§ 71. THE GUILTY FEARS OF HEROD ANTIPAS IN TIBERIAS ABOUT JESUS BECAUSE HE HAD BEHEADED THE BAPTIST IN MACHÆRUS

Mark 6:14-29Matt. 14:1-12Luke 9:7-9
14 And king Herod
hearda thereof; for his
name had become
known: and 1he said,
John 2the Baptist is
risen from the dead,
and therefore do these
powers work in him.
15 But others said, It is
Elijah. And others
said, It is a prophet,
even as one of the
prophets. 16 But
Herod, when he heard
thereof, said, John,
whom I beheaded, he
is risen. 17 For Herod
himself had sent forth
and laid hold upon
John, and bound him
in prison for the sake
of Herodias, his
brother Philip's wife:
for he had married
her. 18 For John said
unto Herod,b It is
not lawful for thee to
have thy brother's wife
[see Lev. 18:16; 20:21].
19 And Herodias
set herself against
him, and desired to
kill him; and she
could not; 20 for Herod
feared John, knowing
that he was a righteous
man and a holy,
and kept him safe.
And when he heard
him, he 3was much
perplexed; and he
heard him gladly.
21 And when a
convenient day was
come, that Herod on
his birthday made a
supper to his lords,
and the 4high
captains, and the chief
men of Galilee; 22 and
when 5the daughter of
Herodias herself came
in and danced, 6she
pleased Herod and
them that sat at meat
with him; and the
king said unto the
damsel, Ask of me
whatsoever thou wilt,
and I will give it thee.
23 And he sware unto
her, Whatsoever thou
shalt ask of me, I will
give it thee, unto
the half of my kingdom.
24 And she went
out, and said unto
her mother, What
shall I ask? And she
said, The head of
John 2the Baptist.
25 And she came in
straightway with
haste unto the king,
and asked, saying, I
will that thou forthwith
give me in a
charger the head of
John 2the Baptist. 26 And
the king was exceeding
sorry; but for the
sake of his oaths, and
of them that sat at
meat, he would not
reject her. 27 And
straightway the king
sent forth a soldier
of his guard, and
commanded to bring his
head: and he went
and beheaded him in
the prison, 28 and
brought his head in a
charger, and gave it
to the damsel; and
the damsel gave it to
her mother. 29 And
when his disciples
heard thereof, they
came and took up his
corpse, and laid it in a
tomb. 		1 At that season
Herod the tetrarch
heard the report
concerning Jesus,
2 and said unto his
servants, This is John
the Baptist; he is
risen from the dead;
and therefore do these
powers work in him.
3 For Herod had laid
hold on John, and
bound him, and put
him in prison for the
sake of Herodias, his
brother Philip's wife.

4 For John said unto
him, It is not lawful
for thee to have her.
5 And when he would
have put him to
death, he feared the
multitude, because
they counted him as
a prophet.


6 But when Herod's
birthday came, the
daughter of Herodias
danced in the midst,
and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he
promised with an oath
to give her whatsoever
she should ask. 8 And
she, being put forward
by her mother,

saith, Give me here
in a charger the head
of John the Baptist.
9 And the king was
grieved; but for the
sake of his oaths, and
of them which sat at
meat with him, he
commanded it to be
given; 10 and he sent,
and beheaded John
in the prison. 11 And
his head was brought
in a charger, and
given to the damsel:
and she brought it to
her mother. 12 And
his disciples came,
and took up the
corpse, and buried
him; and they went
and told Jesus. 		7 Now Herod the
tetrarch heard of all
that was done: and he
was much perplexed,
because that
it was said by some,
that John was risen
from the dead; 8 and
by some, that Elijah
had appeared; and
by others, that one
of the old prophets
was risen again. 9 And
Herod said, John I
beheaded: but who is
this, about whom I
hear such things?
And he sought to see
him.

1 Some ancient authorities read they.

2 Gr. the Baptizer.

3 Many ancient authorities read did many things.

4 Or, military tribunes. Gr. chiliarchs.

5 Some ancient authorities read his daughter Herodias.

6 Or, it.

a Mark's connection shows that Herod Antipas was impressed by the account of miracles which the disciples had wrought, as well as by those of Jesus himself.

b Josephus (Antiquities, Book XVIII, v., 2) says of John that Herod "thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it should be too late." Josephus in no wise controverts the picture in Mark where Herodias appears as the one who prods Antipas to put John out of the way to satisfy her resentment against him for his rebuke of her adulterous marriage. Josephus merely presents the public and political aspects of the imprisonment and death of John.