Mark 6:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

NIV: Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

NASB: An opportune day came when Herod, on his birthday, held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders, and the leading people of Galilee;

CSB: An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.

NLT: Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee.

KJV: And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

NKJV: Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

Herod Antipas is one of four rulers of Israel. His domain includes two areas: Galilee, between the Mediterranean to the west and the Sea of Galilee and part of the Jordan River to the east; and Perea, east of Judea across the Dead Sea and the Jordan River. Apparently his birthday dinner is held in Perea, close to the prison where John the Baptist is held. It's unclear who the leading men of Galilee are. Most Jews had reason to despise Antipas. He is part Samaritan and part Edomite, both of which are ethnicities which most Jews disdained. He rules by order of the Roman oppressors, not a legitimate kingship. And he reportedly built his capital, Tiberias, on an ancient burial ground. If a Jew comes into the city, they will be unclean, and to live in the city is untenable.

The Herodians, however, value political power more than the Mosaic Law, and have no problem supporting Antipas. In this, they are the opposites of the Pharisees who impel the people to obey not only the law, but the oral traditions. The only thing the two groups have in common is their hatred of Jesus, and after Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath they join together to destroy Him (Mark 3:1–6). The only other mention of Herodians in the Bible is when they join the Pharisees to try to trap Jesus. They ask if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, which the Herodians would be fine with, or not, which the Pharisees would prefer. Jesus responds, "…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's," (Mark 12:17) effectively putting both sides in their place.

Mark 6:14–29 follows the disciples' success in continuing John the Baptist's work with a flashback of John's execution. John was Jesus' cousin (Luke 1:36) and the herald of Jesus' ministry (John 1:19–28). He preached repentance to many, including Andrew and Peter (John 1:35–42). He also baptized Jesus (Mark 1:9–11). Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee, where Jesus was from, and Perea, near where John preached. Antipas was fascinated by John, but his wife felt threatened by John's condemnation of their incestuous marriage. This story is also found in Matthew 14:1–12, Luke 3:19–20, and Luke 9:7–9.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.