In the shadowed drama of Jesus’ trial before Pilate and Herod, Luke 23:8 offers a moment both fleeting and revealing. Here, we find Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, encountering Jesus for the first time. The verse records not just an act of seeing, but a complex interplay of expectation, longing, and narrative irony.
ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐχάρη λίαν· ἦν γὰρ ἐξ ἱκανοῦ θέλων ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ ἀκούειν αὐτὸν πολλὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἤλπιζέ τι σημεῖον ἰδεῖν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γινόμενον.
This single sentence pulses with grammatical richness—particularly in its use of participles and infinitives that layer meaning onto the act of seeing and desiring. Let us step into this verse and explore one of its most striking features: the nuanced function of the infinitive ἰδεῖν, and how it reveals the gap between Herod’s external curiosity and his internal blindness.
The Infinitive That Longs: Desire and Deception
At the heart of the verse lies a chain of verbs and infinitives that reveal Herod’s inner world:
ἦν γὰρ ἐξ ἱκανοῦ θέλων ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ ἀκούειν αὐτὸν πολλὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ
The phrase ἦν θέλων forms a periphrastic construction in which the imperfect tense verb ἦν (“he was”) combines with the present active participle θέλων (“wanting”) to express ongoing desire. This structure functions much like “he had been wanting” or “he was desiring” in English.
Morphology Breakdown – θέλων / ἰδεῖν:
- Root: θέλω (to will, wish, desire)
- Form: Present active participle, masculine nominative singular
- Literal Translation: “wanting”
- Grammatical Notes: The form θέλων is not finite but participial. It works with ἦν to create a continuous aspect—“was wanting” or “had been wanting.” This periphrastic construction is common in Koine Greek for emphasizing the duration or persistence of an action.
What makes this usage remarkable is the way it frames Herod’s motivation—not as a fleeting impulse, but as a sustained longing. Yet this desire is misdirected, shaped by hearsay and spectacle rather than spiritual discernment.
Seeing Without Believing: The Tragedy of Expectation
Herod’s final hope is captured in another infinitival construction:
ἤλπιζέ τι σημεῖον ἰδεῖν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γινόμενον
He hoped to see a sign performed by Jesus. Again, we encounter the infinitive ἰδεῖν—not to understand, not to believe, but to witness something sensational.
Morphology Breakdown – γινόμενον:
- Root: γίνομαι (to become, happen, be done)
- Form: Present middle/passive participle, neuter accusative singular
- Literal Translation: “being done”
- Grammatical Notes: The participle functions adjectivally, modifying σημεῖον (“a sign being done”). The passive voice suggests that the sign is something to be observed rather than enacted by Herod himself. His role is entirely passive—he waits to see, not to participate or respond.
What emerges is a portrait of Herod whose desire is shaped by hearsay and spectacle. His eyes are open, but his heart remains closed. The infinitives that govern his actions—ἰδεῖν, ἀκούειν, γινόμενον—are all oriented outward, toward sensory experience rather than inward transformation.
Table: Key Morphological Analysis
| Word | Root | Form | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| θέλων | θέλω | Pres. act. part., masc. nom. sg. | Wanting | Periphrastic with ἦν = “was wanting” |
| ἰδεῖν | ὁράω | Aor. act. inf. | To see | Object of desire; point-like vision |
| ἀκούειν | ἀκούω | Pres. act. inf. | To hear | Causal motivation for wanting to see |
| γινόμενον | γίνομαι | Pres. mid./pass. part., acc. neut. sg. | Being done | Modifies “sign”—what Herod hopes to observe |
The Eyes That Missed the Light: A Grammar of Unbelief
In the end, Luke’s pen captures more than a historical exchange—it sketches a spiritual condition through syntax. Herod sees Jesus, yet does not truly see Him. He desires to witness signs, yet remains unmoved by truth standing before him.
The infinitives that shape his desires—ἰδεῖν, ἀκούειν, γινόμενον—are grammatical echoes of superficial engagement. They speak of longing without commitment, curiosity without conversion.
In this brief encounter, the Gospel writer paints a microcosm of unbelief—a king who looked upon the King of kings, but remained blind to His reign.
