Luke 9:7

My Notes

What Does Luke 9:7 Mean?

"Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead." Herod — the man who BEHEADED John the Baptist — hears reports about Jesus and is PERPLEXED. The perplexity isn't intellectual curiosity. It's GUILTY FEAR. The rumor that John has risen from the dead haunts the man who killed him. The ghost of the murdered prophet walks through the palace in the form of news about Jesus.

The phrase "he was perplexed" (diēporei — he was thoroughly puzzled/at a complete loss) describes Herod's INTERNAL state: not just curious but BAFFLED. The word suggests being caught between contradictory possibilities with no way to resolve them. Herod can't figure Jesus out — and the reason he can't is that his GUILT over John's execution distorts his perception. The guilt makes clear thinking impossible.

The "it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead" (legesthai hypo tinōn hoti Iōannēs egēgertai ek nekrōn — it was being said by some that John has been raised from the dead) reveals that the RESURRECTION rumor reached Herod: some people believed Jesus WAS John, risen from death. The rumor must have been TERRIFYING for Herod. The man he executed to silence is now — according to rumor — more powerful than ever. The silencing didn't work. The dead prophet is louder than the living one.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What guilt is distorting your perception — making the clear confusing?
• 2.What does Herod being PERPLEXED (not just curious) teach about guilt's effect on understanding?
• 3.How does the rumor of John's resurrection being TERRIFYING to his killer describe the persistence of the silenced?
• 4.What 'John' have you tried to silence that keeps coming back louder?

Devotional

Herod heard about Jesus — and was PERPLEXED. Because some were saying John had risen from the dead. The man who beheaded the prophet hears rumors that the prophet is back. The guilt that killed John now haunts the killer through reports about Jesus. The silencing didn't work.

The 'perplexed' is the state of a GUILTY conscience confronting the inexplicable: Herod isn't a curious observer. He's a KILLER processing reports about a miracle-worker who sounds like the man he murdered. The perplexity is guilt's companion. The bafflement is fear's expression. Herod can't think clearly about Jesus because he can't think clearly about John. The murder distorts the processing.

The 'John was risen from the dead' must have been the worst possible rumor for Herod to hear: you KILLED John. You had his head brought on a platter. The silencing was absolute. And now — the rumor says — he's BACK. More powerful than before. Performing miracles. Drawing crowds. The dead prophet is doing more than the living prophet did. The execution produced the opposite of its intent.

Luke's Herod is a portrait of guilt-haunted POWER: Herod has political authority, military force, and governmental control. And he's PERPLEXED — unable to make sense of a wandering teacher because a murdered prophet won't stay dead in his conscience. The power can't fix the guilt. The authority can't resolve the perplexity. The tetrarch who can execute anyone can't escape the haunting of the one he executed.

What guilt is haunting your perception — making you 'perplexed' about things that should be clear?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture