KING HEROD THE EDOMITE: THE TIME ESAU RULED OVER JACOB. The Father Sought To Kill The Word Made Flesh As A Baby Who In Turn Called His Son Herod Antipas A Fox. The cunning of the Edomite did not compare with the one who knew how to be wiser than a serpent and yet gentler than a dove.

That Fox: Herod, Edom, and the Lineage That Opposes the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In Luke 13:32, Jesus makes one of His most pointed remarks about an earthly ruler: "Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.’” The reference to Herod Antipas as a “fox” is more than a dismissive jab—it is layered with prophetic, ethnic, and theological meaning. When understood in light of biblical history and Herod's Edomite heritage, Jesus' words become a direct confrontation of a lineage long opposed to the promise of God. This paper explores the deep significance of this insult and situates it within the broader story of redemptive conflict between Jacob and Esau, Israel and Edom, and Christ and all usurping powers.

Herod Antipas: A Legacy of Blood and Treachery

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great, who had been appointed king of Judea by Rome and ruled as a client monarch. Herod the Great was an Idumean—descended from the Edomites, the ancient enemies of Israel and the lineage of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. Though the Idumeans were forcibly converted to Judaism under the Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus in the second century BCE, many Jews regarded them with suspicion and disdain.

Herod the Great’s reign was marked by cruelty and paranoia. Most infamously, he ordered the massacre of all male infants in Bethlehem in an attempt to eliminate Jesus (Matt. 2:16). His motive was clear: protect his power by eradicating any potential rival to the throne of David. Ironically, the man appointed by Rome to rule Judea was not a son of David but of Esau—a symbolic and literal usurper.

Herod Antipas, who succeeded his father, inherited not only his throne but also his hostility toward the true King. Though he initially regarded Jesus with curiosity (Luke 23:8), Antipas ultimately saw Him as a threat. In Luke 13:31, Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod wanted Him dead. Jesus’ response was curt and unflinching: “Go and tell that fox…”

Fox vs. Lion: Kingship and Character

In rabbinic literature, the lion is the symbol of nobility and kingship—especially associated with the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:9–10). By contrast, the fox represents cunning, deceit, and lowly status. A famous Talmudic saying (Sotah 13a) states: “Woe to the generation that is led by a fox instead of a lion.”

By calling Herod a fox, Jesus was issuing a scathing critique:

• Herod was not a lion, but a scavenger
• His authority was not divine, but political
• His rule was not messianic, but usurping and illegitimate

Jesus, by contrast, is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). The true King of Israel did not ascend by Roman appointment but by divine anointing and fulfillment of prophecy. The contrast between Herod and Jesus is not merely between two rulers—it is between two kingdoms.

Edom in Biblical Prophecy: The Enemy Within

Edom, the nation descended from Esau, is portrayed throughout Scripture as a rival and enemy of Israel. Though the brothers Jacob and Esau reconciled in Genesis 33, their descendants did not.

In the Book of Obadiah, Edom is rebuked for standing aloof while Jerusalem was attacked, for rejoicing over Judah’s fall, and for participating in their destruction:

“You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin… You should not have entered the gate of my people in the day of their calamity… You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives.” (Obadiah 1:12–14)

Edom is judged precisely because of its betrayal of its brother. This fraternal betrayal is echoed in the New Testament, where Herod the Edomite joins Rome in opposing Christ, the Son of David.

The Timeline of Sovereignty: Luke 13 and John 10

Jesus’ full statement in Luke 13:32–33 is profound:

“Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’”

Jesus is declaring two things:

1. Herod has no power over His destiny.

2. Jesus’ mission will unfold according to divine timing.

This echoes John 10:17–18:

“I lay down my life that I may take it up again… No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

Herod, the fox, may plot—but the Lion has already determined the time.

The Edomite Spirit in Every Age

The opposition between Herod and Jesus is not just political or ethnic—it is spiritual. The Edomite spirit represents all false claims to the throne, all enmity to the purposes of God, and all hostility to the seed of promise. Herod stands in the tradition of Esau who despised his birthright, of Edom who betrayed his brother, and of the kings who sought to destroy the Messiah.

Yet Jesus, the true King, does not confront the fox with fear—but with authority. He continues His mission, performs His works, and completes His course. Herod may be a fox, but the kingdom belongs to the Lion.

1 Esdras 4:45 and the Legacy of Edomite Betrayal

An often-overlooked apocryphal verse adds another layer to the Edomite narrative. In 1 Esdras 4:45 (RSV), we read:

"You also vowed to rebuild the temple which the Edomites burned when Judah was devastated by the Chaldeans."

This verse implies that Edom did more than rejoice at Judah's fall—they actively contributed to its desecration. While the canonical texts (like Obadiah) focus on Edom’s complicity and violence during Jerusalem’s destruction, 1 Esdras accuses them directly of burning the temple.

This corroborates the prophetic indictment in Obadiah and further identifies the Edomite line with direct opposition to the house of God. It places Herod's dynasty in historical continuity with a pattern of sacrilege, betrayal, and anti-Judah sentiment.

Thus, when Jesus calls Herod a fox, the insult resonates not just with personal cunning but with national treachery. The fox has always lurked near the temple—scheming, usurping, and burning. But the Lion builds a kingdom that no Edomite flame can destroy.

Conclusion

Jesus’ reference to Herod as a “fox” is not merely a character insult. It is a prophetic, ethnic, and theological statement rooted in Israel’s history with Edom. It calls to mind the age-old enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, between Jacob and Esau, between false kings and the true Messiah. In the face of Herod’s scheming, Jesus asserts His sovereignty. The fox may rule for a time, but it is the Lion who finishes the course—and who rules forever.