Mar 6:14-29 | NETfull | STEP | Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Mark 6:14-29

The Death of John the Baptist

14 Now ^{▼▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.} King Herod ^{▼▼ Herod was technically not a king, but a tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king. A tetrarch ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. In the NT, Herod, who ruled over Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14–29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.} heard this, for Jesus’ ^{▼▼ Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} name had become known. Some ^{▼▼ Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.} were saying, “John the baptizer ^{▼▼ While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).} has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod ^{▼▼ Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.} had married her. 18 For John had repeatedly told ^{▼▼ The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.} Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ^{▼▼ It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. This was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.} 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But ^{▼▼ Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.} she could not 20 because Herod stood in awe of ^{▼▼ Grk “was fearing,” “was respecting”; the imperfect tense connotes an ongoing fear or respect for John.} John and protected him, since he knew that John ^{▼▼ Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} was a righteous and holy man. When Herod ^{▼▼ Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, ^{▼▼ In place of ἠπόρει (ēporei, “he was baffled”) the majority of mss (A C D f¹ 33 Maj. lat sy) have ἐποίει (epoiei, “he did”; cf. KJV’s “he did many things.”) The best mss (א B L [W] Θ 2427 co) support the reading followed in the translation. The variation may be no more than a simple case of confusion of letters, since the two readings look very much alike. The verb ποιέω (poieō, “I do”) certainly occurs more frequently than ἀπορέω (aporeō, “I am at a loss”), so a scribe would be more likely to write a more familiar word. Further, even though the reading ἐποίει is the harder reading in terms of the sense, it is virtually nonsensical here, rendering it most likely an unintentional corruption.} ^{▼▼ Or “terribly disturbed,” “rather perplexed.” The verb ἀπορέω (aporeō) means “to be in perplexity, with the implication of serious anxiety” (L&N 32.9).} and yet ^{▼▼ Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “and yet” to indicate the concessive nature of the final clause.} he liked to listen to John. ^{▼▼ Grk “him”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.}

21 But ^{▼▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.} a suitable day ^{▼▼ Grk “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.”} came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias ^{▼▼ Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autou herōdiados), is supported by א B D L Δ 565 pc; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autēs tēs Herōdiados, “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ f¹³ 33 Maj., but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by f¹ pc, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.} came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her, ^{▼▼ ‡ The witnesses here support several different readings: αὐτῇ πολλά (autē polla, “to her insistently”) is found in D Θ 565 700 it; πολλά is the reading of Ƥ^45vid 28; both words are lacking in L pc; and א A B C^2vid f¹³ 33 2427 Maj. lat have just αὐτῇ. The best candidates for authenticity, on external grounds, are αὐτῇ πολλά and αὐτῇ. So the issue revolves around whether πολλά is part of the text. On the one hand, πολλά used adverbially is a distinctive Markanism (10 of the 16 NT instances are found in Mark; of the other Gospels, Matthew alone adds a single example [Matt 9:14]). It could be argued that such an unremarkable term would go unnoticed by the scribes, and consequently would not have been inserted in imitation of Mark’s style observed elsewhere. On the other hand, the largest cluster of instances of an adverbial πολλά are in Mark 5–6, with the most recent example coming just three verses earlier (Mark 5:23, 38, 43; 6:20). Scribes may well have imitated the usage so recently and so frequently seen. Further, the best Alexandrian witnesses, as well as good representatives of the Western and Byzantines texts, lack πολλά. On the whole, though a decision is difficult, it is probably best to read the text without πολλά. NA²⁷ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.} “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” ^{▼▼ The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”} 24 So ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.} she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother ^{▼▼ Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} said, “The head of John the baptizer.” ^{▼▼ While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark employs the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (though twice he does use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).} 25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: ^{▼▼ Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.} “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 Although it grieved the king deeply, ^{▼▼ Grk “and being deeply grieved, the king did not want.”} he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. 27 So ^{▼▼ Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.} the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s ^{▼▼ Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s ^{▼▼ Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.