Mark 6:19

6:19-28 Herodias’s role in the murder of John the Baptist recalls the story of Jezebel (1 Kgs 19:1-2). Herod succumbed to pressure (Mark 6:26-28), which foreshadows the later story of Pontius Pilate, who put Jesus to death against his better judgment (cp. 6:20, 25-28 with 15:6-15).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 6:19. Ἐνεῖχεν) had an inward grudge towards him.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 6:19 . ἡ δὲ Ἡρ .: the murderous mood is by Mark ascribed to Herodias; in her it would certainly be strongest and unchecked by any other feeling. In Herod, if the mood was there, it was accompanied by worthier impulses ( vide on Matthew). ἐνεῖχεν , had a grudge ( χόλον understood, so Fritzsche al. ) against him αὐτῷ , dative of disadvantage); or, kept in mind what John had said, treasured up against him, with fixed hate and purpose of revenge. καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο , and was not able, to compass her end for a while.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sought all means to do him hurt.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 19. Would have killed] εζητει, SOUGHT to kill him. C and five of the Itala.

See the whole of this account, from Mr 6:17-29, explained on Mt 14:2-12.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(19) Herodias had a quarrel.—Better, as in the margin, had a grudge, or spite, against him.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. had a quarrel] or as it is rendered in the margin, “had an inward grudge” against him. The word here translated “had a quarrel” occurs in Luk_11:53, where we have rendered it, “and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently,” and in Gen_49:23, where the dying Jacob says of Joseph, “The archers sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.” It denotes literally (1) to “hold” or “keep fast within one;” then (2) to “lay up” or “cherish wrath” against another. Comp. Herod. i. 118, vi. 119. In Tyndale and Cranmer’s Versions it is rendered “laid waite for him,” in the Rhemish, “sought all occasion against him.”

would have killed] The word in the original is much stronger, and denotes that she had a settled wish to kill him. Some Versions read “she sought” or “kept seeking” means to kill him.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him,.... Was angry with him, conceived wrath, and laid up hatred against him, and was an adversary to him; which is the sense of the Oriental versions. She bore him an inward grudge, and lay in wait to take the first opportunity of dispatching him:

and would have killed him, but she could not; being hindered by Herod, who as yet would not suffer it; partly through fear of the people, and partly through the respect he had for John.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Ver. 19. Herodias had a quarrel against him] Gr. ενειχεν αυτω, hung over him, as highly displeased at him, and waiting an occasion to be even with him. Veritas odium parit, they that follow truth close at heels, may have their teeth struck out, though she be a good mistress. Tange montes et fumigabunt. As wild beasts cannot endure fire, so neither can carnal hearts fervency and plain dealing. Poor Zegedine suffered many years’ captivity in misery and irons by the Turk, for one word in a sermon, which distasted a woman, without the least cause. Melch. Adanl. in Vita.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. Would have killed him. The wicked woman sought his murder, but could not kill him because Herod refused to consent.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

19. ἡ δὲ Ἡρῳδιὰς ἐνεῖχεν αὐτῷ. Antipas would have been content with imprisoning John, but Herodias nursed enmity against him. Neither “therefore” (A.V.) nor “and” (R.V.) gives the force of δέ, which marks a contrast between what Herod himself did (Mar 6:17) and what Herodias did. The only parallel in Bibl. Grk to this intrans. use of ἐνέχω is the accidental iambus ἐνεῖχον αὐτῷ κύριοι τοξευμάτων (Gen 49:23), where Vulg. has inviderunt illi, although elsewhere Jerome has irascebantur adversus eum. Here Vulg. has insidiabatur, whence the “laid wait” of earlier versions. Beza has imminebat. It may be doubted whether ἔχθραν, or χόλον (which Hdt. expresses i. 118, vi. 119, viii. 27) is to be understood. But ἐπέχων, sc. τὸν νοῦν (Luk 14:7; &c.), suggests that here there is some forgotten ellipse. The provincialism, “to have it in for a man” or “with a man,” i.e. to be on bad terms with him, is parallel. “Had an inward grudge” (A.V. marg.) is near the mark. The imperfects (Mar 6:18-20) are quite in place; the rebukes of John, the resentment and malignity of Herodias, and the fears of Antipas were continual, just as in the case of Elijah, Jezebel, and Ahab.

καὶ οὐκ ἐδύνατο. We might have expected ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐδύνατο. This adversative use of καί is perhaps Hebraistic. Cf. Mar 12:12.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. ἐνεῖχεν αὐτῷ—AV. had a quarrel against him. But it is doubtful if the words had this meaning. It requires the ellipsis of τὸν χόλον to explain it, and it is unusual to leave so specific a word to be implied, though the use of τὸν χόλον with the verb is quite frequent. On the other hand, it would be quite common to supply a word like τὸν νοῦν with the verb, and that would give us the meaning, she kept her eye (mind) on him. But the phrase, though quite natural, does not seem to occur. A third supposition is, that the verb may be used, like the Latin insto, intransitively, she followed him up, did not relax hostility against him. On the whole, this seems the best rendering. Thay.-Grm. Lex. καὶ ἤθελεν … καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο—and wished … and could not. This representation, that Herodias was restrained from her vengeance by Herod is not borne out by Mt., who says that Herod wished to put John to death, but feared the people (14:5). Verse 9 says that he was grieved by Salome’s demand, but this was evidently, in Mt.’s account, for the same reason, viz. that he feared the people.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Had a quarrel against him [ενειχεν αυτω] . There is some dispute about the rendering. The Rev. renders Set herself against him, with no alternative translation in the margin; and in Luk 11:53, Press upon him vehemently, with set themselves against him in the margin. I see no objection to rendering was angry at him, taking ejneicen aujtw with an ellipsis of colon, anger. Very literally, had within herself [εν] anger against him. So Herodotus, 1, 118. Astyages concealing the anger [τον χολον] which he felt toward him [οι ενειχε] . 6 119, ejneice sfi deinon colon, nourished a fierce anger against them. So Moulton, Grimm, and De Wette.

Desired [ηθελεν] . Imperfect tense, was desiring all along. Her demand for John's murder was the result of a long - cherished wish.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.