"Herod, pr. name. (1) Herod the Great, Mt. 2:1. (2) Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, Mt. 14:1. (3) Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:1"
Definition and meaning
Herod, pr. name. (1) Herod the Great, Mt. 2:1. (2) Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, Mt. 14:1. (3) Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:1
In the original Greek the word is written: Ἡρῴδης
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of herodes (G2264) across the King James Bible.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
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Common questions
Strong's G2264 (herodes) is a Greek word that means: Herod, pr. name. (1) Herod the Great, Mt. 2:1. (2) Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, Mt. 14:1. (3) Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:1 It appears 41 times in the King James Bible.
The word herodes (G2264) appears 41 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2264 is herodes, a Greek word defined as: Herod, pr. name. (1) Herod the Great, Mt. 2:1. (2) Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, Mt. 14:1. (3) Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:1. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
herodes is a Greek word found in the New Testament.