Herod's Feast and the Demand for John's HeadBible World
6:28Mark 6:28
And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
At Herod's command John the Baptist was beheaded in prison and his severed head was brought on a charger before Herod and his guests and given to the daughter of Herodias, who carried it to her mother. John had faithfully denounced Herod for his unlawful alliance with Herodias, his brother's wife, for which Herod had imprisoned him while Herodias plotted his death. The execution took place during Herod's birthday feast amid drunken revelry after the dancing of Herodias's daughter, and completed Herodias's revenge while filling the guests with horror. Herod had honored and feared John as a true prophet and was nearly persuaded by his reproof, but weakened by indulgence he treated his rash oath and honor before his guests as more binding than God's command not to kill. The act murdered an innocent prophet and silenced the voice that called sinners to repentance, leaving Herod tormented by remorse, and it warns against intemperance and pleasure-seeking among those in authority.
The Beheading Described
At Herod's command John the Baptist was beheaded in prison, and his severed head was brought on a platter or charger before Herod and his guests. The executioner gave it to the girl, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, and she carried it to her mother. The delivery fulfilled the girl's demand and made Herod's decision final. John had faithfully denounced Herod Antipas for his unlawful alliance with Herodias, his brother's wife, while her husband was still living. For that reproof Herod shut him in his fortress prison and punished him, while Herodias plotted his death and Herod delayed releasing him.
The execution took place during Herod's birthday feast amid feasting and drunken revelry. It followed the dancing performance of Herodias's daughter before Herod and his guests. Herod's intemperance and the impaired judgment of his guests led to a decision that cost a prophet his life. The bringing in of the head completed Herodias's revenge against John, whom she had sought to have killed. Herodias exulted over him and insulted him even after his death, while the sight filled the guests with horror and Herod could not shut his eyes to what he had ordered.
John had been put to death only a short time before Herod heard of Christ's preaching and miracles. Herod heard the report only after Christ sent forth His disciples to work miracles in His name, though Christ had spent most of His time in Galilee. Herod's supposition that Jesus was John risen from the dead shows he had never before heard of Jesus or known that such a person existed, for one who had lived about thirty years in Galilee could not be John who a short time before had been put to death. Nothing solves the difficulty but the general disregard which persons in high rank show to religion, and the astonishing ignorance in which most of them remain of what goes forward in that respect.
Revenge, Oath, and Intemperance
Herod honored and feared John as a true prophet, for John's reproof had struck his guilty conscience, and he had nearly become his disciple, yet he turned from the truth. His conscience and moral judgment grew dull as he continued in sin and rejected the light he had received. Herodias plotted John's death while Herod delayed releasing him, exploiting Herod's weakness for luxurious food and wine. She planned to use his birthday feast and intoxication to make him lose sound judgment and agree to John's death.
The feasting and intoxication helped lead to the crime, for intemperance and sensual indulgence impaired the judgment of Herod and his guests and led to a decision that cost a prophet his life. The head brought on a platter to the girl, who gave it to her mother, records the completion of the execution and the result of Herodias's revenge. Herod, impaired by feasting and drinking, treated his rash oath as binding and feared losing honor before his guests. He chose the guilt of murder rather than face accusation of breaking his oath, driven by Herodias's consuming desire for revenge.
He wrongly treated his oath as more binding than God's command not to kill, when sober reason would have recognized the demands of justice and duty and recoiled from the deed. The delivery of John's head completed the killing of an innocent prophet in violation of that commandment. The slaying was done in drunken revel to please Herodias and to satisfy a cruel woman's revenge. Herod ordered the execution and the head was brought before him and his guests after they had failed to speak up for John, and their silence and Herod's drunkenness and concern for reputation allowed an innocent servant of God, one of the greatest prophets, to be condemned. His death silenced the voice that had called Herod to reform and sinners to repentance, ending his life amid a night of frivolity and dissipation.
Aftermath and Moral Lessons
The bringing of the severed head on a platter completed the killing of an innocent prophet of God, one of the greatest of the prophets, in violation of God's commandment against murder. The silence of Herod and his guests helped condemn that innocent servant, while feasting and drinking impaired their judgment and allowed a rash oath and Herodias's revenge to prevail. Herod wrongly treated his rash oath as more binding than God's command not to kill, fearing loss of honor before his guests, when sober reason would have recognized the demands of justice and duty and recoiled from the deed. The death silenced the voice that had called Herod to reform and sinners to repentance, ending in a night of frivolity, dissipation, sensual indulgence and revelry. It stands as the deadly result of intemperance and failure to act justly among people in authority, whose drunkenness, concern for reputation, and impaired judgment let an innocent prophet be killed to satisfy revenge.
That execution made John a martyr and witness for God, yet the killing of his body could not take away his hope or eternal life. The memory of the act afterward troubled Herod's conscience and filled him with fear of punishment and remorse, even as Herodias exulted over John and insulted him after his death. Herod had known John was a true prophet and had nearly become his disciple, but he turned from the truth and rejected the light to kill a prophet he knew to be true. His remorse over the crime faded as his conscience, moral sense and moral judgment grew more degraded and dull through continued sin, until he boasted of punishing John for reproving him.
Tidings of the death reached Jesus and the disciples just after their return from their first missionary tour, when they were filled with joy over success as heralds of the gospel. The news brought bitter sorrow and disappointment, and leaving John to die in prison severely tested their faith. They questioned why Jesus had not saved John from such a violent death, with his severed head brought on a dish and given to the girl who gave it to her mother. Jesus met their sorrowful, tear-stained faces with pitying tenderness, with tears in His own eyes and voice, bidding them come apart into a desert place and rest awhile.
The completion of John's martyrdom after Herod's birthday feast warns against pleasure-seeking and calls for Christian temperance. John's example shows that a pointed message against deception may cost the messenger his life, yet still serve to keep people from being deceived. The dancing of Herodias's daughter before Herod led to the beheading, with the head brought in and given to her and then to her mother, illustrating how alluring, deceptive influences can lead people toward ruin.
At Herod's command John the Baptist was beheaded in prison and his severed head was brought on a charger before Herod and his guests and given to the daughter of Herodias, who carried it to her mother. John had faithfully denounced Herod for his unlawful alliance with Herodias, his brother's wife, for which Herod had imprisoned him while Herodias plotted his death. The execution took place during Herod's birthday feast amid drunken revelry after the dancing of Herodias's daughter, and completed Herodias's revenge while filling the guests with horror. Herod had honored and feared John as a true prophet and was nearly persuaded by his reproof, but weakened by indulgence he treated his rash oath and honor before his guests as more binding than God's command not to kill. The act murdered an innocent prophet and silenced the voice that called sinners to repentance, leaving Herod tormented by remorse, and it warns against intemperance and pleasure-seeking among those in authority.
The Beheading Described
At Herod's command John the Baptist was beheaded in prison, and his severed head was brought on a platter or charger before Herod and his guests. The executioner gave it to the girl, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, and she carried it to her mother. The delivery fulfilled the girl's demand and made Herod's decision final. John had faithfully denounced Herod Antipas for his unlawful alliance with Herodias, his brother's wife, while her husband was still living. For that reproof Herod shut him in his fortress prison and punished him, while Herodias plotted his death and Herod delayed releasing him.
The execution took place during Herod's birthday feast amid feasting and drunken revelry. It followed the dancing performance of Herodias's daughter before Herod and his guests. Herod's intemperance and the impaired judgment of his guests led to a decision that cost a prophet his life. The bringing in of the head completed Herodias's revenge against John, whom she had sought to have killed. Herodias exulted over him and insulted him even after his death, while the sight filled the guests with horror and Herod could not shut his eyes to what he had ordered.
John had been put to death only a short time before Herod heard of Christ's preaching and miracles. Herod heard the report only after Christ sent forth His disciples to work miracles in His name, though Christ had spent most of His time in Galilee. Herod's supposition that Jesus was John risen from the dead shows he had never before heard of Jesus or known that such a person existed, for one who had lived about thirty years in Galilee could not be John who a short time before had been put to death. Nothing solves the difficulty but the general disregard which persons in high rank show to religion, and the astonishing ignorance in which most of them remain of what goes forward in that respect.
Revenge, Oath, and Intemperance
Herod honored and feared John as a true prophet, for John's reproof had struck his guilty conscience, and he had nearly become his disciple, yet he turned from the truth. His conscience and moral judgment grew dull as he continued in sin and rejected the light he had received. Herodias plotted John's death while Herod delayed releasing him, exploiting Herod's weakness for luxurious food and wine. She planned to use his birthday feast and intoxication to make him lose sound judgment and agree to John's death.
The feasting and intoxication helped lead to the crime, for intemperance and sensual indulgence impaired the judgment of Herod and his guests and led to a decision that cost a prophet his life. The head brought on a platter to the girl, who gave it to her mother, records the completion of the execution and the result of Herodias's revenge. Herod, impaired by feasting and drinking, treated his rash oath as binding and feared losing honor before his guests. He chose the guilt of murder rather than face accusation of breaking his oath, driven by Herodias's consuming desire for revenge.
He wrongly treated his oath as more binding than God's command not to kill, when sober reason would have recognized the demands of justice and duty and recoiled from the deed. The delivery of John's head completed the killing of an innocent prophet in violation of that commandment. The slaying was done in drunken revel to please Herodias and to satisfy a cruel woman's revenge. Herod ordered the execution and the head was brought before him and his guests after they had failed to speak up for John, and their silence and Herod's drunkenness and concern for reputation allowed an innocent servant of God, one of the greatest prophets, to be condemned. His death silenced the voice that had called Herod to reform and sinners to repentance, ending his life amid a night of frivolity and dissipation.
Aftermath and Moral Lessons
The bringing of the severed head on a platter completed the killing of an innocent prophet of God, one of the greatest of the prophets, in violation of God's commandment against murder. The silence of Herod and his guests helped condemn that innocent servant, while feasting and drinking impaired their judgment and allowed a rash oath and Herodias's revenge to prevail. Herod wrongly treated his rash oath as more binding than God's command not to kill, fearing loss of honor before his guests, when sober reason would have recognized the demands of justice and duty and recoiled from the deed. The death silenced the voice that had called Herod to reform and sinners to repentance, ending in a night of frivolity, dissipation, sensual indulgence and revelry. It stands as the deadly result of intemperance and failure to act justly among people in authority, whose drunkenness, concern for reputation, and impaired judgment let an innocent prophet be killed to satisfy revenge.
That execution made John a martyr and witness for God, yet the killing of his body could not take away his hope or eternal life. The memory of the act afterward troubled Herod's conscience and filled him with fear of punishment and remorse, even as Herodias exulted over John and insulted him after his death. Herod had known John was a true prophet and had nearly become his disciple, but he turned from the truth and rejected the light to kill a prophet he knew to be true. His remorse over the crime faded as his conscience, moral sense and moral judgment grew more degraded and dull through continued sin, until he boasted of punishing John for reproving him.
Tidings of the death reached Jesus and the disciples just after their return from their first missionary tour, when they were filled with joy over success as heralds of the gospel. The news brought bitter sorrow and disappointment, and leaving John to die in prison severely tested their faith. They questioned why Jesus had not saved John from such a violent death, with his severed head brought on a dish and given to the girl who gave it to her mother. Jesus met their sorrowful, tear-stained faces with pitying tenderness, with tears in His own eyes and voice, bidding them come apart into a desert place and rest awhile.
The completion of John's martyrdom after Herod's birthday feast warns against pleasure-seeking and calls for Christian temperance. John's example shows that a pointed message against deception may cost the messenger his life, yet still serve to keep people from being deceived. The dancing of Herodias's daughter before Herod led to the beheading, with the head brought in and given to her and then to her mother, illustrating how alluring, deceptive influences can lead people toward ruin.