1 AT that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, [ This is not Herod the Great. Herod the Great died long before this around the time of the birth of Jesus. So this is one of the sons of Herod. This is Herod Antipas, and Herod Antipas has a brother, also a son of Herod the Great, named Herod Philip. This sets the stage. Herod learns of the doings of Jesus as such he thinks that John The Baptist has been resurrected. He's thinking, "Wait a minute, uh-oh, is John the Baptist risen from the dead? Is he coming back to get me?" ]

2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; [ "egw apekefalisa", Whom I beheaded Herod's conscience is troubling him right now, as if John The Baptist is still alive as he is in Herod's head right now. He is miserable because he is guilty. He was smitten with fear when he heard of the fame of Jesus, thinking it was John the Baptist risen from the dead to torment his conscience further. He would be thinking that there was no one to kill this guy so he will be able to do to me whatever he wants, In his mind John The Baptist holds all the power.] and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. [ Jesus Christ is going about healing the sick and infirm, causing miracles to happen. ]

3 ¶ For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ [ Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, son of Herod the Great and Mariamne, daughter of Hyrcanus. Her first husband was Philip I, son of Herod the Great and Mariamne, so she married her own uncle, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, whom her mother used to destroy John the Baptist. When Herod Antipas visited Rome, he was entertained by Philip and Herodias. Herod abducted his royal brother’s wife. His own wife, an Arabian princess, was an obstacle to an illicit marriage, so he divorced her, and Herodias became queen in her stead, and with her daughter was installed in the palace. “The corroding immorality of Herod’s race shows itself in his marriage with Herodias his brother’s wife and the wanton offense thereby given to Jewish sensibilities.” ] sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. [ Among the female characters in God’s portrait gallery there are many wicked women as we are discovering, but surely Herodias stands out among them as one of the most vile and vicious. Amid the putrefying influence of the palace, however, there was one man who knew no fear, John the Baptist. Herod “feared” him and regarded him as “a just man” and whom “he heard gladly.” Herod found music in the preacher’s message until he sternly rebuked the king by saying of Herodias, “It is not lawful for thee to have her.” But such a warning bell was to toll the Baptist’s doom. For his faithful rebuke of Herod’s sin, John was cast into prison, and the evil, scheming mind of Herodias began to work. She was stung by the arrow from the preacher’s quiver and hated him for exposing her shame. “For Herodias' sake,” he was imprisoned and thus the greatest of the prophets was sacrificed for this lewd and vicious woman. But the hatred of such a vile creature was more to be desired than her affection (Matthew 10:23; Luke 6:26). Herodias, with her conscience in turmoil because of her accuser, planned to silence him. She did not want Herod to listen too closely and constantly to John’s forceful preaching. She feared her illegal husband—for her first husband was still alive—might repent, and her position as queen, imperiled. ]

5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude,[ An example to all of us. When we come to fear man more than God we are in trouble. ], because they counted him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, [ Either the day in which he was born, or the day on which he began to reign; for both were termed birth-days. ] the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. [ Herodias knew Herod only too well. He easily succumbed to sensual excitement, and as his birthday drew near her foul design was hatched. On the day when drink freely flowed, Herodias used her own daughter to inflame Herod’s passions. She was willing to sacrifice her child’s modesty in order to bend Herod to her will. Herod was overcome by Salome’s form seen through the flowing flimsy garment she wore, and influenced by the act of the dancing girl took a rash and foolish oath to give her whatever she asked, even to half of his kingdom. ]

7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, [ Approaching her mother, Salome said, "What shall I ask?" Without hesitation Herodias, the female hyena, replied, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist". Returning to Herod she presented her demand, and Herod was extremely sorry at such a request. Yet, because of his oath’s sake, he sacrificed the preacher whom he regarded as just and holy, and all because of his guilty love for a vile woman. One wonders how Salome felt when the gory dish of the preacher’s head was handed to her? ] said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. [ The word charger formerly signified a large dish, bowl, or drinking cup ]

9 And the king was sorry: [ He knew John to be a righteous man ] nevertheless for the oath’s sake, [ Because he had committed to do whatever she asked - he was bound by oath to do as he had committed. vs 7] and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: [ The daughter of Herodias, she had requested the head of John The Baptist under the direction of her mother. after John The Baptist criticized the illegality of Herodias's marriage. All because John the Baptist spoke the truth and that truth put Herodias to shame and she would not let it go. The marriage that John the Baptist criticized was the union between Herodias and Herod Antipas, who was tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea. He also was one of her uncles. Her marriage to Antipas violated Jewish law because she was already married to another man who was still living. That other man was Herod Philip, who also was an uncle of hers, and a brother to Antipas. Antipas(Herod Antipas bore the title of tetrarch ("ruler of a quarter") and is referred to as both "Herod the Tetrarch" and "King Herod" in the New Testament, although he never held the title of king. ] and she brought it to her mother.

12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

13 ¶ When Jesus heard of it,< [ The death of John the Baptist. ] he [ The Savior. ] departed thence by ship [ Left by ship as it is a shorter coarse, also allows some alone time as well with a smaller group. ] into a desert place apart: [ Means a place of solitude. In this case it was to Bethsaida. So it appears that Christ went to Bethsaida which is where they were when Mathew 14 happened. Bethsaida is in the Philip Tetrarchy, so it is a different jurisdiction from Antipas Tetrarchy. They border each other. Capernaum is in the Antipas Tetrarchy on the other side of the sea of Galilee. So it is in a different jurisdiction(under Philip, not Antipas). ] and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot [ "pezh", or, by land. ] out of the cities.

14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, [ "esplagcnisqe" , he was moved with tender compassion. ] and he healed their sick.

15 ¶ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.[ The disciples where looking out for the temporal aspects of life for the multitude. Maybe in a way they saw that the Savior had great will power and to him hunger was not a problem but the disciples saw that they people were hungry and were struggling to make a decision. Do I leave and miss something or do I stay even though I am hungry, and since it is evening not only am I hungry now but if the shops are closed then I may have to go until morning before I can get something to eat. ].

16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; [ As if to say that he who seeks first the kingdom of God will be blessed with both the spiritual and the tempral. The Savior suggesting here that they can have both if they will stay. ] give ye them to eat.

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. [ Or we only have one family value meal. ]

18 He said, Bring them [ The 5 loaves and the 2 fishes. ] hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, [ He thanked Heavenly Father for the food. This blessing on the bread also multiplied it such that there was abundance for everyone there. This was the common practice that that Father of a Jewish family take the bread into his hands and offer thanks to God before any of the family was permitted to eat of it. ] and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

[ Story of Peter walking on water. YouHaveThePower.html ]

22 ¶ And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, [ What was the reason why the disciples did not want to go? Was it because they did not want to return to the jurisdiction of Herod, or did they just not want to go without their Lord and Protector, so that they would not enter their boat till Christ had commanded them to do so. Did they want to try to consul him as he processed the news of John The Baptists death. ] and to go before him unto the other side, [ Towards Capernaum, ver. 34. John 6:16, 17, from Bethsaida, see on Mark 6:45. ] while he sent the multitudes away.

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he [ The Savior. ] went up into a mountain apart to pray:[ What would have been on his mind? I suppose for one thing the death of his good friend John the Baptist. The weight of his calling would have become even more evident to him. ]: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, [ They are here because they were obedient to Christ, who had commanded them into the boat in the first place (Mark 6:45). Another lesson here might be that just because you do ask you are asked by the Lord does not mean that the times will not be dificult. Obedience to God can involve inconvenience or even suffering (Acts 5:27–33). ] tossed with waves: [ Grievously agitated. This is the proper meaning of the word "basanizomenon": but one MS. reads baptizomenon, plunged under the waves, frequently covered with them; the waves often breaking over the vessel. ] for the wind was contrary. [ Opposite; contradictory; not merely different, but inconsistent or repugnant. So the waves would have been coming from every angle; and that is the worst conditions for someone in a boat. Now if you have ever been in a boat you know that the boat is safest when it it heading into the wind, and when the waves are coming every which direction and especially to the side of the boat you are in the most peril. And so it was this night, the waves came from every direction. After some time had passed and during the very early hours of the morning the disciples saw a figure walking on the water toward them. As they strained they recognized that it was Jesus who was walking calmly through the tempest toward them, to comfort them.]

25 And in the fourth watch of the night [ The Romans had introduced in Judea, the custom of dividing the day into twelve hours: see John xi. 9. The first watch began at six o'clock in the evening, and continued till nine; the second began at nine, and continued till twelve; the third began at twelve, and continued till three next morning; and the fourth began at three, and continued till six. It was therefore between the hours of three and six in the morning that Jesus made his appearance to his disciples. ] Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. [ Thus suspending the laws of gravitation was a proper manifestation of unlimited power. Jesus did this by his own power; therefore Jesus showed forth his Godhead. In this one miracle we may discover three:-1. Though at a distance from his disciples, he knew their distress. 2. He found them out on the lake, and probably in the midst of darkness. 3. He walked upon the water. ]

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; [ Why? Because no man can do that - right? The disciples appear to fear the Savior on the water more than the storm. Their first assumption, on seeing a human figure walking over the waves, is that this is a ghost. While not the specific point of this story, it's worth keeping in mind that God's intervention in our lives can sometimes happen in ways we find unexpected, even frightening at first. ] and they cried out for fear. [ Why? Because they were scared enough by the waves and the storm. They did not know the kind of spirit that it was, good or evil. when you are tired and afraid then your mind plays lots of tricks on you. ]

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. [ Can you imagine the comfort that those words would have been to his disciples? He simple says to them as he often says to us - Trust in me - Trust me! Fear and misunderstanding will cause us to avoid the very source that is there for us. We retreat from it rather than go toward our safety. The storm was bad that night. the ship was tossed; then they see what appears to be a ghost coming toward them - how frightened they must have been. I am sure they were close to a state of panic - but as they listened they herd “It is I; be not afraid”and then one took the leap of faith - Peter. Elder James E. Talmage. By what law or principle the effect of gravitation was superseded, so that a human body could be supported upon the watery surface, man is unable to affirm. The phenomenon is a concrete demonstration of the great truth that faith is a principle of power, whereby natural forces may be conditioned and controlled. Into every adult human life come experiences like unto the battling of the storm- tossed voyagers with contrary winds and threatening seas; ofttimes the night of struggle and danger Jeffrey R. Holland 78 Brigham Young University 1988–89 Speeches is far advanced before succor appears; and then, too frequently the saving aid is mistaken for a greater terror. As came unto Peter and his terrified compan- ions in the midst of the turbulent waters, so comes to all who toil in faith, the voice of the Deliverer— ”It is I; be not afraid.” [Jesus the Christ (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, 1916), p. 337]

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, [“That is to say, "since" or "inasmuch".” Excerpt From: James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ / A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy / Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern.” Apple Books. ] bid me come unto thee on the water. [ How often do we start out on a task with the Lord with full faith in our efforts? How long did he contemplate getting out of the boat - did he just jump right out or did he wait awhile? What was going through his mind? How much impact did the miracles of the day with the fishes and the bread influence his decision? What can we learn from Peters actions for our own lives? Peter asks “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Maybe Peter was thinking that he would feel safer if he were closer to the Savior. Maybe it was an extension of what he had learned that day or the miracles that he had seen that provided him with extra faith on this occasion. The faith and the trust that really all things are possible, and so Peter leaves the boat and begins to walk toward the Savior on top of the water. We do not know how long Peter sat in the boat contemplating should I stay or should I go, can I really do this thing, am I good enough, do I have enough faith? Did he try to rationalize everything or did he just go once the Savior beckoned. I suppose that really does not matter either, because he did get out of the boat he did exercise his faith. In addition we don’t know what went through Peters mind while he was walking on the water; but I suspect it was something like this. I really can do all things, this is pretty cool I have more power within me then I ever understood, and so Peter continued to walk toward Jesus with his eyes firmly fixed on the master, step by step getting closer and closer. And then for some reason Peter takes his eyes off the Savior and begins to focus on the waves. They are some pretty big waves, they are coming at him from every angle. The sea can be an unforgiving place when it is driven by fierce winds. But the waves were there when Peter left the boat, they are not bigger than they were, but they now have his attention. As Peters attention becomes more focused on the waves and the power of the water that surrounds him he begins to become fearful, he literally begins to doubt how this is all possible, how can he be walking on water. It defies the laws of nature and yet it is true. The more he begins to doubt the more he begins to sink, and the more he begins to sink the more he doubts. Within a short period of time the Savior has to rush over and save Peter from becoming a casualty in the violent storm. ]

29 And he [ The Savior ] said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, [How was it that he was able to walk on water right at first? Well first he just goes out and does it, he exercises his own agency by asking the Master for help and then he totally and completely trusts in the hands of the master. Peter impetuous as he was, has not the taken time to think about the consequences - he is like a little child, just accepts and does. Is this what is meant by the faith of a child? What was the difference that made him sink? He starts to understand what he is doing, that it just is not safe, possible, right - whatever, so he becomes like an adult and begins to limit the powers of GOD. In vs 30 it was because he was afraid. How does that apply to us and faith? All laws of God including the law of gravity...are based on a hierarchical order. The Law of Faith being one of the greatest - since it was the Law upon which the Earth was formed, and I suppose that it is still upon this law that all of nature takes it clues because even every element at it smallest state acts based upon faith in GODS plan. So the law of gravity is subject and is based upon the law of faith. Lectures on Faith Lecture 1 and my thoughts on that. However impossible the thing commanded by Christ may appear, it is certain he will give power to accomplish it to those who receive his word by faith; but we must take care never to put Christ's power to the proof for the gratification of a vain curiosity; or even for the strengthening of our faith, when the ordinary means for doing that are within our reach. Additionally walking on water can be a metaphor for the impossibility of keeping all of the commandments perfectly all of the time. sometimes we will sink but inthose times we need to ask lord help me. ] to go to Jesus. [ Did Peter think that he would feel safer if he was with the Savior? ]

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, [ What has changed from the time that Peter left the boat? The waves were violent and raging before he left the boat, so the only thing that changed was his focus. As he began to focus his mind on the wind; away from the Savior. This is a small shift but it is enough, he begins to have doubts in himself, he looses trust, confidence he becomes afraid. Nothing had really happened differently here. As his faith began to fail the power that the Savior had in his life began to be overriden by the laws of nature and he began to sink. Good lesson for us here, that we must stay focused on the Savior no matter what, it is when we diviate that we begin to experience doubt. When we look at the wind and the waves in a painting what can we compare them too? They're social issues, political issues, all these different things can distract us from keeping our eyes on the Savior where our power is. ] he was afraid; [ When Peter quit exercising his submission to the Law of Faith he was once again subject to the Law of Gravity. It was not the violence of the winds, nor the raging of the waves, which endangered his life, but his littleness of faith. Whatever faith we have, ultimately we are dependent on our Savior, and that's where our faith needs to lie. ] and beginning to sink, [ Interesting that it is not just a complete dunk in the water but he begins to slowly feel that his ship is going down so to speak. This is a gradual process that it sounds like it happens slowly He started to doubt a little bit and that caused him to sink a little bit. What does this suggest about the power of faith? That with some faith we can do some things; but it requires perfect faith in order to do all things. ] he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately [ Jesus knew what 3was about to happen, just as he does in our lives. So with that knowledge he was right there - immediately. ] Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, [ I always thought that these verses were all about faith. And while there are that there is also the resurrance that the Savior is always there and willing reach out and catch us. He knows when we are struggling and he is not far off, but sometimes we need to ask for his help. He was there immediately which means that he knew what was going to happen with Peter, that he would doubt and the this doubt would cause him to sink. So the Savior had already made his way toward Peter. ] and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? [ Or you were doing so well - why did you begin to doubt? Or did you really doubt that I would save you? I'm not going to leave you out here to drown. ]

32 And when they were come into the ship, [ Does Jesus pick up Peter and put him on his back and carry him over? How exactly does that work? Do they both walk over together? ] the wind ceased. [ What is the signifigance of the wind stopping when they return to the ship? Well he is the prince of peace right. Now I suppose that there are many in the world that would try to tell us that Peter was a failure. But I choose to look at the experience differently. I see Peter and his actions as a success. While he did not walk forever on water going forward he did learn that there is a power inside of him far greater than his own power. He learned that there was a way to connect with the powers of heaven. He learned that faith in the Savior needs to be continually nourished. That having the faith to start something is not the same as having the faith to see it through. That once you set forth with faith you have to continue to move forward with the same or maybe even greater faith. Peter learned much about faith that night. He took his faith from a study of what faith is and can be to the reality of it’s power. Peter learned that he must continue to exercise his faith if it is to continue to grow. Sure Peter might get wet, yes he might be scared but how else will he ever know.]

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the son of God. [ The disciples witness that once again it is confirmed to them that he is indeed who he says he is - The son of God. “Note that this is the first occurrence of this title in the Synoptic Gospels, as applied to Jesus by mortals; compare an earlier instance of its application by Nathanael, John 1:49.” Excerpt From: James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ / A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy / Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern.” Apple Books. ]

34 ¶ And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. [ It was from this country that the sea or lake of Gennesaret had its name. In this district, on the western side of the lake, were the cities of Capernaum and Tiberias. ]

35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: [ So great was their faith in him. Most likely the Tzitzit. In ancient times most of the clothes had four corners. In the past, they would fulfill the mitzvah by tying tzitzits in the four corners of the garment. God instructed the Jewish individuals to fasten fringes into the sides or corners of their garments so they would continually remember Him and also His commandments. Around then, the normal piece of clothing was a simple cloth sheet, and mitzvah was to append fridges to each of the four corners. The 8 strings and the five knots are the physical representation of Torah’s 613 mitzvahs. The strings should either be made from wool or from similar materials from which garments are made. Every string really comprises of two threads turned together and should be spun particularly for Tzitzit. Therefore, one should purchase Tzitzit that convey appropriate rabbinic supervision. Once you have bought the strings, it is not so hard to attach them all by yourself. It is meaningful and fun. The right processes of putting Tzitit in the garment are as follows: Utilize 4 strings, one that is longer in order to wrap around the other effectively Tie the 4-ends together to make sure that every string will be with one end on every side You then need to insert strings to the hole Tie the double knot The longer string should be wind around others about 7 times Tie the double knot and then wind longer string around the others 8 times Tie the double knot and then wind longer string around the others 11 times Tie the double knot and then wind longer string around the others 13 times Tie the fifth and final double knot Why are the strings wound with 13, 11, 8 and 7 windings? 7 represents the perfection of the physical world that was created in 7 days 8 is the number of transcendence which goes beyond nature 11 pertains to a numerical value vav-hey; the last 2 letters of the God’s name 13 is the numerical value for echad-one ] and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.