18 Bible Verses about Named Gentile Rulers

Some days had passed, when king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. As they were spending several days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. "There is a man," he said, "who was left in prison by Felix. When I was at Jerusalem, the high priests and elders of the Jews informed me about him and demanded his condemnation.read more.
I told them Romans were not in the habit of giving up any man until the accused met the accusers face to face and had a chance of defending himself against the impeachment. Well, the day after they came here along with me, I took my seat on the tribunal without any loss of time. I ordered the man to be brought in, but when his accusers stood up they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I had expected. The questions at issue referred to their own religion and to a certain Jesus who had died. Paul said he was alive. As I felt at a loss about the method of inquiry into such topics, I asked if he would go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. But Paul entered an appeal for his case to be reserved for the decision of the emperor; so I ordered him to be detained till I could remit him to Caesar." "I should like to hear the man myself," said Agrippa to Festus. "You shall hear him to-morrow," said Festus. So next day Agrippa and Bernice proceeded with great pomp to the hall of audience, accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent civilians of the town. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in. "King Agrippa and all here present," said Festus, "you see before you a man of whom the entire body of the Jews at Jerusalem and also here have complained to me. They loudly insist he ought not to live any longer. I could not find he had done anything that deserved death, so I decided to send him, on his own appeal, to the emperor. Only, I have nothing definite to write to the sovereign about him. So I have brought him up before you all, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, in order that I may have something to write as the result of your cross-examination.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have our permission to speak upon your own behalf." At this Paul stretched out his hand and began his defence.

Why, the king is well aware of this! To the king I can speak without the slightest hesitation. I do not believe any of it has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, you believe the prophets? I know you do." "At this rate," Agrippa remarked, "it won't be long before you believe you have made a Christian of me!"read more.
"Long or short," said Paul, "I would to God that not only you but all my hearers to-day could be what I am ??barring these chains!" Then the king rose, with the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated beside them. They retired to discuss the affair, and agreed that "this man has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." "He might have been released," said Agrippa to Festus, "if he had not appealed to Caesar."

but on hearing that Archelaus reigned over Judaea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and, by a divine injunction in a dream, withdrew to the region of Galilee.

Now when Jesus was born at Bethlehem, belonging to Judaea, in the days of king Herod, magicians from the East arrived at Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newly-born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose, and we have come to worship him." The news of this troubled king Herod and all Jerusalem as well;read more.
so he gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people and made inquiries of them about where the messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem belonging to Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet: And you Bethlehem, in Judah's land, You are not least among the rulers of Judah: For a ruler will come from you, Who will shepherd Israel my people." Then Herod summoned the magicians in secret and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He also sent them to Bethlehem, telling them, "Go and make a careful search for the child, and when you have found him report to me, so that I may go and worship him too."

Then Herod saw the magicians had trifled with him, and he was furiously angry; he sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the neighbourhood who were two years old or under, calculating by the time he had ascertained from the magicians.

In the days of Herod king of Judaea there was a priest called Zechariah, who belonged to the division of Abijah; he had a wife who belonged to the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus. And he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead. That is why miraculous powers are working through him." For Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias the wife of his brother Philip,read more.
since John had told him, "You have no right to her." He was anxious to kill him but he was afraid of the people, for they held John to be a prophet. However, on Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced in public to the delight of Herod; whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she wanted. And she, at the instigation of her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head this moment on a dish." The king was sorry, but for the sake of his oath and his guests he ordered it to be given her; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison,

Now this came to the hearing of king Herod, for the name of Jesus had become well known; people said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, that is why miraculous powers are working through him;" others said, "It is Elijah," others again, "It is a prophet, like one of the old prophets." But when Herod heard of it he said, "John has risen, the John I beheaded."read more.
For this Herod had sent and arrested John and bound him in prison on account of his marriage to Herodias the wife of his brother Philip; John had told Herod, "You have no right to your brother's wife." Herodias had a grudge against him; she wanted him killed but she could not manage it, for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing he was a just and holy man; so he protected John ??he was greatly exercised when he listened to him, still he was glad to listen to him. Then came a holiday, when Herod held a feast on his birthday for his chief officials and generals and the notables of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias went in and danced to them, and Herod and his guests were so delighted that the king said to the girl, "Ask anything you like and I will give you it." He swore to her, "I will give you whatever you want, were it the half of my realm." So she went out and said to her mother, "What am I to ask?" "John the Baptizer's head," she answered. Then she hurried in at once and asked the king, saying, "I want you to give me this very moment John the Baptist's head on a dish." The king was very vexed, but for the sake of his oaths and his guests he did not like to disappoint her; so the king at once sent one of the guard with orders to bring his head. The man went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a dish, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, Philip his brother tetrarch of the country of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysias tetrarch of Abilene,

But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife as well as for all the wickedness that he, Herod, had committed,

When Herod the tetrarch heard all that was going on, he was quite at a loss; for some said that John had risen from the dead, some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, "John I beheaded. But who is this, of whom I hear such tales?" And he made efforts to see him.

and ascertaining that he came under the jurisdiction of Herod, he remitted him to Herod, who himself was in Jerusalem during those days. Herod was greatly delighted to see Jesus; he had long wanted to see him, because he had heard about him and also because he hoped to see him perform some miracle. But though he put many questions to him, Jesus gave him no answer.read more.
Meanwhile the high priests and scribes stood and accused him with might and main. Then Herod and his troops scoffed at him and made fun of him, and after arraying him in a bright robe he remitted him to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that day ??previously they had been at enmity.

In this very city they actually mustered against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst consecrate ??Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

No, nor has Herod, for he has remitted him to us. He has done nothing, you see, that calls for death;

It was about that time that king Herod laid hands of violence on some members of the church. James the brother of John he slew with the sword, and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.)

Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time. As there was a bitter feud between him and the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, they waited on him unanimously, and after conciliating the royal chamberlain Blastus they made overtures for peace, as their country depended for its food-supply upon the royal territory. On a stated day Herod arrayed himself in royal robes, took his seat on the dais, and proceeded to harangue them.read more.
The populace shouted, "It is a god's voice, not a man's!" and in a moment an angel of the Lord struck him, because he had not given due glory to God; he was eaten up by worms and so expired.

(This was the first census, and it took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)