King Herod heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
17 Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore [many things] to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Herod hears about Jesus because Jesus’ fame and deeds have become widely known. Mark then shows how people try to explain what they cannot yet understand. Some say John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, so “mighty powers” are at work in him. Others say Elijah has returned (v. 15; cf. Mal. 3:23-24). Others say Jesus is “a prophet like any of the prophets” (v. 15; cf. Deut. 18:15). These guesses are not the same as faith. They show that many can see God’s power at work and still not know who Jesus truly is. Mark will return to these same public guesses later (cf. Mk. 8:27-30).
Herod’s reaction is different from the crowd’s. He says, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up” (v. 16). Mark is showing Herod’s fear and a guilty conscience. Herod thinks the past has returned to confront him. That line leads Mark into a flashback about why John was arrested and how he died.
Mark then explains why John was arrested. The “Herod” in this passage is Herod Antipas, a Jewish ruler over Galilee under Roman authority; he was not a Roman governor, though Mark notes that people commonly called him “king” (vv. 14, 17). John confronts him about his marriage to Herodias, who had been his brother’s wife, and John says plainly, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (v. 18; cf. Lv. 18:16; 20:21). John’s role here is the role of a prophet. He speaks God’s law to a ruler who knows Israel’s Law and has broken it. He does not flatter power, and he does not stay silent to protect himself.
Herodias responds with hostility. Mark says she “harbored a grudge” and wanted John killed (v. 19). But she cannot accomplish it immediately because Herod is conflicted. Herod fears John, because he knows John is “a righteous and holy man” (v. 20). He keeps him in custody, and when he listens to him he is “very much perplexed,” yet he likes to listen (v. 20). Mark’s description is sharp: Herod recognizes holiness, is unsettled by it, but does not repent. He keeps John close enough to hear him, yet locked away so he does not have to obey him.
The turning point comes at Herod’s birthday banquet (v. 21). The setting matters because it is public: courtiers, military officers, and leading men of Galilee are present (v. 21). When Herodias’s daughter dances, Mark says it “delighted Herod and his guests” (v. 22). In that moment, pleasure leads Herod to show off. Pride pushes him to appear generous and in control, and the public setting adds pressure because he is speaking in front of powerful men whose respect he wants. So he makes a grand promise on the spot: “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you,” even “up to half of my kingdom” (vv. 22-23; cf. Est. 5:3; 7:2). But once he has sworn it publicly, the promise becomes a trap. The girl goes to her mother and returns with the request for John’s head (vv. 24-25). Herod now must either renege on his boast in front of his guests or kill the righteous and holy man he feared, respected, and liked to hear (v. 20).
Herod is “deeply distressed” (v. 26). Mark wants you to see that Herod knows this is wrong. Yet he still chooses it. He chooses it because of his oaths and because of his guests (v. 26). In other words, he cares more about his public image than about justice, and more about saving face than about saving a life. A ruler who fears people more than God becomes capable of anything. John is executed in prison (v. 27), his head is delivered (v. 28), and the girl gives it to her mother (v. 28). Herodias’s grudge is fulfilled.
The last line is quiet but important: John’s disciples come, take his body, and lay it in a tomb (v. 29). Mark is already preparing the reader for what will happen to Jesus. John’s death foreshadows Jesus’ death, and the burial of John points ahead to the burial of Jesus (cf. Mk. 15:45-46). In both cases, rulers will know they are dealing with a holy and innocent man, and in both cases, they will still allow an unjust killing to happen (cf. Mk. 15:10, 15).
Lord, give me a conscience that listens when You correct me, the humility to change, and the courage to do what is right even when it costs me. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011. Mk. 6:14-29.
- Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Mark. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, commentary on Mk. 6:14-29, pp. 75-76.
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Gospel of Mark, pp. 609-610, para. 41.
- The Navarre Bible: Saint Mark. Dublin: Four Courts Press, commentary on Mk. 6:14-29, pp. 183-184.
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2018, commentary on Mk. 6:14-29, p. 992.
- The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. (imprimatur, Archdiocese of Chicago, Sept. 10, 2020). Gospel of Mark, commentary on Mk. 6:14-29, p. 1256.
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