Matthew 14:7

14:7 Such an extravagant, foolish oath was consistent with Herod Antipas’s character.

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

Mat 14:7. Ὡμολόγνσεν, promised, agreed) The girl had asked by dancing; and the king appears, even before this, to have been in the habit of giving her something on his birth-day.

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

Mat 14:7 . ὡμολόγησεν , confessed by oath; obligation to keep a promise previously given. Cf. Mar 6:22 , where the fact is more fully stated. The account in Matt. seems throughout secondary.

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

(7) He promised with an oath.—The scandalous chronicles of the time were not without stories of extravagant rewards paid to mimes and dancers, and Herod might fancy that in this also he was reproducing the magnificence of the imperial court at Rome. But he probably hardly expected “the half of his kingdom” (Mar_6:23) as the “whatsoever thou shalt ask.” A jewel, a bracelet, a palace, or a city, were probably in his thoughts as what she was likely to ask and he would gladly give.

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

Whereupon he promised with an oath,.... On account of her fine dancing, and being extremely pleased with it himself; and the more, that it gave such pleasure to the whole court: he first promised her,

to give her whatsoever she would ask; and then repeating it, he confirmed it with an oath; adding, as Mark says, that he would give it her, even "to the half of his kingdom": a way of speaking used by princes, when they give full power to persons to ask what they will of them; and to express their great munificence and liberality; signifying, let it be ever so great, or cost what it will, though as much as half a kingdom comes to, it shall be granted; see Est 5:3. A very foolish promise, and a rash oath these, which were made upon such a consideration, as only a fine dance. If she, as Theophylact observes, had asked for his head, would he have given it her? And if he swore by his head, which was a common form of swearing with the Jews (u), she very appropriately, though unjustly, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, answers to him; as you have swore by your head, give me John Baptist's head.

(u) Misn. Sanhedrim, c. 3. sect 2. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 3. 1. Derech Eretz, c. 6. fol. 18. 2.

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

7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

Ver. 7. He promised with an oath] He not only swore rashly, but confessed himself bound thereby to perform his oath (as the Greek word ωμολογησεν signifieth), to give her whatsoever she would ask; as Judah did Tamar, and as wantons use to do to their sweethearts. "Ask me never so much dowry and gift," saith Shechem, "and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife," Gen 34:12.

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.

He promised. Wicked promises and wicked oaths are not binding. That promise is wicked, in which the thing promised is wicked, and that oath in not binding, by which impiety is promoted. (St. Isidore)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

7. Promised with an oath — To reward the graceful dancer was customary; but Herod wills to reward royally. Calmet mentions a Shah Abbas, who promised to a dancer, during a drunken carouse, the revenues of a province. After his recovery, at the instance of his vizier, he broke his promise and gave her a present of two hundred pounds. Salome, doubtless, might have preferred half the kingdom, but her mother’s will preferred revenge to dominion. Perhaps she feared that Herod, in sober moments, would break his oath. She seems by her language to be in a hurry to have the present while the revel is on: “Give me here” the head. And the deed seems to have been perpetrated with an impatient haste, perhaps in the dead hour of night, with no uncommon mixture of revelry and slaughter.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

The foolishness of unlimited promises.

"He promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask." We are sometimes invited to promise before we are told what is to be asked. It should never be done. No man can tell whether it is right to promise until he knows what is to be promised. In the case now before us, we find a man excited with wine and company, and not really himself. It is necessary to realize the gay but degrading scene, and the skilfulness of the wicked scheme carried through by Herodias. To us dancing is a modest and beautiful amusement, whatever may be thought of its relation to religious people. But at Eastern feasts, girls of bad character were often introduced, who amused the guests, and excited evil passions, by rude movements and antics, and dancing in filmy garments. "Herodias knew the tetrarch"s weak point as well as Madame du Barry knew that of Louis XV of France, and sought to bend him to her will, even though it were by the sacrifice of her daughter"s modesty." She made Salome act before these guests as if she were an Almeh-dancer. Herod loses all self-control, and foolishly promises her anything.

I A SURRENDER OF JUDGMENT. A man should always consider and decide before he promises. A man may surrender his judgment to God. He may yield his judgment in discussion with his fellow men, because a better judgment may be given. But he may never give away his judgment, and let some one else judge for him. Then a man is weak, unmanly. By unlimited promise Herod surrendered his manhood, his right to control his conduct.

II AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE UNSCRUPULOUS. Their trouble always is that their plans may be considered, weighed, judged. So their scheme always is to get things carried through before they can be thought about. "Tomorrow" is the weakness of the undecided, and the ruin of the unscrupulous. If Herod had said, "We will see about the promise tomorrow," John Baptist would not have lost his head. That unlimited promise broke the barriers down; and unscrupulous Herodias pressed her opportunity.

III A CURSE ALIKE FOR THOSE WHO GET AND THOSE WHO GIVE. Is it possible for us to estimate the moral effect of this abominable transaction on Herodias and Salome? The worst thing that can ever happen to us is to be successful in some shameless enterprise. Salome"s life was a horror, almost worse than that of Herodias. Then estimate the misery of Herod. His conscience that ever reminded him of the head in the charger. His dreadful fears that John had risen from the dead. Never promise without knowing what you promise. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. He promised with an oath to give her whatever she would ask. Herod confirms his promise by an oath. It was a common custom to reward a dancer or actor, on a great occasion like this, who pleased, and to ask what they wished. Herod knew that Salome danced because she had a request to make.

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.

7. Whence with an oath he promised to give to her whatever she should ask.] Mt. summarises Mk 23-24. For ὃ ἐάν, see on 11:29.—αἰτήσηται] Mk. has αἰτήσῃς and αἴτησον, but ᾐτήσατο in v. 25. For the middle as the stronger word, see Moulton, p. 160. For the juxtaposition of both voices, see Mar 10:35, Mar 10:38.

(M)

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

He promised [ωμολογησεν] . Lit., confessed; conveying the idea of acknowledging the obligation of his oath. Salome had degraded herself to perform the part of an almeh or common dancer, and could claim her reward.

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