Question 144: Who were the Herodians?

Answer:

The Herodians were a class of Jews in the time of Moshiach, who were partisans of Herod, either of a political or religious sort or both. It appears that when the ecclesiastical authorities of Judea held a council against the Saviour, they associated with themselves the Herodians and sent an embassy to Yeshua designing to trap Him in His speech. As tetrarch of Galilee, Herod Antipas was the ruler of the province which was Yeshua' home and the Jews doubtless argued that Herod would be pleased if they could convict Yeshua of being a rival claimant to the crown. The Pharisees were a Jewish sect who held rigidly aloof from other sects, claimed to be free from every kind of impurity and united to keep the Mosaic Laws, to which they gave the closest study. They were frequently denounced by our Saviour for their self-righteousness and their assumption of superior piety.