Herod the tetrarch
Herod Antipas, referred to here, was a son of Herod the Great and ruled as tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. The term "tetrarch" comes from the Greek "τετράρχης" (tetrarchēs), meaning "ruler of a fourth part," reflecting the division of Herod the Great's kingdom among his sons. Historically, Herod Antipas is known for his political cunning and moral failings, including his role in the execution of John the Baptist. His mention here sets the stage for the political and moral tensions that Jesus' ministry would encounter, highlighting the contrast between earthly and divine authority.

heard the reports
The Greek word "ἀκούω" (akouō) means "to hear" or "to listen," implying that Herod was receiving ongoing news about Jesus' activities. The reports about Jesus were spreading rapidly, indicating the growing impact of His ministry. This serves as a reminder of the power of Jesus' works and words to reach even the highest echelons of political power, challenging rulers and authorities with the truth of the Kingdom of God.

about Jesus
The name "Jesus" is derived from the Hebrew "Yeshua," meaning "Yahweh is salvation." This name encapsulates the mission and identity of Christ as the Savior of the world. In the context of this verse, the mention of Jesus signifies the central focus of the Gospel narrative. The reports reaching Herod underscore the transformative and far-reaching nature of Jesus' ministry, which transcends social and political boundaries, offering salvation to all who believe. This highlights the universal scope of the Gospel and the call for all people, regardless of status, to respond to the message of Christ.

(1) Herod the tetrarch.--The son of Herod the Great by Malthace. Under his father's will he succeeded to the government of Galilee and Peraea, with the title of Tetrarch, and as ruler of a fourth part of the Roman province of Syria. His first wife was a daughter of Aretas, an Arabian king or chief, named in 2Corinthians 11:32 as king of the Damascenes. Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip (not the Tetrarch of Trachonitis, Luke 3:1, but son of Herod the Great by Mariamne, and though wealthy, holding no official position as a ruler), was daughter of Aristobulus, the son whom Herod put to death, and was therefore niece to both her husbands. Prompted partly by passion, partly by ambition, she left Philip, and became the wife of Antipas (Jos. Ant. xviii. 5, ?4). The marriage, at once adulterous and by the Mosaic law doubly incestuous, shocked the conscience of all the stricter Jews. It involved Antipas in a war with the father of the wife whom he had divorced and dismissed, and it was probably in connection with this war that we read of soldiers on actual duty as coming under the teaching of the Baptist in Luke 3:14. The prophetic spirit of the Baptist, the very spirit of Elijah in his dealings with Ahab and Jezebel, made him the spokesman of the general feeling, and so brought him within the range of the vindictive bitterness of the guilty queen.

Heard of the fame of Jesus.--The words do not necessarily imply that no tidings had reached him till now. Our Lord's ministry, however, had been at this time at the furthest not longer than a year, and possibly less, and Antipas, residing at Tiberias and surrounded by courtiers, might well be slow to hear of the works and teaching of the Prophet of Nazareth. Possibly, the nobleman of Capernaum (John 4:46), or Manaen the foster-brother of the tetrarch (Acts 13:1), or Chuza his steward (Luke 8:3), may have been among his first informants, as "the servants" (the word is not that used for "slaves") to whom he now communicated his theory as to the reported wonders. . . .