Mark 6:28
The man brought John's head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.
and brought it on a platter
The phrase "and brought it on a platter" evokes a vivid and unsettling image. The Greek word for "platter" is "πίναξ" (pinax), which refers to a large dish or serving tray. In the context of Herod's banquet, this platter symbolizes the opulence and decadence of the royal court, contrasting sharply with the gruesome act it is used for. Historically, such platters were used to serve food at lavish feasts, highlighting the perverse nature of using it to present the head of John the Baptist. This act underscores the moral corruption and the extent of Herodias's vindictiveness, as well as the tragic consequences of Herod's rash promise.

and presented it to the girl
The act of presenting the head to the girl, Herodias's daughter, is both shocking and revealing. The Greek verb "δίδωμι" (didōmi), meaning "to give" or "to present," indicates a formal and deliberate action. This presentation is not just a transfer of an object but a fulfillment of a gruesome request, reflecting the manipulation and moral decay within Herod's family. The girl, often identified as Salome, becomes an unwitting participant in her mother's vengeful scheme. This moment serves as a cautionary tale about the influence of corrupt leadership and the loss of innocence.

who gave it to her mother
The phrase "who gave it to her mother" completes the tragic narrative. The Greek word "μήτηρ" (mētēr) for "mother" emphasizes the familial relationship and the generational impact of sin. Herodias's reception of John's head signifies the culmination of her long-held grudge against the prophet who dared to speak against her unlawful marriage to Herod. This act of giving, from daughter to mother, illustrates the perpetuation of sin and the destructive power of vengeance. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of harboring bitterness and the importance of seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Herod Antipas
The ruler of Galilee and Perea, known for his moral weaknesses and political maneuvering. He is the one who ordered John the Baptist's execution.

2. Herodias
The wife of Herod Antipas, formerly married to his brother Philip. She harbored a grudge against John the Baptist for condemning her marriage to Herod.

3. Salome
The daughter of Herodias, who danced for Herod and his guests, leading to the beheading of John the Baptist.

4. John the Baptist
A prophet and forerunner of Jesus Christ, known for his call to repentance and his boldness in speaking against sin.

5. The Platter
Symbolic of the gruesome and unjust execution of John the Baptist, representing the culmination of Herodias' vengeful plot.
Teaching Points
The Cost of Righteousness
John the Baptist's unwavering commitment to truth and righteousness ultimately cost him his life. As Christians, we are called to stand firm in our convictions, even when facing opposition or persecution.

The Dangers of Unchecked Sin
Herodias' grudge against John the Baptist illustrates how unchecked sin, such as bitterness and vengeance, can lead to destructive actions. We must guard our hearts against harboring sin.

The Influence of Others
Herod's decision was heavily influenced by the people around him, particularly Herodias and her daughter. This serves as a reminder to be cautious about the influences we allow in our lives and to seek counsel that aligns with God's Word.

The Power of Manipulation
Salome's dance and Herodias' manipulation of Herod highlight the power of manipulation and deceit. Christians should strive for integrity and transparency in their relationships and dealings.

The Sovereignty of God
Despite the tragic circumstances, God's sovereign plan was at work. John the Baptist's death, though unjust, was part of the larger account of redemption through Christ. Trusting in God's sovereignty can bring peace amidst life's injustices.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does John the Baptist's commitment to truth challenge you in your own life and witness?

2. In what ways can unchecked sin, like bitterness or vengeance, manifest in our lives, and how can we guard against it?

3. Reflect on a time when you were influenced by others in making a decision. How can you ensure that your decisions align with biblical principles?

4. How can we recognize and resist manipulation in our relationships, both personally and within the church community?

5. How does understanding God's sovereignty help you navigate situations of injustice or suffering in your life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 14:1-12
This passage provides a parallel account of John the Baptist's beheading, offering additional details about Herod's internal conflict and the influence of Herodias.

Leviticus 18:16
This verse outlines the prohibition against marrying a brother's wife, which John the Baptist cited in his rebuke of Herod and Herodias.

Acts 12:1-2
The martyrdom of James by Herod Agrippa I, another example of the persecution of early Christian leaders by political authorities.
ConscienceC. Hedge, D. D.Mark 6:14-29
Conscience Removes IllusionsA. Maclaren, D. D.Mark 6:14-29
Herod -- a Startled ConscienceA. Maclaren, D. D.Mark 6:14-29
Herod: the Disordered ConscienceR. Green Mark 6:14-29
Herod's ConjecturesT. Gisborne, M. A.Mark 6:14-29
John and HerodE. H. Chapin.Mark 6:14-29
John Baptist and HerodA. H. Currier.Mark 6:14-29
On the Character of Herod AntipasT. Gisborne, M. A.Mark 6:14-29
Remembrance of Past SinMark 6:14-29
Results of Herod's SinR. Clover.Mark 6:14-29
The Cause and Manner of the Baptist's DeathExpository Discourses.Mark 6:14-29
The Murder of the BaptistJ.J. Given Mark 6:14-29
The Sovereign Power of ConscienceH. Melvill, B. D.Mark 6:14-29
The Storehouse of MemoryA. Maclaren, D. D.Mark 6:14-29
A Soul's TragedyA.F. Muir Mark 6:17-29
The Hero's DeathE. Johnson Mark 6:17-29
The Murderers of John the BaptistA. Rowland Mark 6:21-28
People
Elias, Elijah, Herod, Herodias, James, Jesus, John, Joseph, Joses, Judas, Jude, Mary, Philip, Simon
Places
Bethsaida, Galilee, Genneseret, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Beheaded, Charger, Damsel, Dish, Girl, Lady, Plate, Platter, Presented, Prison
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 6:1-56

     5357   journey

Mark 6:14-29

     5098   John the Baptist

Mark 6:16-29

     8450   martyrdom

Mark 6:17-28

     5714   men

Mark 6:17-29

     8828   spite

Mark 6:21-28

     4476   meals
     5312   feasting
     5803   carelessness

Mark 6:24-28

     5157   head

Mark 6:27-28

     8765   grudge

Library
January 6 Evening
The apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things they had done.--MARK 6:30. There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.--The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.--Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. When ye shall have done
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 4. "Come Ye Yourselves Apart" (Mark vi. 31).
"Come ye yourselves apart" (Mark vi. 31). One of the greatest hindrances to spirituality is the lack of waiting upon God. You cannot go through twenty-four hours with two or three breaths of air, in the morning, as you sip your coffee. But you must live in the atmosphere, and you must breathe it all day long. Christians do not wait upon God enough. It needs hours and hours daily of spiritual communion with the Holy Spirit to keep your vitality healthful and full. Every moment should find you breathing
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

January 8. "It is I, be not Afraid" (Mark vi. 50).
"It is I, be not afraid" (Mark vi. 50). Someone tells of a little child with some big story of sorrow upon its little heart, flying to its mother's arms for comfort, and intending to tell her the story of its trouble; but as that mother presses it to her bosom and pours out her love, it soon becomes so occupied with her and the sweetness of her affection that it forgets to tell its story, and in a little while even the memory of the trouble is forgotten. It has just been loved away, and she has taken
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Herod --A Startled Conscience
'But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.'--Mark vi. 16. The character of this Herod, surnamed Antipas, is a sufficiently common and a sufficiently despicable one. He was the very type of an Eastern despot, exactly like some of those half-independent Rajahs, whose dominions march with ours in India; capricious, crafty, as the epithet which Christ applied to him, 'That fox!' shows; cruel, as the story of the murder of John the Baptist proves; sensuous
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Master Rejected: the Servants Sent Forth
'And He went out from thence, and came into His own country; and His disciples follow Him. 2. And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? 3. Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the Brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon! and are not His sisters here with us? And they
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Martyrdom of John
'For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 19. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 21. And when
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The World's Bread
'And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31. And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33. And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ Thwarted
'And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief.'--Mark vi. 5,6. It is possible to live too near a man to see him. Familiarity with the small details blinds most people to the essential greatness of any life. So these fellow-villagers of Jesus in Nazareth knew Him too well to know Him rightly as they talked Him over; they recognised His wisdom and His mighty works; but all the impression that these
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On Attending the Church Service
"The sin of the young men was very great." 1 Sam. 2:17. 1. The corruption, not only of the heathen world, but likewise of them that were called Christians, has been matter of sorrow and lamentation to pious men, almost from the time of the apostles. And hence, as early as the second century, within a hundred years of St. John's removal from the earth, men who were afraid of being partakers of other men's sins, thought it their duty to separate from them. Hence, in every age many have retired from
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Epistle of Saint Jude.
V. 1, 2. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James, to those that are called to be holy in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. This Epistle is ascribed to the holy Apostle, St. Jude, brother of the two Apostles, James the Less and Simon, by the sister of the mother of Christ, who is called Mary (wife) of James or Cleopas, as we read in Mark vi. But this Epistle cannot be looked upon as being that of one who was truly an Apostle,
Martin Luther—The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained

The First Sayings of Jesus --His Ideas of a Divine Father and of a Pure Religion --First Disciples.
Joseph died before his son had taken any public part. Mary remained, in a manner, the head of the family, and this explains why her son, when it was wished to distinguish him from others of the same name, was most frequently called the "son of Mary."[1] It seems that having, by the death of her husband, been left friendless at Nazareth, she withdrew to Cana,[2] from which she may have come originally. Cana[3] was a little town at from two to two and a half hours' journey from Nazareth, at the foot
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Chronology
45. The length of the public ministry of Jesus was one of the earliest questions which arose in the study of the four gospels. In the second and third centuries it was not uncommon to find the answer in the passage from Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2), which Jesus declared was fulfilled in himself. "The acceptable year of the Lord" was taken to indicate that the ministry covered little more than a year. The fact that the first three gospels mention but one Passover (that at the end), and but one journey to Jerusalem,
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

The Friend of Men 223 in Nothing Does the Contrast Between Jesus and John the Baptist Appear More Clearly than in their Attitude Towards Common Social
I The Friend of Men 223. In nothing does the contrast between Jesus and John the Baptist appear more clearly than in their attitude towards common social life. John had his training and did his work apart from the homes of men. The wilderness was his chosen and fit scene of labor. From this solitude he sent forth his summons and warning to his people. They who sought him for fuller teaching went after him and found him where he was. They then returned to their homes and their work, leaving the prophet
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

Twelve Baskets Full of Fragments Gathered from the Miracle of Christ Feeding the Multitude.
1.--MAN NEEDS HELP. "They have nothing to eat." (Mark vi. 36.) 2.--GOD IS BETTER THAN GOOD MEN. "Send them away," said the disciples. (Mark vi. 36.) "They need not depart," the Lord replied. (Matt. xiv. 16.) 3.--MINISTERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR THE CHILDREN, THEY GIVE HELP AS WELL AS TROUBLE. Andrew said, "There is a lad here." (John vi. 9.) 4.--YOUTH CAN GIVE TO JESUS WHAT NO ONE ELSE POSSESSES. "There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves." (John vi. 9.) 5.--UNBELIEF
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

The Historical Books. 1 the New Testament...
CHAPTER XXIX. THE HISTORICAL BOOKS. 1. The New Testament, like the Old, is not an abstract system of doctrines and duties, but a record of facts involving doctrines and duties of the highest import. This record does not constitute an independent history, complete in itself, and to be explained in its own light. It is rather the necessary sequel to the record of the Old Testament. It interprets the Old Testament, and is itself interpreted by it. The two constitute together an organic whole, and can
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Right to Privacy
"There were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."--Mark 6:31 "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them."--Matthew 9:36 I had just come back from a strenuous month in the country. Mr. and Mrs. Sprightly, the young married couple who were in charge of the mission station, and I were relaxing around the tea table. I told about the work I had been doing, and answered interested questions. Finally the talk drifted into lighter channels, and
Mabel Williamson—Have We No Rights?

Set at Liberty.
(MARK VI. 27.) "Hush my soul, and vain regrets be stilled; Now rest in Him who is the complement Of whatsoe'er transcends our mortal doom, Of baffled hope and unfulfilled intent; In the clear vision and aspect of whom All longings and all hopes shall be fulfilled." ARCHBISHOP TRENCH. The Genesis of a Great Crime--The Strength of Evil Influences--An Accomplice of Satan--The Triumph of Hate--The Baptist Beheaded--A Place of Repentance The evangelist Mark tells us, in the twenty-first verse of this
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

The King's Courts
(MARK VI.) "The number of thine own complete, Sum up and make an end; Sift clean the chaff, and house the wheat; And then, O Lord, descend. "Descend, and solve by that descent This mystery of life; Where good and ill, together blent, Wage an undying strife." J. H. N. Under Royal Surveillance--"It is not Lawful."--The Revenge of Herodias--The Upbraidings of Conscience--Devotion to Truth--"A Sin unto Death." Our story brings us next to speak of the Baptist's relations with Herod Antipas, son of the
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

Rejected in his Own Country
"And He went out from thence; and He cometh into His own country; and His disciples follow Him." MARK 6:1-6 (R.V.) WE have seen how St. Mark, to bring out more vividly the connection between four mighty signs, their ideal completeness as a whole, and that mastery over nature and the spiritual world which they reveal, grouped them resolutely together, excluding even significant incidents which would break in upon their sequence. Bearing this in mind, how profoundly instructive it is that our Evangelist
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

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