The Bible Says
Mark 6:17-29 Meaning

The parallel gospel account for Mark 6:17-29 is found in Matthew 14:3-12.

Mark 6:17-29 recounts how Herod arrested and imprisoned John the Baptist for condemning his unlawful marriage to Herodias, and how Herod, though afraid of John, was manipulated by Herodias and her daughter into beheading him during a banquet to fulfill a rash oath.

The event of Mark 6:17-19 is referred to as the “Beheading of John the Baptist.”

After reporting Herod the tetrarch’s mistaken belief that John had risen from the dead and was behind the miracles Jesus was performing (Mark 6:16), Mark goes on to recount the backstory of John’s arrest and execution.

For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (vv17-18).

John the Baptist was Jesus’s cousin (Luke 1:36) and the Messianic forerunner (Mark 1:2-8). Jesus said of John that:

“among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!”
(Matthew 11:11a)

To learn more about John the Baptist, see The Bible Says article: “Who was John the Baptist?”

Mark specifies that the reason Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison was on account of Herodias and the things which John had been saying to Herod about his marriage to her. John had been saying to Herod: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Before proceeding, it may be helpful to untangle the complex and intertwined branches of the Herodian dynasty.

The Herod who arrested John for speaking against his marriage to Herodias was Herod Antipas, also known as “Herod the tetrarch” (Matthew 14:1, Luke 3:1, Luke 9:7). At age 16, Herod Antipas was granted rule over the provinces of Galilee and Perea following the death of Herod the Great, who was Antipas’s father.

Herod Antipas lived a pagan lifestyle and was more culturally Roman than he was culturally Jewish. But Herod nominally identified himself as a Jew, to help secure political favor with the Jewish population he governed and legitimize his rule under Roman authority. It was likely because Antipas claimed to be Jewish (which required following the Mosaic Law) that John called out his unlawful marriage to Herodias.

The father of Herod Antipas was Herod the Great (builder). Herod the Great lived from 72-4 BC and he was the half-Jewish King of the Roman province of Judea. He was known for his ruthlessness and cruelty. He not only ordered the massacre of Bethlehem’s male infants in an attempt to eliminate the newborn Messiah (Matthew 2:16), but he also had two of his sons, Aristobulus IV and Alexander, strangled in 7 B.C. out of fear that they sought to take his throne.

Herod the Great had multiple wives and many children, and upon his death, the Romans strategically divided and reorganized his “kingdom” among his descendants. By dispersing authority among several local puppet rulers, Rome ensured tighter imperial control.

Herod the Great was also the grandfather of Herodias through another son named Aristobulus IV. This meant Herod Antipas had married his brother’s daughter. Because Herod Antipas and Herodias were blood-relatives, their marriage was unlawful (Leviticus 18:6). This unlawfulness was in addition to what John pointed out, which involved another son of Herod the Great: Philip.

Philip (27 BC - 33 AD) was Herod Antipas’s half-brother. Philip was originally positioned to be his father’s sole heir but was ultimately left out of the will in favor of Archelaus, Antipas, and another half-brother also named Philip-the tetrarch (20 BC - 34 AD).

(Philip the tetrarch, who ruled Ituraea and Trachonitis (Luke 3:1), is not involved in this chapter.)

Instead, the Philip referenced here in Mark’s gospel is the disinherited one. Philip originally married his niece Herodias, daughter of the executed Aristobulus IV. Herodias left her disinherited husband for his half-brother Herod Antipas. Ironically, it was Philip and Herodias’s daughter who later in this passage (v 22) performs the erotic dance that pleases Herod Antipas.

Herodias (15 BC-39 AD) was the granddaughter of Herod the Great through his son Aristobulus IV, whom Herod executed in 7 BC. Therefore, she was Herod Antipas’s niece. Herodias was also the wife of her uncle Philip. Her marriage to Philip resulted in a daughter, Salome. Later, Herodias divorced Philip and married another of her uncles-Herod Antipas.

As a result, Herodias was simultaneously the niece, former sister-in-law, and wife of Herod the tetrarch.

Herod and Herodias’s marriage was unlawful for two reasons.

• First, marrying a blood relative was forbidden (Leviticus 18:6)-Herodias was the daughter of Herod’s brother Aristobulus IV.

• Second, it was forbidden to marry your brother’s wife if he was still alive (Leviticus 18:16). Herodias was married to Philip, Herod’s half-brother. It was lawful to marry your brother’s wife if he was dead and childless-(Deuteronomy 25:5-6). Herod’s brother and Herodias’s husband, Philip, was still alive.

John spoke against Herod’s marriage to Herodias on account of Leviticus 18:16, saying: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Given John’s bold rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 3:7), he likely made these accusations publicly. While Herodias showed no concern for the law, she was deeply offended by being publicly condemned and shamed by a wild prophet. Mark explicitly states that John was arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias.

But having her accuser arrested and bound in prison was not enough to satisfy Herod’s unlawful wife.

Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death, and could not do so (v 19).

Herodias was bitter and angry at John for denouncing her sin. Instead of repenting of her sin, or ignoring John, she wanted to punish him by executing him. But Herodias lacked the political authority to put John death, so she could not do as she wanted.

As king (tetrarch), Herod did have the political authority to have John executed. And Matthew’s gospel reveals that Herod also wanted to have John the Baptist put to death (Matthew 14:5). Perhaps Herod wanted John executed to please his wrathful wife. But for at least a time, Herod did not have John killed.

Mark explains why Herod did not, and therefore Herodias could not, have John put to death.

for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him (v 20).

Herod was afraid of John. The reason he was afraid of John was because Herod was aware that John was a righteous and holy man of God.

Herod’s fear of John likely meant one of two things; it could have been political fear or religious fear(or both).

Politically, Herod’s fear could mean that Herod feared the people and their opinion of John as a righteous and holy man. Herod was aware that what John said about his unlawful marriage was true-John was righteous. And if he executed John for speaking the truth against his unlawful marriage, this could potentially upset the people. Furthermore, the people viewed John as a holy prophet of God. Executing him would potentially cause an uproar among John’s followers.

Even though Herod’s position as tetrarch (king) was granted by Rome, Rome allowed Herod to enjoy it as long as there was relative peace. If Herod became too odious in the eyes of the people and there was turmoil, then Rome would strip him of his power just as they did to Herod’s older brother Archelaus. Rome put Herod Antipas in charged because they grew weary when Archelaus could not maintain order among the Jews. Herod Antipas wanted to avoid his brother’s fate, so he kept John safe in prison instead of killing him.

Religiously, Herod’s fear could be a lack of faith in his own pagan worldview-or an application of his polytheism. For all his paganism and sensuality, Herod may have had his doubts and worried that John may really have been a holy man from God. If so, Herod kept John safe from Herodias, just in case John was the holy man many people said he was, lest he upset the Jewish Deity.

Mark writes that Herod heard John and when he listened to John, he was very perplexed by what John said.

Herod’s reaction of being very perplexed when he listened to John suggests an inner conflict between his conscience and his desires.

On one hand, he recognized John as a righteous and holy man and may have been drawn to his message of repentance; perhaps Herod even felt the weight of his own sin and the need to repent.

On the other hand, Herod was deeply entrenched in a life of political ambition, moral compromise, and a scandalous marriage that John openly condemned. This tension may have stirred confusion, guilt, and even fear within Herod, as he tried to reconcile his fascination with John’s preaching with his unwillingness to change. Herod’s perplexity reveals a man caught between conviction and rebellion, knowing the truth yet choosing to resist its implications.

In any case, Herod used to enjoy listening to the things John said. And it seems that Herod had begun to develop a certain regard for John the Baptist, but the king neither acted on what John said nor did he execute him, because he was afraid of John.

Unable to have John executed herself, Herodias nurtured her deadly grudge and patiently waited for the right opportunity.

Mark tells us when Herodias’s murderous opportunity happened.

A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee (v 21).

Herod was hosting a birthday banquet and many of his lords (political staff), military commanders, and prominent men in his district of Galilee were in attendance.

There was likely food and much drinking at this banquet. Entertainment in the form of erotic dancing was also provided for Herod’s guests. Among the “entertainers” was the daughter of Herodias and Philip-Herod’s niece and stepdaughter.

and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests (v 22a).

The ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote that Herodias’s daughter’s name was “Salome.”

Salome’s dancing pleased Herod and his guests. The Greek term that is translated as pleased is a form of the word ἀρέσκω (G700), pronounced “ar-esk-ō”. A more descriptive translation of the Greek word “arekso” would be “sexually aroused.”

Herod’s stepdaughter’s performance turned him on so much that he said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom” (vv 22b-23).

At first Herod told the girl (who was his step-daughter), “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” This was a significant offer, but it was also vague. The girl may have shrewdly teased him and did not answer to see what else Herod might be willing to say to her for pleasing him.

Then the king swore to her with something more definitive to demonstrate how serious he was in giving her whatever she wanted and asked for. Herod swore to her and said again “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.”

This was a foolish thing for him to promise, but he was so pleased that he swore this anyway.

The king’s promise was made to Herodias’s daughter in front of Herod’s lords, military commanders, and leading men in Galilee. Now, whatever she asked for would be hers unless Herod went back on his public promise.

Herodias’s trap was about to spring.

Before answering, Salome went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” (v 24a).

The fact that Salome went out indicates that she left the banquet hall to where her mother, Herodias was. Apparently, Herodias had not attended this portion of her husband’s birthday banquet. Salome’s question also suggests that she was seeking her mother’s counsel as to whether the time was ripe to ask her deadly question and/or had Herod committed himself enough to where he would grant her murderous request.

When her daughter said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”, Herodias recognized her opportunity and seized the moment to carry out her long-held desire for revenge.

The mother said, “The head of John the Baptist” (v 24b).

Herodias wanted John beheaded. That was what she told her daughter to ask Herod for. Considering how Herod’s offer was up to half his kingdom, she wanted John beheaded more than anything else, even half of Herod’s dominion.

Salome, Herodias’s daughter-immediately came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter” (v 25).

Herodias’s daughter stated her request emphatically-she wanted John the Baptist’s head served to her on a platter. A platter was a large dinner plate used for displaying the main course of a meal. The image of John the Baptist’s head on a platter was gruesome-especially for a banquet-but in the twisted heart of Herodias, John’s execution was the main course she wanted served.

Mark describes Herod’s response to this awful request:

And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her (v 26).

Mark writes that Herod was very sorry. He was sorry for what he had promised. And he was sorry for what he was about to do. He no longer desired to have John killed, but because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse Herodias or her daughter (v 26). In addition to being a wicked fool, Herod was also a coward.

Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother (vv 27-28).

Rather than create the mess in his palace, Herod ordered that John be killed in the prison. Once this was done, John’s head was brought on a platter, Herod served the gruesome platter with the severed head to the girl, and the girl then gave the platter to her mother.

Herodias got her grisly wish.

When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb (v. 29).

John’s disciples gave their teacher a dignified burial, laying his body in a tomb.