How does the chapter move from John’s death to the feeding and the voyage?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The account recounts Herod’s decision, Jesus’ compassion toward a crowd, Peter’s rescue, and the healings at Genesar.

Chapter breakdown

# Matthew 14

Herod the Tetrarch hears Jesus’ fame and tells his servants that John the Baptist has risen and that mighty works therefore appear in him. This is Herod’s statement. The narrative then recounts John’s imprisonment and death. Herod had bound and imprisoned John because of Herodias, his brother’s wife; John had said that it was unlawful for him to have her. Herod wanted to kill John but feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet. At Herod’s birthday, Herodias’s daughter dances and pleases him. He promises under oath to give whatever she asks. Having been instructed beforehand by her mother, she requests John’s head in a dish. The king is saddened, but because of his oath and his table guests he commands that it be given. John is beheaded in prison; the head is brought to the daughter, who takes it to her mother. John’s disciples bury his body and tell Jesus.

Jesus withdraws by boat to a desert place apart. Crowds follow on foot from the cities. He has compassion on them and heals their sick. At evening, the disciples propose sending the crowds to the towns to buy food. Jesus tells the disciples to feed them. They have five loaves and two fishes. He calls for these, orders the crowd to sit on the grass, looks toward heaven, blesses and breaks the loaves, and gives them to the disciples to distribute. All eat and are filled; twelve full baskets of fragments remain. The number is five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus obliges the disciples to take the boat ahead while he dismisses the people, then goes alone into a mountain to pray. At evening he is alone. The boat is in the midst of the sea, tossed by waves against a contrary wind. In the fourth watch of the night Jesus comes walking on the sea. The disciples think they see an apparition and cry out in fear. He immediately tells them to take heart, identifies himself, and tells them not to fear. Peter asks that, if it is Jesus, he bid him come on the water. At the command to come, Peter leaves the boat and walks toward Jesus. Seeing the strong wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink; he cries for rescue. Jesus immediately takes his hand and asks why he doubted. When they enter the boat, the wind ceases. Those aboard adore him and confess him as the Son of God.

They reach Genesar. The local men recognize Jesus, send throughout the country, and bring the diseased to him. They beg to touch the hem of his garment; the account says that as many as touch it are made whole.

**Source commentary.** The supplied note explains “Tetrarch” as a ruler over a fourth part of a kingdom, and describes Galilee as a fourth of Herod’s father’s kingdom. It is an editorial explanation separate from the verses.

The story inside

John’s death is recalled after Herod hears Jesus’ fame. Jesus withdraws, feeds the crowd, and later comes to the disciples on the sea.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Distinguish Herod’s claim about John from the narrator’s account.
2
The five thousand count men; women and children are additional.
3
Peter’s fear, cry, immediate rescue, and the cessation of wind occur in that order.

Test your recall

Herod’s oath and request; five loaves and two fishes; twelve baskets; Peter rescued; Genesar.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 112019–112066
Matthew Chapter 14 Herod puts John to death. Christ feeds five thousand in the desert. He walks upon the sea, and heals all the diseased with the touch of his garment. 14:1. At that time Herod the Tetrarch heard the fame of Jesus. Tetrarch.... This word, derived from the Greek, signifies one that rules over the fourth part of a kingdom: as Herod then ruled over Galilee, which was but the fourth part of the kingdom of his father. 14:2. And he said to his servants: This is John the Baptist: he is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works shew forth themselves in him. 14:3. For Herod had apprehended John and bound him, and put him into prison, because of Herodias, his brother’s wife. 14:4. For John said to him: It is not lawful for thee to have her. 14:5. And having a mind to put him to death, he feared the people: because they esteemed him as a prophet. 14:6. But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them: and pleased Herod. 14:7. Whereupon he promised with an oath, to give her whatsoever she would ask of him. 14:8. But she being instructed before by her mother, said: Give me here in a dish the head of John the Baptist. 14:9. And the king was struck sad: yet because of his oath, and for them that sat with him at table, he commanded it to be given. 14:10. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 14:11. And his head was brought in a dish: and it was given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother. 14:12. And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and came and told Jesus. 14:13. Which when Jesus had heard, he retired from thence by a boat, into a desert place apart, and the multitudes having heard of it, followed him on foot out of the cities.
Lines 112067–112139
14:14. And he coming forth saw a great multitude, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 14:15. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying: This is a desert place, and the hour is now passed: send away the multitudes, that going into the towns, they may buy themselves victuals. 14:16. But Jesus said to them, They have no need to go: give you them to eat. 14:17. They answered him: We have not here, but five loaves, and two fishes. 14:18. Who said to them: Bring them hither to me. 14:19. And when he had commanded the multitude to sit down upon the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 14:20. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up what remained, twelve full baskets of fragments. 14:21. And the number of them that did eat, was five thousand men, besides women and children. 14:22. And forthwith Jesus obliged his disciples to go up into the boat, and to go before him over the water, till he dismissed the people. 14:23. And having dismissed the multitude, he went into a mountain alone to pray. And when it was evening, he was there alone. 14:24. But the boat in the midst of the sea was tossed with the waves: for the wind was contrary. 14:25. And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea. 14:26. And they seeing him walking upon the sea, were troubled, saying: It is an apparition. And they cried out for fear. 14:27. And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not. 14:28. And Peter making answer, said: Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters. 14:29. And he said: Come. And Peter going down out of the boat walked upon the water to come to Jesus. 14:30. But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, save me. 14:31. And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand took hold of him, and said to him: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? 14:32. And when they were come up into the boat, the wind ceased. 14:33. And they that were in the boat came and adored him, saying: Indeed thou art the Son of God. 14:34. And having passed the water, they came into the country of Genesar. 14:35. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent into all that country, and brought to him all that were diseased. 14:36. And they besought him that they might touch but the hem of his garment. And as many as touched, were made whole.