14 King Herod heard of it; for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.”
Jesus’ fame has gone through all the lands, news of his healings and exorcisms have spread and now King Herod has heard of it. Herod was not a King in the normal sense, Mark uses this term to point him out as the highest ranking authority besides the Romans in the land. His actual rank as pointed out by Luke is Tetrarch, which means ruler of a quarter. The only king title that existed with the appointment of Herod’s father Herod the Great was King of the Jews, a gentile title for the Jewish leader of the region. The region was currently divided amongst his sons, one being “King Herod” mentioned by Mark who is Herod Antipas. He rules over Galilee and Perea.
Some individuals within the court suppose this news of Jesus was not actually a new individual at all but a resurrected John the Baptist. We should be clear that Jew in this time period did not believe in reincarnation, they think that Jesus is the resurrected John the Baptist. John was the most famous, before Jesus, prophet in the land. Herod feared his influence as the historian Josephus notes in his writings. They can only make sense of Jesus’ powers by being a resurrected person.
15 But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
Other in Herod’s court agree with the resurrection hypothesis but disagree on the individual. There are prophecies by Malachi that point to a return of the Prophet Elijah who, in his own day, was a popular wonder worker and messenger of God. So these court members suppose that Jesus is Elijah or one of the other prophets from their history. We should really try and digest the readiness people are to accept a resurrection of a prophet in this time period, considering how Jews and others react today to such things. The Jews of old are not like Jews now.
16 But when Herod heard of it he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
Herod Antipas upon hearing these murmurings within his court settles on the first one proposed. He believes that it is John the Baptist who has risen. This is likely because of current psychological situation, he has recently put John the Baptist to death by beheading. As noted before, Herod was deeply afraid of John the Baptist because the people believed him to be a prophet and it wasn’t without a lot of prompting (as we’ll see in later verses) that he had John killed and his remorse perhaps is keeping the Baptist in his head.
17 For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodi-as, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married her.
18 For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 And Herodi-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not,
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly.
Herod is emblematic of a very weak ruler, succumbing to the will of those of influence around him. He only seized John and bound him in prison because John the Baptist called to public attention his breaking of several religious laws. The most important one being adultery. He married his brothers wife. She is the one who is most motivated to kill John but Herod, whilst fearing him, also listened to him gladly and believed him to be a prophet from God. Herod is perplexed and does not want to kill him and fears the repercussions, he has a fear of God whereas his new illicit wife wants him dead.
21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee.
22 For when Herodi-as’ 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 grant it.”
23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”
24 And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.”
25 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.”
Herod until this point, despite imprisoning John the Baptist, was in a sense protecting him from Herodias. So she bides her time in order to see a moment to have him killed. Herod celebrates his birthday, this is kind of a funny detail but birthdays were not a common celebration at all, it was a Gentile custom and only for royalty. This is a part of Herod’s deep desire to be perceived as a king despite not actually be one. Herod being in good spirits, most likely drinking with his court members, decides to once again, do what a king would do, promise something that only a king can promise. He goes so far as to promise half his kingdom to his illicit wife’s daughter. This is something he is not legally allowed to do, he is a client ruler of the Roman empire, knowing this Herodias tells her daughter (named by Josephus as Salome, not mentioned in the New Testament) to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. It’s important to note that Herod “vowed” in his offering, oaths are sworn before God and must be kept.
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.
27 And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
Herod is distraught but is bound by his own drunken oath and also his pride plays a rule. He cannot let his court see him break an oath and he must have done all this rather loudly since everyone can witness it. The entire interaction with Herod and Herodias reflects that of King Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings, with John the Baptist taking the place of Elijah. Herodias is definitely a Jezebel character whereas Herod is the weak king wrapped around the finger of his wife, holding dual competing fears of both their earthly attachments and their God.
Herod sends for his soldiers to deal with John the Baptist the way his daughter-in-law had requested, by the prompting of Herodias. The girl presents the severed head of John to Herodias. The beginning of the readings start with what we could considering the “present time” in the Gospel narrative and the martyrdom of John the Baptist is a flashback. It is a real example of the Markan Sandwich and the most famous. It shows us why Herod had so much on his mind as it pertains to John, he did not kill him as a just king punishing a person who broke the Law but a weak king, twisted by pride and fear into killing a holy prophet.
29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
John had many disciples and when they hear that their leader has be slain they take his body and lay it in a tomb. A cult to John the Baptist still exist to this day and they go by the name of Mandaeans. Their presence in the world today speaks to just how popular John was.
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