Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
Herodias held a settled, clinging enmity against John the Baptist and was determined to have him destroyed. Her hatred was revenge for his faithful rebuke of her unlawful union with Herod as his brother's wife while her husband was still living. She wanted him killed but could not effect it herself, because Herod at first restrained her, fearing John as a just and holy man, hearing him gladly and even intending to release him. Through her influence over the weak Herod she had John shut in prison and at last secured his beheading when Herod, dulled by wine at his birthday feast, promised whatever her daughter asked in order to please her. Although he was imprisoned and put to death for his pointed reproof, his enemies could not destroy his hope or take away eternal life, showing that faithfulness requires making the message plain even at the cost of life.
Herodias's Hatred Toward John
Mark 6:19 describes Herodias's settled, clinging hostility toward John the Baptist. She regarded him as her enemy and wanted him killed, fastening herself upon him and refusing to let go until she had destroyed him. Her fierce resentment held as a quarrel she would not release.
Her hatred was revenge for his faithful reproof of her unlawful alliance with Herod Antipas as his brother's wife. He had told the truth about her iniquitous life and reproved her unlawful life and relationship, and in one account the marriage is specified as taking his brother's wife while her husband was still living. She felt grievously insulted by him and feared his repeated rebukes might eventually persuade Herod.
She wanted him killed but could not bring it about herself or obtain Herod's agreement directly. She therefore concealed her hatred and plotted to gain her end by other means. Herod at first restrained her because he feared John as a just and holy man, trembled under his call to repentance, heard him gladly, and did many things at his word. For a time he feebly sought to break the chain of lust that bound him and intended to release John, while also fearing to displease Herodias and delaying release on that account.
Through her influence over the weak and vacillating Herod she fastened him more firmly in her toils. She induced Herod to shut John away from the free air of the wilderness and the throngs east of Jordan into a dungeon cell in the fortress prison. Her influence thus led Herod to seize John and put him in prison, and she later influenced his beheading.
Her desire was finally carried out when she used Herod's weakness for food and drink and his indulgence in wine. At his birthday feast, while drunk, he was moved by her daughter's dance to promise anything she asked. He then ordered John's death to please and gratify Herodias.
After the execution she exulted over and insulted his severed head, forcing Herod to face the sight of the bleeding head. Herod, by contrast, was troubled by guilt and feared the consequences of his sin, feeling brief remorse for granting her request for John's execution. But his conscience and moral sense grew dulled and degraded by sin, and he later boasted of having punished John for reproving him.
John's Death and Lessons
This verse belongs to the Bible account of John's imprisonment and violent death at Herod's hand. It places that imprisonment in the setting of his faithful work as Christ's herald, when he was deprived of liberty and facing loss of life while Jesus did not release him. That setting helps explain why his confinement and lack of deliverance troubled him. His death brought bitter sorrow and disappointment to Jesus' disciples and severely tested their faith. It came just after they returned filled with joy over success on their first missionary tour, so that they questioned why Jesus, despite His power, had not saved John.
Jesus left John to die in prison there at Herod's hand. Yet He looked on the disciples' sorrowful, tear-stained faces with pitying tenderness, with tears in His own eyes and voice. He called them apart into a desert place to rest a while. Although John was imprisoned and eventually put to death, his enemies could not destroy his hope or take away eternal life.
John's pointed message of reproof stirred deadly hatred, put his life at risk, and cost him his life. That faithfulness shows the message must be made more and more pointed even though it costs life, so that the people shall not be deceived. His martyrdom followed when intemperance impaired the judgment of those in authority at Herod's birthday feast. The event therefore stands as a warning about intemperance and the responsibility of leaders to exercise sound judgment.
Herodias held a settled, clinging enmity against John the Baptist and was determined to have him destroyed. Her hatred was revenge for his faithful rebuke of her unlawful union with Herod as his brother's wife while her husband was still living. She wanted him killed but could not effect it herself, because Herod at first restrained her, fearing John as a just and holy man, hearing him gladly and even intending to release him. Through her influence over the weak Herod she had John shut in prison and at last secured his beheading when Herod, dulled by wine at his birthday feast, promised whatever her daughter asked in order to please her. Although he was imprisoned and put to death for his pointed reproof, his enemies could not destroy his hope or take away eternal life, showing that faithfulness requires making the message plain even at the cost of life.
Herodias's Hatred Toward John
Mark 6:19 describes Herodias's settled, clinging hostility toward John the Baptist. She regarded him as her enemy and wanted him killed, fastening herself upon him and refusing to let go until she had destroyed him. Her fierce resentment held as a quarrel she would not release.
Her hatred was revenge for his faithful reproof of her unlawful alliance with Herod Antipas as his brother's wife. He had told the truth about her iniquitous life and reproved her unlawful life and relationship, and in one account the marriage is specified as taking his brother's wife while her husband was still living. She felt grievously insulted by him and feared his repeated rebukes might eventually persuade Herod.
She wanted him killed but could not bring it about herself or obtain Herod's agreement directly. She therefore concealed her hatred and plotted to gain her end by other means. Herod at first restrained her because he feared John as a just and holy man, trembled under his call to repentance, heard him gladly, and did many things at his word. For a time he feebly sought to break the chain of lust that bound him and intended to release John, while also fearing to displease Herodias and delaying release on that account.
Through her influence over the weak and vacillating Herod she fastened him more firmly in her toils. She induced Herod to shut John away from the free air of the wilderness and the throngs east of Jordan into a dungeon cell in the fortress prison. Her influence thus led Herod to seize John and put him in prison, and she later influenced his beheading.
Her desire was finally carried out when she used Herod's weakness for food and drink and his indulgence in wine. At his birthday feast, while drunk, he was moved by her daughter's dance to promise anything she asked. He then ordered John's death to please and gratify Herodias.
After the execution she exulted over and insulted his severed head, forcing Herod to face the sight of the bleeding head. Herod, by contrast, was troubled by guilt and feared the consequences of his sin, feeling brief remorse for granting her request for John's execution. But his conscience and moral sense grew dulled and degraded by sin, and he later boasted of having punished John for reproving him.
John's Death and Lessons
This verse belongs to the Bible account of John's imprisonment and violent death at Herod's hand. It places that imprisonment in the setting of his faithful work as Christ's herald, when he was deprived of liberty and facing loss of life while Jesus did not release him. That setting helps explain why his confinement and lack of deliverance troubled him. His death brought bitter sorrow and disappointment to Jesus' disciples and severely tested their faith. It came just after they returned filled with joy over success on their first missionary tour, so that they questioned why Jesus, despite His power, had not saved John.
Jesus left John to die in prison there at Herod's hand. Yet He looked on the disciples' sorrowful, tear-stained faces with pitying tenderness, with tears in His own eyes and voice. He called them apart into a desert place to rest a while. Although John was imprisoned and eventually put to death, his enemies could not destroy his hope or take away eternal life.
John's pointed message of reproof stirred deadly hatred, put his life at risk, and cost him his life. That faithfulness shows the message must be made more and more pointed even though it costs life, so that the people shall not be deceived. His martyrdom followed when intemperance impaired the judgment of those in authority at Herod's birthday feast. The event therefore stands as a warning about intemperance and the responsibility of leaders to exercise sound judgment.