And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
All Commentaries on Matthew 14:5 Go To Matthew 14
Peter Chrysologus
AD 450
“And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people.” That person readily turns away from justice who, in matters at issue, fears not God but people. Such fear can restrain the power to sin but is unable to remove the will to sin. Hence, those whom it has restrained from crime, it makes all the more eager to return to crime. It is only the fear of God that can set minds straight, repel criminal actions, preserve innocence and give steadfast power. But let us focus on the passionate intensity of blessed John.
