Mark 6:24 kjv
And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
Mark 6:24 nkjv
So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"
Mark 6:24 niv
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered.
Mark 6:24 esv
And she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."
Mark 6:24 nlt
She went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother told her, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist!"
Mark 6 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 14:6-8 | But when Herod's birthday came... she said by her mother's prompting, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." | Parallel account of the same event. |
| Mark 6:19 | Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him... | Reveals Herodias's long-standing animosity towards John. |
| Luke 3:19-20 | But when Herod the tetrarch was reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done... | John's condemnation of Herod's marriage was the cause of his imprisonment. |
| Lev 18:16 | You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. | Old Testament law forbidding the type of marriage Herod had with Herodias. |
| Lev 20:21 | If a man takes his brother's wife, it is impurity... | Reinforces the Mosaic Law violation, underscoring John's righteousness in his rebuke. |
| Num 30:2 | If a man vows a vow to the Lord... he shall not break his word... | Illustrates the sanctity and binding nature of an oath, making Herod's promise consequential. |
| Deut 23:21 | When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it... | Emphasizes the imperative of fulfilling vows. |
| Judg 11:30-39 | And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord... so he opened his mouth to the Lord, and he cannot take back his vow. | Example of a tragic, irreversible vow due to rashness. |
| Mark 6:20 | For Herod feared John... and when he heard him, he was greatly perplexed... | Shows Herod's internal conflict and some respect for John, contrasting with Herodias's hate. |
| Jer 20:2 | Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks... | Prophets often face persecution for speaking God's truth to power. |
| Amos 7:10-13 | Amaziah... said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah... but never again prophesy at Bethel..." | Example of official attempts to silence a prophet. |
| Prov 12:20 | Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. | Describes the malicious counsel given by Herodias. |
| Prov 19:27 | Cease to hear instruction, my son, that causes you to err from the words of knowledge. | A warning against misguided counsel. |
| John 15:18-20 | If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you... if they persecuted me, they will persecute you. | Reflects the persecution righteous individuals face from the world. |
| 1 Ki 18:18 | And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house..." | Elijah confronting King Ahab and Jezebel, paralleling John confronting Herodias. |
| Mark 6:27-28 | And immediately the king sent an executioner... he brought his head on a platter... | The brutal execution that followed Herodias's demand. |
| Isa 40:3 | A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord..." | Prophecy identifying John's role as the forerunner. |
| Mal 3:1 | “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me." | Prophecy of John the Baptist as the messenger. |
| Matt 5:10-12 | Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake... | Comfort for those, like John, martyred for their faith. |
| Rev 6:9-10 | ...I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God... | Vision of martyrs crying out for justice, including John. |
| Matt 14:1-2 | At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus... | Herod's conscience and belief that John was raised from the dead. |
| Mark 6:16 | But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” | Herod's ongoing guilt regarding John's death. |
| Gal 5:9 | A little leaven leavens the whole lump. | Principle of how small evils or corrupted influences, like Herodias's desire, can lead to great sin. |
Mark 6 verses
Mark 6 24 Meaning
This verse details the crucial moment after Salome danced for King Herod, who had rashly promised her anything she desired. Having no request of her own, the girl went to her mother, Herodias, to inquire what she should ask for. Herodias, consumed by bitter vengeance against John the Baptist for condemning her unlawful marriage to Herod, immediately and without hesitation instructed her daughter to demand John the Baptist's head.
Mark 6 24 Context
Mark chapter 6 places this tragic event amidst Jesus's powerful ministry, creating a stark contrast. The chapter begins with Jesus teaching in His hometown of Nazareth, where He is rejected. Immediately following, Jesus sends out His disciples, emphasizing the urgency and authority of the Kingdom message. The narrative then shifts to King Herod's banquet, detailing the circumstances surrounding John the Baptist's execution. This interlude, unique in its placement, highlights Herod's moral depravity and the perils faced by those who proclaim God's truth. The murder of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, serves as a poignant illustration of the conflict between the values of the world and the Kingdom of God. Historically, Herod Antipas was a tetrach (ruler of a quarter of a kingdom), son of Herod the Great. His marriage to Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law (having been previously married to his half-brother Philip), was a flagrant violation of Mosaic Law, a sin John courageously denounced. Herodias harbored a deep-seated hatred for John due to this public rebuke, culminating in her vindictive scheme.
Mark 6 24 Word analysis
And she went out: "She" refers to Salome, Herodias's daughter. The action of "going out" (Greek: exelthousa, ἐξελθοῦσα) signifies a momentary departure from the immediate festive scene. This suggests a private, perhaps conspiratorial, consultation, removed from Herod's earshot.
and said to her mother: Directly indicates Herodias's manipulative influence over her daughter. This verbal exchange is crucial, as it funnels Herod's reckless promise into Herodias's vindictive desire.
“What shall I ask?”: The girl's question (Greek: ti aitēsōmai?, τί αἰτήσωμαι;) reveals her lack of a specific desire for the extravagant offer. This highlights her youthfulness, perhaps her naivety, and positions her as a mere agent for her mother's will rather than an independent actor with her own malicious intent. It underlines how she was effectively a puppet in Herodias's hands.
And she said: Identifies the speaker as Herodias. Her immediate response demonstrates a ready-made, deeply rooted malevolent intention, emphasizing her lack of hesitation or moral deliberation.
“The head of John the Baptist.”: This brutal and chilling demand (Greek: tēn kephalēn Ioannou tou Baptistou, τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ) encapsulates Herodias's vengeful heart. The specificity of "the head" indicates a desire not just for his death, but for the most demeaning and demonstrative end possible, reflecting her profound animosity and wish to silence him permanently. This shocking request immediately confirms the malicious nature behind her long-held grudge against the prophet.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And she went out and said to her mother": This phrase succinctly conveys the orchestrated nature of the demand. It emphasizes that the request originated not from the dancer herself, but from the cunning influence of her mother. The "going out" highlights a brief, pivotal consultation outside the celebratory space, allowing for a strategic plotting session.
- "“What shall I ask?”": This simple question from the girl exposes the power dynamic and Salome's subordinate role. It signifies a vacuum of personal desire, making her highly susceptible to suggestion. This moment transforms Herod's promise into a dangerous conduit for Herodias's hatred, with Salome acting as an unwitting instrument.
- "And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”": This direct and macabre declaration starkly reveals Herodias's ruthless character and profound vendetta. It is a moment of cold, calculating vengeance, devoid of empathy, showcasing the extreme extent to which personal pride and sin can lead to brutal actions, ignoring all moral or divine considerations.
Mark 6 24 Bonus section
- The terse dialogue in Mark 6:24 accentuates the chilling efficiency of evil at play, contrasting sharply with Herod's conflicted feelings about John (Mark 6:20).
- This specific detail regarding the mother's counsel is crucial in exonerating Salome's primary malicious intent and placing the full burden of the evil demand on Herodias, making her the true antagonist in this scenario.
- The event serves as a microcosm of how God's messengers throughout history often face fatal opposition from powerful figures whose lives they challenge or whose sins they expose.
- The request for "the head" symbolically represents not just death, but the desire to utterly silence and erase the prophet's influence, turning his very voice into a gruesome trophy.
- This verse contributes to Mark's broader narrative of the Kingdom of God clashing with the fallen world, illustrating that divine truth often provokes violent opposition from those clinging to their sin and power.
Mark 6 24 Commentary
Mark 6:24 is the dark heart of John the Baptist's martyrdom, laying bare the malicious conspiracy that sealed his fate. The exchange is deceptively simple but profoundly evil. The daughter's passive question, "What shall I ask?", paints her as a tool rather than a villain, amplifying the culpability of her mother, Herodias. Herodias's immediate and unequivocal answer—a demand for the decapitation of John the Baptist—reveals a pre-meditated, deep-seated hatred. This was not a spontaneous decision but the culmination of a desire for revenge born from John's unwavering commitment to divine truth over human transgression (Lev 18:16; Mark 6:19). The swiftness and specificity of her command underscore her complete lack of conscience and her singular focus on silencing the prophetic voice that condemned her unlawful life. This verse demonstrates how sin, particularly when nurtured by pride and lust for vengeance, can tragically transform an ordinary family drama into an act of profound evil against a servant of God.