Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 6].
The news of John's death at Machaerus may even have come at the
close of the Galilean tour. "The tidings of the murder of the
Baptist seem to have brought the recent circuit to an end"
(Swete). The disciples of John "went and told Jesus. Now when
Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a boat" (Mt
14:12f.). See on ¯Mt 14:3-12 for the discussion about Herod
Antipas and John and Herodias.
6:18 {Thy brother's wife} (\t•n gunaika tou adelphou\). While the
brother was alive (Le 18:16; 20:21). After a brother's death it
was often a duty to marry his widow.
6:19 {And Herodias set herself against him} (\H• de H•r•idias
eneichen aut•i\). Dative of disadvantage. Literally, {had it in
for him}. This is modern slang, but is in exact accord with this
piece of vernacular _Koin•_. No object of \eichen\ is expressed,
though \org•n\ or \cholon\ may be implied. The tense is imperfect
and aptly described the feelings of Herodias towards this upstart
prophet of the wilderness who had dared to denounce her private
relations with Herod Antipas. Gould suggests that she "kept her
eye on him" or kept up her hostility towards him. She never let
up, but bided her time which, she felt sure, would come. See the
same idiom in Ge 49:23. She {desired to kill him} (\•thelen
auton apokteinai\). Imperfect again. {And she could not} (\kai
ouk •dunato\). \Kai\ here has an adversative sense, but she could
not. That is, not yet. "The power was wanting, not the will"
(Swete).
6:20 {Feared John} (\ephobeito ton I•an•n\). Imperfect tense,
continual state of fear. He feared John and also Herodias.
Between the two Herod vacillated. He knew him to be righteous and
holy (\dikaion kai hagion\) and so innocent of any wrong. So he
{kept him safe} (\sunet•rei\). Imperfect tense again. Late Greek
verb. From the plots and schemes of Herodias. She was another
Jezebel towards John and with Herod. {Much perplexed} (\polla
•porei\). This the correct text not \polla epoiei\, did many
things. Imperfect tense again. {He heard him gladly} (\h•de•s
•kouen\). Imperfect tense again. This is the way that Herod
really felt when he could slip away from the meshes of Herodias.
These interviews with the Baptist down in the prison at Machaerus
during his occasional visits there braced "his jaded mind as with
a whiff of fresh air" (Swete). But then he saw Herodias again and
he was at his wits' end (\•porei\, lose one's way, \a\ privative
and \poros\, way), for he knew that he had to live with Herodias
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MR6.RWP.html (6 of 13) [28/08/2004 09:03:45 a.m.]