Herodians* — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Jewish party mentioned three times in the Gospels in connection with two incidents (one in Galilee and one in Jerusalem) and associated with the Pharisees in their opposition to Christ. In Mark 3:6, after the healing of the man with the withered hand, the Pharisees went out and took counsel with the Herodians, plotting to destroy Jesus. In Matthew 22:16 and Mark 12:13, the Pharisees and Herodians allied against Christ to entrap him with their question as to the lawfulness of paying taxes to Caesar. The Herodians are never mentioned in either Luke or John.

Show passage in OET: MRK 3:6

OET-RV MRK 3:6

6 But the Farisaios quickly left, and meeting with King Herodes’s (Herod’s) supporters, they conspired to kill Yeshua.

OET-LV MRK 3:6

6 And the Farisaios_party having _come _out, immediately they _produced counsel with the supporters _of _Haʸrōdaʸs against him, so _that they _may _destroy him.

Show passage in OET: MAT 22:16

OET-RV MAT 22:16

16 Afterwards, they sent some of their apprentices along with some supporters of Herodes (Herod) to ask, “Teacher, we know you’re honest and you teach God’s ways in all honesty, irrespective of what people might say, because you don’t care about people’s opinions.

OET-LV MAT 22:16

16 And they _are _sending _out to _him the apprentices/followers of _them with the supporters _of _Haʸrōdaʸs saying:
Teacher, we _have _known that you _are true, and you _are _teaching the way of_ the _god in truth, and it _is_ not _caring to _you about no _one, because/for you _are_ not _looking on appearance of _people.

Show passage in OET: MRK 12:13

OET-RV MRK 12:13

13 Then the religious leaders sent some members of the Farisaios party and some of the political supporters of King Herodes (Herod) to try to catch Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) out.

OET-LV MRK 12:13

13 And they _are _sending _out some of _the Farisaios_party and of _the supporters _of _Haʸrōdaʸs to him, in _order _that they _may _catch him in_a_statement.

Jump to OET MRK 3:6 section.

Jump to OET MAT 22:16 section.

Jump to OET MRK 12:13 section.

The real problem comes in Mark 8:15, where it speaks of the “leaven of Herod.” Another reading is the “leaven of the Herodians.” However, the parallel passage in Matthew 16:6 speaks of the “leaven of the Sadducees.” Are the Sadducees and the Herodians the same?

Show passage in OET: MRK 8:15

OET-RV MRK 8:15

15 He told them, “Watch out for the yeast of the Farisaios and of King Herodes (Herod).”

OET-LV MRK 8:15

15 And he _was _instructing to _them saying:
Be _seeing, be _watching _out for the leaven of _the Farisaios_party and of _the leaven of _Haʸrōdaʸs.

Show passage in OET: MAT 16:6

OET-RV MAT 16:6

6 and Yeshua told them, “Watch out for the yeast from the Farisaios and the Saddoukaios (Sadducees).”

OET-LV MAT 16:6

6 And the Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) said to _them:
Be _watching and be _taking _heed of the leaven of _the Farisaios_party and Saddoukaios_sect.

Jump to OET MRK 8:15 section.

Jump to OET MAT 16:6 section.

Matthew tends to label the religious leaders as Jesus’ opponents, whereas Mark emphasizes that Jesus’ opponents were both religious and political. What then is the significance of Matthew’s use of “the leaven of the Sadducees” in place of Mark’s “leaven of Herod” or “leaven of the Herodians”? Some have speculated that the Herodians were a political party composed principally of Sadducees. Some have identified them with the Sadducees, and others with the Boethusians, whose name more often than not was used interchangeably with that of the Sadducees. The Boethusians and the Sadducees were indistinguishable theologically, but the Sadducees were loyal to the Hasmonean dynasty, whereas the Boethusians were attached to the Herodian house and consequently were called the Herodians. Thus the Herodians had political affiliations with the Herodian house and religious affiliations with the Sadducees. Along with the Sadducees, the Herodians were men of influence—the aristocrats of Palestine.

Nevertheless, during Jesus’ time the political differences between the Herodians and the Sadducees were not as distinct because of the marriage of the Herodian Herod Antipas to the Hasmonean Herodias. The Herodians and the Sadducees would have been on the same side politically against the Pharisees, the former being pro-government, while the Pharisees were both anti-Hasmonean and anti-Herodian. Congruent with this, Matthew 16:12 and Mark 8:15 represent the Pharisees and the Sadducees/Herodians as contrary parties opposing Jesus.

Show passage in OET: MAT 16:12

OET-RV MAT 16:12

12 Then they understood that he wasn’t talking about yeast that’s used to make bread, but about the teachings of the Farisaios’ party and of the Saddoukaios sect.

OET-LV MAT 16:12

12 Then they _understood that he_ not _said to _be _taking _heed of the leaven of _the loaves, but of the teaching of _the Farisaios_party and Saddoukaios_sect.

Jump to OET MAT 16:12 section.

In summary, the Herodians were also known as the Boethusians. Theologically they were in agreement with the Sadducees, but politically they were more pro-Herodian than the Sadducees. While the Pharisees looked for a cataclysmic messianic kingdom to remove the present Herodian rule, the Herodians worked to keep Herod’s dynasty in power.