |
| Herod Archelaus Ethnarch, 4 BC to AD 6 |
Ruled Judea. Joseph avoided settling there and took the family to Nazareth. | Matthew 2:22 |
| Herod Agrippa I King, AD 41 to 44 |
Nephew of Antipas. Executed James, imprisoned Peter, and died suddenly after accepting praise as a god. | Acts 12:20-23 Herod's Death |
| Herod Agrippa II King, about AD 50 to 100 |
Heard Paul's defense at Caesarea: "Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?" | Acts 25:13 to 26:32 |
See the full Herodian dynasty family tree.
Was Herod Antipas a King?
Not officially. Antipas held the title tetrarch, which originally meant "ruler of a fourth" and came to mean a minor ruler under Rome. Luke and Matthew use the precise title (Luke 3:1; Matthew 14:1), which the NRSV translates as "ruler." Mark calls him "King Herod" (Mark 6:14), probably reflecting how ordinary people spoke of him.
The difference mattered to Antipas. Late in his reign, Herodias urged him to ask the emperor for the title of king. The request backfired. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, his nephew Agrippa accused him before the emperor Caligula, and in AD 39 Antipas lost his territory and was sent into exile in Gaul. Herodias went with him.
Herod Antipas the Builder
Like his father, Antipas built cities. He rebuilt Sepphoris, a few miles from Nazareth, as his first capital. Around AD 20 he founded a new capital on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and named it Tiberias, after the emperor Tiberius. The Gospels never record Jesus entering either city. John mentions boats coming "from Tiberias" near the place where Jesus fed the crowd (John 6:23), and the Sea of Galilee itself is sometimes called the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1).
Herod Antipas and Herodias
Antipas was first married to the daughter of Aretas IV, king of the Nabateans, the Arab kingdom east and south of Perea. He divorced her to marry Herodias, who was both his niece and the wife of his half-brother. Mark names that brother as Philip (Mark 6:17). Josephus calls him Herod. He was likely a different son of Herod the Great from Philip the tetrarch.
The marriage had two consequences. Aretas never forgave the insult, and around AD 36 his army defeated Antipas in battle. Josephus reports that many Jews saw the defeat as God's punishment for what Antipas had done to John the Baptist. The other consequence was John's death.
Herod Antipas and John the Baptist
John the Baptist publicly condemned the marriage. Luke reports it briefly: "But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison" (Luke 3:19-20). See John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20). Josephus adds that John was held at Machaerus, a fortress in Perea near the Dead Sea.
Mark gives the full story (Mark 6:17-29). Herodias wanted John dead, but Herod held back, "for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him" (Mark 6:20). At Herod's birthday banquet, the daughter of Herodias danced, and Herod promised her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother, she asked for John's head on a platter. "The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her" (Mark 6:26). He sent a guard, and John was beheaded in prison.
The Gospels do not name the girl. Josephus tells us Herodias had a daughter named Salome, and that is where the familiar name comes from.
Mark's portrait of Antipas is the key to his character. He respected John. He liked listening to him. He knew John was holy. And he killed him anyway, because he was more afraid of losing face in front of his guests than of doing wrong.
Herod's Perplexity About Jesus (Luke 9:7-9)
When Jesus sent out the Twelve and news of their preaching and healing spread through Galilee, it reached Herod. "Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, 'John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?' And he tried to see him" (Luke 9:7-9).
Herod's question, "who is this?", is the question the whole ninth chapter of Luke is asking. A few verses later Jesus asks his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" and Peter answers, "The Messiah of God" (Luke 9:20). Herod asks the right question with the wrong heart. I explain the passage in Herod's Perplexity About Jesus (Luke 9:7-9) and the chapter as a whole in the Luke 9 summary. See also who was Elijah in the Bible, since some in Galilee thought Jesus was Elijah returned.
"Go and Tell That Fox" (Luke 13:31-33)
Later, as Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem, some Pharisees warned him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." Jesus answered, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work'" (Luke 13:31-32).
In Jewish usage, a fox was a cunning but minor animal, the opposite of a lion. Calling Herod a fox named him as crafty and small. Jesus was not afraid of him. His path was set by God, not by Herod's threats, and he would die in Jerusalem, not in Galilee. See Jesus' Lament Over Jerusalem (Luke 13:31-35).
Jesus Before Herod (Luke 23:6-12)
Only Luke tells us that Herod Antipas met Jesus face to face. When Pilate learned during the trial that Jesus was a Galilean, he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem for Passover.
"When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting for a long time to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign" (Luke 23:8). The wish from Luke 9:9 was finally granted. But Herod wanted a show. He questioned Jesus at length, and Jesus gave him no answer at all. The man who had silenced John the Baptist now met a silent Jesus.
"Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies" (Luke 23:11-12). See Jesus Before Pilate and Herod (Luke 23:1-12) and my guide to Pontius Pilate.
In Acts, the early church remembered this moment in prayer: "both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:27).
People Connected to Herod Antipas
Herod's household reached further into the story of Jesus than you might expect.
Joanna, one of the women who traveled with Jesus and supported his ministry, was "the wife of Herod's steward Chuza" (Luke 8:3). Someone from inside Herod's palace was helping fund the ministry of the man Herod wanted to see and later mocked. See who was Joanna, wife of Chuza, the women who followed Jesus (Luke 8:1-3), and women disciples of Jesus.
Manaen, one of the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, was "a member of the court of Herod the ruler" (Acts 13:1), likely raised alongside Antipas.
The Herodians were a party of Herod's supporters who joined the Pharisees in plotting against Jesus (Mark 3:6; 12:13).
Jesus warned his disciples, "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod" (Mark 8:15).
The Death of Herod Antipas
After his exile in AD 39, Antipas disappears from history. Josephus says he died in exile, though he does not say when or how. Do not confuse his end with the dramatic death in Acts 12:20-23. That was his nephew, Herod Agrippa I, who received Antipas' territory after the exile.
What Herod Antipas Teaches Us
Herod Antipas is a warning about curiosity without conversion. He liked to listen to John. He wanted to see Jesus. He asked the right question: "Who is this?" But he never let the answer cost him anything. When John's truth threatened his marriage, he locked John up. When his pride was on the line at a banquet, he gave up John's life. When Jesus finally stood in front of him, he wanted entertainment, not truth.
Jesus' silence before Herod is one of the most sobering moments in the Gospels. Herod had heard the word of God through John for years and kept refusing it. By the time he met Jesus, there was nothing left to say. Luke invites every reader to ask Herod's question with Peter's heart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Herod Antipas in the Bible? Herod Antipas was a son of Herod the Great who ruled Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to AD 39. He beheaded John the Baptist and questioned Jesus during his trial (Luke 23:6-12).
Is Herod Antipas the same as Herod the Great? No. Herod the Great was his father, the king when Jesus was born (Matthew 2). Antipas is the Herod of Jesus' adult ministry and death.
Why did Herod Antipas kill John the Baptist? John condemned his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife. Herod imprisoned John, and when Herodias' daughter danced at his birthday banquet, Herod promised her anything. At her mother's urging, she asked for John's head (Mark 6:17-29).
Why did Jesus call Herod a fox? In Luke 13:32 Jesus called Herod "that fox," naming him as cunning but small. Jesus was not afraid of Herod's threats and would not change course because of them.
What did Herod do to Jesus? Herod questioned Jesus, hoping to see a miracle. When Jesus would not answer, Herod and his soldiers mocked him, dressed him in an elegant robe, and sent him back to Pilate (Luke 23:8-11).
Who was Herodias? Herodias was Herod Antipas' niece and the former wife of his half-brother. Her grudge against John the Baptist led to John's death.
Was Salome in the Bible? The Gospels refer only to "the daughter of Herodias" (Mark 6:22). The name Salome comes from the historian Josephus.
What happened to Herod Antipas? In AD 39 the emperor Caligula removed him from power and exiled him to Gaul. He died in exile.
Which Herod died in Acts 12? That was Herod Agrippa I, the nephew of Antipas and grandson of Herod the Great (Acts 12:20-23).
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Works Consulted
Harold W. Hoehner, Herod Antipas
Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 18
Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (New International Commentary on the New Testament)
Fred B. Craddock, Luke (Interpretation)
