Herodias’s daughter the head hunter

Mark 6:14-29

We all recall King Herod the great who was a great builder and also an evil man who tried to kill Jesus as a young child of two or under.  One of his sons was Herod Antipas who ruled over Galilee and was under Rome’s control, and the Roman senate confirmed him.  He also had a brother named Philip whose wife Herod took as his wife and her name was Herodias. 

I’m sure you have read the account of this and know that John the Baptist told him it was a sin to marry his brother's wife, and she hated John the Baptist.   Mark gives us this information about what she would have liked to do to John the Baptist in verses 19-20, “And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.”

Herod has a birthday party for him and invites all his nobles and military commanders and leading men to his stag party or banquet; a lot of food and drink, and Herodias’s daughter came in and danced for those assembled.  Now I’m not sure what her age was, but she steals the show and the heart of Herod.  It is not stated, but one can assume he had a little too much of the adult beverage and may have been saying things he would regret later.

We have the account of this in Mark 6:22-28, “For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.”

I bet King Herod, the puppet of Rome, did not think his wife’s daughter all that cute as she took John the Baptist’s head to her mother.  Not a family a young man would want to be a part of!  In verse 29 Mark tells us that John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb, I’m not sure what happened to his head.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice