Mark 6:14-29
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Death of John the Baptist
14 King Herod heard of it; for Jesus’[a] name had become known. Some[b] said, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “It is Eli′jah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero′di-as, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married her. 18 For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Hero′di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Hero′di-as’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Footnotes:
Cited in the Catechism: In promulgating the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Blessed John Paul II explained that the Catechism "is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium." He went on to "declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" (Fidei Depositum). Passages from this Gospel reading are cited in the Catechism, paragraph 523.
Commentary
Opinions about Jesus
6:14. Following popular custom, St Mark called Herod “king”, but in strict legal terminology he was only tetrarch, which is the way St Matthew (14:1) and St Luke (9:7) describe him, that is, a governor of certain consequence. The Herod referred to here was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who was king of the Jews at the time of Jesus’ birth. Cf. the note on Mt 2:1.
The martyrdom of John the Baptist
6:16–29. It is interesting that the extensive account of the death of John the Baptist is inserted here in the Gospel narrative. The reason is St John the Baptist’s special relevance in the history of salvation: he is the Precursor, entrusted with the task of preparing the way for the Messiah. Besides, John the Baptist had a great reputation among the people: they believed him to be a prophet (Mk 11:32); some even thought he was the Messiah (Lk 3:15; Jn 1:20); and they flocked to him from many places (Mk 1:5). Jesus himself said: “Among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Mt 11:11). Later, the apostle St John will speak of him in the Gospel: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John” (Jn 1:6); but the sacred text points out that, despite this, he was not the light, but rather the witness to the light (Jn 1:6–8). More correctly, he was the lamp carrying the light (Jn 5:35). We are told here that he was a righteous man and preached to everyone what had to be preached: he had a word for people at large, for publicans, for soldiers (Lk 3:10–14); for Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt 3:7–12); for King Herod himself (Mk 6:18–20). This humble, upright and austere man paid with his life for the witness he bore to Jesus the Messiah (Jn 1:29 and 36–37).
6:26. Oaths and promises immoral in content should never be made, and, if made, should never be kept. This is the teaching of the Church, which is summed up in the St Pius X Catechism, 383, in the following way: “Are we obliged to keep oaths we have sworn to do unjust and unlawful things? Not only are we not obliged: we sin by making such oaths, for they are prohibited by the Law of God or of the Church.”
Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
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"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." St Jerome
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