Matthew 14:3-12
New English Translation
3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him,[a] and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had repeatedly told[b] him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”[c] 5 Although[d] Herod[e] wanted to kill John,[f] he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 so much that he promised[g] with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 Although it grieved the king,[h] because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 10 So[i] he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His[j] head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then John’s[k] disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.
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- Matthew 14:3 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א1 C D L N W Z Γ Δ Θ 0106 ƒ1, 13 33 565 579 1241 1424 M lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various significant witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 ff1 h q al). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA28 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
- Matthew 14:4 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
- Matthew 14:4 sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
- Matthew 14:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
- Matthew 14:5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Matthew 14:5 tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Matthew 14:7 tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (homologeō); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise” for certain contexts such as here.
- Matthew 14:9 tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
- Matthew 14:10 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
- Matthew 14:11 tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Matthew 14:12 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
Mark 6:14-24
New English Translation
The Death of John the Baptist
14 Now[a] King Herod[b] heard this, for Jesus’[c] name had become known. Some[d] were saying, “John the baptizer[e] has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod[f] had married her. 18 For John had repeatedly told[g] Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”[h] 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But[i] she could not 20 because Herod stood in awe of[j] John and protected him, since he knew that John[k] was a righteous and holy man. When Herod[l] heard him, he was thoroughly baffled,[m] and yet[n] he liked to listen to John.[o]
21 But[p] a suitable day[q] came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias[r] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her,[s] “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”[t] 24 So[u] she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother said,[v] “The head of John the baptizer.”[w]
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- Mark 6:14 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
- Mark 6:14 sn Herod was technically not a king, but a tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king. A tetrarch ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. In the NT, Herod, who ruled over Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
- Mark 6:14 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 6:14 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- Mark 6:14 tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).
- Mark 6:17 tn Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.
- Mark 6:18 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
- Mark 6:18 sn It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. This was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
- Mark 6:19 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Mark 6:20 tn Grk “was fearing,” “was respecting”; the imperfect tense connotes an ongoing fear or respect for John.
- Mark 6:20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 6:20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 6:20 tc In place of ἠπόρει (ēporei, “he was baffled”) the majority of mss (A C D ƒ1 33 M lat sy) have ἐποίει (epoiei, “he did”; cf. KJV’s “he did many things.”) The best mss (א B L [W] Θ co) support the reading followed in the translation. The variation may be no more than a simple case of confusion of letters, since the two readings look very much alike. The verb ποιέω (poieō, “I do”) certainly occurs more frequently than ἀπορέω (aporeō, “I am at a loss”), so a scribe would be more likely to write a more familiar word. Further, even though the reading ἐποίει is the harder reading in terms of the sense, it is virtually nonsensical here, rendering it most likely an unintentional scribal error.tn Or “terribly disturbed,” “rather perplexed.” The verb ἀπορέω (aporeō) means “to be in perplexity, with the implication of serious anxiety” (L&N 32.9).
- Mark 6:20 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “and yet” to indicate the concessive nature of the final clause.
- Mark 6:20 tn Grk “him”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 6:21 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Mark 6:21 tn Grk “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.”
- Mark 6:22 tc Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autou herōdiados), is supported by א B D L Δ 565; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autēs tēs herōdiados, “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ ƒ13 33 M, but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by ƒ1, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.
- Mark 6:23 tc ‡ The witnesses here support several different readings: αὐτῇ πολλά (autē polla, “to her insistently”) is found in D Θ 565 700 it; πολλά is the reading of P45vid 28; both words are lacking in L; and א A B C2vid ƒ13 33 M lat have just αὐτῇ. The best candidates for authenticity, on external grounds, are αὐτῇ πολλά and αὐτῇ. So the issue revolves around whether πολλά is part of the text. On the one hand, πολλά used adverbially is a distinctive Markanism (10 of the 16 NT instances are found in Mark; of the other Gospels, Matthew alone adds a single example [Matt 9:14]). It could be argued that such an unremarkable term would go unnoticed by the scribes, and consequently would not have been inserted in imitation of Mark’s style observed elsewhere. On the other hand, the largest cluster of instances of an adverbial πολλά are in Mark 5-6, with the most recent example coming just three verses earlier (Mark 5:23, 38, 43; 6:20). Scribes may well have imitated the usage so recently and so frequently seen. Further, the best Alexandrian witnesses, as well as good representatives of the Western and Byzantines texts, lack πολλά. On the whole, though a decision is difficult, it is probably best to read the text without πολλά. NA28 places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
- Mark 6:23 sn The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”
- Mark 6:24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
- Mark 6:24 tn Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 6:24 tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark employs the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (though twice he does use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).
Luke 3:19
New English Translation
19 But when John rebuked Herod[a] the tetrarch[b] because of Herodias, his brother’s wife,[c] and because of all the evil deeds[d] that he had done,
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- Luke 3:19 sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.
- Luke 3:19 sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.
- Luke 3:19 tc Several mss (A C K W Ψ 33 565 579 1424 2542 al bo) read τῆς γυναικὸς Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ (tēs gunaikos Philippou tou adelphou autou, “the wife of his brother Philip”), specifying whose wife Herodias was. The addition of “Philip,” however, is an assimilation to Matt 14:3 and is lacking in the better witnesses.sn This marriage to his brother’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left previous marriages to enter into this union.
- Luke 3:19 tn Or “immoralities.”
Luke 3:20
New English Translation
20 Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.
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