Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 6:21
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;
21. a convenient day ] i. e. a suitable day for her fell designs.
on his birthday ] In imitation of the Roman emperors, the Herodian princes kept their birthdays with feasting and revelry and magnificent banquets. Wieseler, however, considers the word denotes a feast celebrating Herod’s accession, but this is more than doubtful. Birthday festivals were one sample of foreign habits introduced into Palestine and spread there by the Herodians.
made a supper ] probably at Machrus or some neighbouring palace.
lords, high captains ] or “ chiliarchs.” The words here used denote servants of the state, civil and military.
chief estates ] This term denotes men of high rank, and includes the Galilan nobles generally. Comp. Fuller Ch. Hist. V. iii. 28, “God never gave grace nor knowledge of Holy Scripture to any great estate or rich man.” State is also employed in the same way. Thus Adams says (Nichol’s Puritan Divines), “Sin deals with her guests as that bloody prince that, having invited many great states to a solemn feast.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 21. Lords] , probably governors of particular districts.
High captains] ; literally, chiefs or captains over a thousand men, military chiefs.
Chief estates] ; probably such as might be called nobles by title only, having no office civil or military; probably magistrates. See KYPKE an the place.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
21. And when a convenient dayforthe purposes of Herodias.
was come, that Herodrather,”A convenient day being come, when Herod.”
on his birthday, made asupper to his lords, high captains, and chief estatesof GalileeThis graphic minuteness of detail adds much to theinterest of the tragic narrative.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when a convenient day was come,…. For Herodias; who had long sought and watched for an opportunity of avenging herself on John, and such a time Herod’s birthday proved; though some think, that this phrase is the same with , “a good day”; often used by the Jews for a festival, any one of their feast days; there is a tract in their Misna which bears this name; and that such a day was this. But not one of the festivals of the Jews was this, as either their passover, or pentecost, or feast of tabernacles, which Herod had no regard to; but his own birthday, which he kept as a festival, in eating, and drinking, and dancing; and so was a very opportune and seasonable time for Herodias to take the advantage of Herod when in a good humour, amidst his company, and in his cups, to solicit that, which she had often done without success: and so it was now,
that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee: this birthday, was either the day of his natural, or civil birth; the day when he was born into the world, or of his accession to the throne;
[See comments on Mt 14:6], when he made a grand entertainment in the evening for his nobles, and the officers of the army, the captains of thousands, and the principal men, those of the first rank and quality in Galilee, of which he was Tetrarch.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When a convenient day was come ( ). Genitive absolute. A day well appointed , well, , time) for the purpose, the day for which she had long waited. She had her plans all laid to spring a trap for her husband Herod Antipas and to make him do her will with the Baptist. Herod was not to know that he was the mere catspaw of Herodias till it was all over. See on Mt 14:6 for discussion of Herod’s birthday (, locative case or associative instrumental of time).
Made a supper ( ). Banquet.
To his lords ( ). From (that from , great), common in the LXX and later Greek. Cf. Rev 6:15; Rev 18:23. In the papyri. The grandees, magnates, nobles, the chief men of civil life.
The high captains ( ). Military tribunes, commanders of a thousand men.
The chief men of Galilee ( ). The first men of social importance and prominence. A notable gathering that included these three groups at the banquet on Herod’s birthday.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Convenient [] . Mark only. Convenient for Herodias’ purpose. “Opportune for the insidious woman, who hoped, through wine, lust, and the concurrence of sycophants, to be able easily to overcome the wavering mind of her husband” (Grotius in Meyer).
Birthday. See on Mt 14:6. The notice of the banquet and of the rank of the guests is peculiar to Mark.
Lords (megistasin). Only here, and Rev 6:15; Rev 18:3. A late word, from megav, great.
High captains [] . Lit., commanders of a thousand men. Answering to a Roman military tribune. Both civil and military dignitaries were present, with other distinguished men of the district (chief men).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when a convenient day was come,” (kai genomenes hemeras eukairou hote) “And when a suitable or convenient day came,” for Herodias to get her revenge against John the Baptist for having identified her as an adulteress; when the long burning malice against John might be turned -to murder; 0 that men might as quickly find a convenient day to repent! Luk 13:5; Act 17:30-31.
2) “That Herod on his birthday made a supper,” (Herodes tois genesioio autou deipnon epoiesen) ”Herod made a festive birthday supper, (a royal supper) on his birthday,” with the following, imposing guest-list to come to the feast:
a) “To his lords,” (tois megistasin autou) ”To his courtier- lords,” the civil magnates or civil authorities, to the noble people of his kingdom.
b ) “High captains,” (kai tois chiliarchois) “And the chiliarchs or captains,” the chief military men of the province.
c) And chief estates of Galilee;- (kai tois protois tes Galilaias) “And the chief men of Galilee,” that is the socially important people, the prominent people, the upper-crust,” of Galilee’s political society.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(21-29) And when a convenient day was come.See Notes on Mat. 14:6-12.
His lords, high captains, and chief estates.St. Mark alone gives the account of the guests. The three words mean respectively(1) the magnates, or officials of the court; (2) the chiliarchs, or chief captains (literally, captain of a thousandthe same word as in Act. 21:31; Act. 26:26) in the Roman legion; (3) the chief men (estates to modern ears is too formal a word), probably the large landowners of the province.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
60. DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, Mar 6:21-29 .
(See notes on Mat 14:6-12.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And when an opportune day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a feast for his court officials and military officers and the chief men of Galilee, and when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those who sat at meat with him, and the king said to the young woman, “Ask of me whatever you will and I will give it to you”. And he swore to her, “Whatever you will ask of me, I will give it to you, to as much as half of my kingdom”.
Unexpectedly an opportune day came for Herodias to achieve her end. It is quite probable that she knew of Herod’s propensity, when drunk on such occasions, to make rash promises to dancing girls, and she plotted accordingly. She sent in her own daughter (by Herod Philip, probably the beautiful and seductive Salome. She may well have noted Herod’s glances at her), to dance before the king and all the important people with him. Such dances were expected to be lewd and suggestive, and this girl’s would be no exception, and it raised Herod’s excitement to such an extent that he offered her as much as half his kingdom as a reward.
Such an extreme offer was presumably made because it was his stepdaughter and nothing less would have been seen as sufficient (she had all she could want already), and also probably because Herod had in mind another occasion when such an offer had been made (Est 5:3; Est 7:2). It was not intended to be taken literally (he was under Rome and could not give half his kingdom away) but if considered at all in his drunken state it was basically a willingness that if she wished she could rule half his kingdom (either Peraea or Galilee) under him.
‘When an opportune day was come.’ This could mean simply a suitable day for Herod to hold a feast, that is, on his birthday. But more probably it refers to Herodias’ wish to kill John the Baptiser.
‘On his birthday.’ Little did he realise that on this day of celebration he would do that which would blight his life thereafter.
‘Court officials’ (literally ‘lords’). ‘Military officers’ (literally ‘chiliarchs’), leaders of a thousand men’ but here with a more general meaning to include all high ranking officers.
‘The leading men of Galilee.’ This has led some to posit that the event may have occurred at Tiberias, but this interpretation is not necessary. Herod’s entourage would go wherever he went, especially for his birthday celebrations, and the leading men of Peraea would also be there. The specific mention here of the leading men of Galilee is rather to tie them in with the evil deed. They too were responsible for what happened to John the Baptiser.
‘The daughter of Herodias herself.’ The manuscripts are divided here, the main difference being between whether we read ’autes or ’autou. The former means in context ‘herself’ the latter would mean ‘of him’, that is Herod. The latter would be using ‘daughter’ loosely as meaning stepdaughter and may have arisen to emphasise the appalling fact that he allowed her to perform such a dance at all (in Mar 6:24 she is clearly Herodias’ daughter’). It could, however, indicate that he had a daughter, also called Herodias (possibly like Herod a family name)
‘Came in.’ No respectable princess would have considered entering such a gathering of half-drunk men. Queen Vashti gave up her position rather than do so (Est 1:12). And Jews would have been appalled. But Herod regarded neither. He was used to Roman orgies.
‘Danced.’ Dances at such gatherings were lewd and highly suggestive to fit in with men’s propensities. They were usually performed by experienced professional prostitutes and few rulers (or their wives) would have allowed their daughters to take part in such dances. But the Herods had a reputation for moral depravity. Some women love exposing themselves and shocking people, and Herodias’ daughter was clearly such a one, and her mother had a deeper motive in mind for which she did not mind a ‘little’ impropriety, while Herod, although possibly taken aback, no doubt enjoyed the opportunity for seeing his seductive stepdaughter in such a guise (she was not after all his blood daughter).
‘Ask of me whatever you will.’ This was no doubt Herod’s regular drunken response to an act that pleased and stirred him so that his emotions were deeply aroused. But money or jewellery was usually in mind. However, because it was his stepdaughter he extended the offer, in his drunken pride possibly even seeing himself as like Ahasuerus and not wishing to be outdone by a past foreign king (Est 5:3; Est 7:2).
There are undoubted parallels between this account and events in the book of Esther, not because of deliberate copying but partly because of Herod’s own reference and partly because Mark probably intended a deliberate contrast between the chaste woman there and this immoral strumpet; a contrast between the one whose actions destroyed an evil man, who was set to destroy God’s people, and this one whose actions resulted in the death of a holy man of God (see Est 2:9 LXX; Mar 5:3; Mar 5:6).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The birthday festival:
v. 21. 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;
v. 22. and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
v. 23. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
v. 24. And she went forth and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
v. 25. 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. Convenient this birthday festival was, coming just at a good, at the right time to agree with the vengeful plans of Herodias, for she still cherished her grudge against John the Baptist. On his birth. day Herod must needs celebrate in style, in a manner befitting one who expected soon to bear the title of king, by permission of the Emperor and the Roman Senate. The mighty ones and the rulers of thousands and the first families of Galilee were invited, that is, the state, civil, and military officials, and the socially important persons of Galilee: an imposing gathering for such an important event. The joy of the festival banquet was at its height, the guests having undoubtedly freely imbibed and being in the condition of semi-intoxication when reason and sense have alike fled, though articulate speech remains. There had probably also been the usual forms of dancing after the Oriental fashion for the amusement of the guests, when a number not on the program was introduced by the wily Herodias. She had trained her own daughter in the voluptuous dances of the dancing girls, and the girl came into the banquet-hall and danced with reckless abandon and shamelessness. The dance pleased Herod and those that were reclining about the tables. They had just about reached the condition when such exhibitions were inclined to appeal to them with special force. Herod immediately made an extravagant promise to the girl, encouraging her to name the reward that was to be hers for this dance. And when she, either from exhaustion after the strenuous exercise or in natural hesitation over the offer, was still standing undecided, he added an oath, swearing that she should have her desire, though it aspire to half of his kingdom: a true example of maudlin, amatory generosity, as one commentator calls it. It may be that her mother had instructed her even beforehand what she should ask for, as the account of Matthew implies, though not expressly says, and now she needed a further urging. At any rate, she hurries to her mother, who promptly impresses upon her the need to ask for, and insist upon, only one thing. Whether there was another determining factor or not, Salome, the dancer, was now ready to do her mother’s bidding. Without delay and with a quick step, as though the business in hand was the most interesting and joyous in the world, she returns to the banquet-hall. Her words properly indicate the condition of her heart: I want that thou without delay givest me on a platter the head of John the Baptist. Gruesome words from the lips of a young girl, “request proffered with a cool, pert impudence almost outdoing the mother.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mar 6:21. A convenient day See Mat 14:6.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
21 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;
Ver. 21. Made a supper ] The ancients took a light dinner usually, and therefore called it prandium quasi perendium: at supper they feasted more freely, and therefore called it , because then their day’s work was done.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
21. ] ., not, a festal day, as Hammond and others interpret it, for this use of hardly seems to be justified but, a convenient day (see Mar 6:31 and Act 24:25 , and cf. Soph. d. Col. 32) for the purposes of Herodias: which shews that the dance, &c. had been all previously contrived by her .
, a Macedonian word, which came into use at the Alexandrine conquest. See Lobeck on Phrynichus, p. 197. He adduces the nom. form from Anna Comnena, xi. 324 c.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 6:21-29 . The fatal day .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mar 6:21 . , a day convenient for the long cherished purpose of Herodias; so regarded by her as well as by the evangelist. She had a chance then, if ever, and might hope that by wine, love, and the assistance of obsequious guests, her irresolute husband would at last be brought to the point (Grotius). The word occurs again in the N. T., Heb 4:16 , = seasonable succour. ( from ), magnates . A word belonging to Macedonian Greek, condemned by Phryn. (p. 196: the right expression), frequent in Sept [52] With these magnates, the civil authorities, are named the chief military men ( ) and the socially important persons of Galilee ( ) an imposing gathering on Herod’s birthday.
[52]Septuagint.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
when a convenient day was come = a convenient day being come, when, &c
convenient = opportune. Only in Mark, and Heb 4:16.
birthday. The notice of the banquet and guests is a Divine supplement.
lords = great men. Occurs only here, Rev 6:15, and Rev 18:23,
high captains = chiliarchs (commanders of 1,000 men).
chief estates = the first, or leading [men].
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
21.] ., not, a festal day, as Hammond and others interpret it, for this use of hardly seems to be justified-but, a convenient day (see Mar 6:31 and Act 24:25,-and cf. Soph. d. Col. 32) for the purposes of Herodias: which shews that the dance, &c. had been all previously contrived by her.
, a Macedonian word, which came into use at the Alexandrine conquest. See Lobeck on Phrynichus, p. 197. He adduces the nom. form from Anna Comnena, xi. 324 c.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 6:21. ) , This is the genus: , the species. The latter denotes properly a birth-day feast [or celebration]; the former, any anniversary feast-day whatever; for instance, the anniversary of entering on a kingdom.-, the great men) of the palace and of the court.-, chief captains) of his soldiery.- , the nobles) in provincial posts.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Martyrdom of a Witness-Bearer
Mar 6:21-29
Better the dungeon with John than the palace with Herod, for conscience filled the palace with the ghost of the murdered Baptist! A woman brought Herod to that. How careful women should be of the influence they exert over men; how careful men should be of yielding to any but the noblest influence! This family was eaten with lust, usually coupled with cruelty. No vice ever dwells alone. John the Baptist had a brief and tortuous career; for a few months the central figure of the nation, and then hurled down into the darkness of the dungeon, like some extinguished torch. No wonder that his specter haunted the heart of Herod, who thought that in Jesus he had become reincarnate. The messenger may fall, but the message is taken up and passed on by a thousand lips. Notice the contrast between Johns end and that of our Lord. In Johns case the disciples who had hearkened to his every word dispersed. The head had fallen, and the members were scattered. None thought of proclaiming their departed leader as still the living head and center of the movement he had set on foot. But when our Lord died, His true influence over men began. Up to that time he had been the Jewish rabbi; thenceforward he became the Redeemer of the world.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
when: Gen 27:41, 2Sa 13:23-29, Est 3:7, Psa 37:12, Psa 37:13, Act 12:2-4
his birthday: Gen 40:20, Est 1:3-7, Est 2:18, Pro 31:4, Pro 31:5, Dan 5:1-4, Hos 7:5, 1Pe 4:3, Rev 11:10
Reciprocal: 1Ki 3:15 – a feast Est 1:11 – Vashti Ecc 7:4 – the heart Mat 14:6 – birthday 1Co 16:12 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Convenient is defined, “seasonable, timely, opportune.” The verse means that Herod’s birthday furnished a convenient time for the woman to carry out her plot.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 6:21. A convenient day, i.e., for the purpose which Herodias cherished, not for Herods feast, which took place at the fixed time.
When Herod on his birthday. Herodias planned the schemes beforehand.
Lords, etc. Political servants and military officials, then leading men of the land. His belongs to the first class only. Strictly speaking, Herod had no chief captains (chiliarchs) of his own.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 21
Galilee. Herod succeeded to a part only of his father’s ancient dominion.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Finally Herodias was able to trick her husband into getting rid of her nemesis. Salome was Herodias’ daughter by Philip. She would have been in her mid-teens at this time, and her dance was undoubtedly lascivious. [Note: Lane, p. 221.] The phrase "up to half of my kingdom" is figurative meaning at great personal sacrifice (cf. Est 5:3; Est 7:2). Antipas could not have given away half of his kingdom because he lacked the authority to do so.