<p>14:1&nbsp;<em>At that time Herod the tetrarch-</em>&nbsp;Literally, &lsquo;one of a fourth&rsquo;; a reference to how after the death of Herod the Great in 4 BC, the kingdom was divided amongst four others.</p>
<p><em>Heard the report concerning Jesus</em>- A play on words:&nbsp;<em>akouo... akoe</em>. The Lord has recently used the same word play in saying that unbelievers &quot;By hearing shall hear [same two Greek words] and shall not understand&quot; (Mt. 13:14). The connection may be to demonstrate that pagan Herod was no better than the unbelieving Jewish religious leaders. Even in the Old Testament, unbelieving Israel are often described in terms of the Gentile world. We can also note that the Gospels were designed for memorization, and such word plays are common in order to assist committing them to memory. The Gospels likewise should be the lifeblood of all serious Christian living and thinking in this age of electronic memory.</p>