The Life of Jesus in Harmony | Index

Herodians

HERO'DIANS (he-ro'di-anz).

A party among the Jews of the apostolic age, and were opposed to Jesus (Mt 22:16; Mk 3:6; 12:13) but of which no explicit information is given by any of the gospel writers.

The party was probably formed under Herod the Great and appears to have held that it was right to pay homage to a sovereign who might be able to bring the friendship of Rome and other advantages, but who had personally no title to reign by law and by religion. On this question they differed from the Pharisees (Matt. 22:16-17), although they joined forces with them in disguised opposition, or in open union against Jesus, in whom they saw a common enemy. The Herodians were obviously something more than a political party and something less than a religious sect.