For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Parallel translations
- KJV For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
- BSB because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
- NKJV Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
- NASB For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
- NLT John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John had told Herod it was unlawful for him to have Herodias. The prophet boldly spoke God's truth regardless of the danger.
Overview
John had directly confronted Herod, declaring that his marriage to Herodias violated God's law. His courage in rebuking a powerful ruler exemplifies prophetic faithfulness that fears God more than man. This bold stand for righteousness, even at personal cost, foreshadows John's martyrdom and models uncompromising integrity for all who serve God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Lev 20:21“‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
- Lev 18:16“‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.
- Mark 6:18For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
- 2 Chr 26:18–19They resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed. It will not be for your honor from Yahweh God.”
- Isa 8:20Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.
- 1 Kgs 21:19You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.”’”
- Prov 28:1The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Deut 25:5–6If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies, and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
- 2 Sam 12:7Nathan said to David, “You are the man. This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
- Acts 24:24–25But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 14:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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