Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
A Jewish political party who favored the Herods and Roman dependence
(Matt. 22:16; Mark 3:6; 8:15).
Concise Bible Dictionary:
The name comes from Herod, and refers to those who took part with him and his successors in leavening the Jews with Grecian and Roman manners and licentiousness. In skepticism they sided with the Sadducees, but were strongly opposed to the Pharisees. This makes it the more striking that they should have united with the latter in endeavoring to entrap the Lord in His speech (Matt. 22:16; Mark 3:6; Mark 12:13). Their evil principles may well come under the term “the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15).
Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:
Transliteration:
Herodianoi
Phonic:
hay-ro-dee-an-oy’
Meaning:
plural of a derivative of 2264; Herodians, i.e. partisans of Herod
Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:
gentilic of Herod
Potts’ Bible Proper Names:
Partisans of Herod; of the sect of Herod, Matt. 22:16. {Sectatores Herodis}
From Manners and Customs of the Bible:
Matthew 22:16. They sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians.
These Herodians were rather a political than a religious party. They were Jews who attached themselves to the political fortunes of the Herodian family, hoping thereby to promote the interests of the Jewish people. They were not very strict in observing the requirements of the Jewish ritual; and, although in this respect they were the opposite of the Pharisees, they easily united with that powerful body in efforts to ruin Jesus, as appears from this verse in connection with the fifteenth. See also Mark 3:6; 12:13. Some suppose, from comparing Matthew 16:6 with Mark 8:15, that the Herodians were all Sadducees; that they belonged to what is knowns the Baethusian branch of that body.
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