Bible Strands
Mark 6:19
So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Herodias acts against John the Baptist after he publicly declares Herod’s marriage to her unlawful. The narrative places this moment immediately after Herod’s reluctant protection of John despite his own perplexity.
The words — The Greek ἐνεῖχεν (eneichen) literally means “was holding it,” describing Herodias maintaining a grudge, while ἤθελεν (ēthelen) means “he was wishing,” indicating her desire to kill him.
The thread — This pattern of persistent resentment and the danger of unaddressed anger appears in Ecclesiastes 7:9 and Ephesians 4:26, which warn against quick provocation and unrighteous anger.
Why it lands — The text states that unresolved hostility drives destructive action, requiring readers to examine their own capacity for holding grudges and acting on them.
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The Greek words
King James Version
Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
Cross-references
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
- Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
- Genesis 39:17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me,
- 1 Kings 21:20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.