Mark 6:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

NASB: Immediately she 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.'

CSB: At once she hurried to the king and said, "I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately."

NLT: So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, 'I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!'

KJV: And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

NKJV: Immediately she came in 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.”

The story of the death of John the Baptist is filled with subtext. His preaching of repentance and accusations against Herod Antipas threaten the position and authority of Antipas' wife, Herodias. In fear of John's followers, Antipas disregards his wife's concerns and refuses to kill John. Antipas likes John, and knows he is a holy and righteous man, even as he is perplexed by John and desires to kill him (Matthew 14:5).

Antipas is surrounded by "nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee" (Mark 6:21) who have come to celebrate his birthday. His wife's daughter has danced for the men and entranced them so much that Antipas offers half his kingdom. The girl asks her mother what she should ask for, and Herodias responds, "The head of John the Baptist" (Mark 6:24).

Antipas is again caught between fear for his rule and his ambitious, vindictive wife. This time, however, another party has witnessed the oath and the request. If Antipas refuses Herodias this time, the nobles and commanders will witness their king going back on his word. He will lose his reputation for integrity, and his people will believe they cannot trust him.

The manner of the death adds insult to injury for Antipas. Herodias has waited long enough. She doesn't just want John dead, she wants Antipas to publicly do her bidding and formally present her with her demand. Antipas has a choice: losing the respect of the nobles, or bowing to the manipulative wishes of his wife.

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.