Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 6].
swaggering oath to the half of the kingdom reminds one of Es
5:3f., the same oath made to Esther by Ahasuerus.
6:24 {What shall I ask?} (\Ti ait•s•mai;\). The fact that she
went and spoke to her mother proves that she had not been told
beforehand what to ask. Mt 14:8 does not necessarily mean that,
but he simply condenses the account. The girl's question implies
by the middle voice that she is thinking of something for
herself. She was no doubt unprepared for her mother's ghastly
reply.
6:25 {Straightway with haste} (\euthus meta spoud•s\). Before the
king's rash mood passed and while he was still under the spell of
the dancing princess. Herodias knew her game well. See on ¯Mt
14:8f.
6:26 {He would not reject her} (\ouk •thel•sen athet•sai aut•n\).
He was caught once again between his conscience and his
environment. Like many since his day the environment stifled his
conscience.
6:27 {A soldier of his guard} (\spekoulatora\). Latin word
_speculator_. A spy, scout, lookout, and often executioner. It
was used of the bodyguard of the Roman emperor and so for one of
Herod's spies. He was used to do errands of this sort and it was
soon done. It was a gruesome job, but he soon brought John's head
to the damsel, apparently in the presence of all, and she took it
to her mother. This miserable Tetrarch, the slave of Herodias,
was now the slave of his fears. He is haunted by the ghost of
John and shudders at the reports of the work of Jesus.
6:29 {His corpse} (\to pt•ma autou\). See on ¯Mt 24:28. It was a
mournful time for the disciples of John. "They went and told
Jesus" (Mt 14:12). What else could they do?
6:30 {And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus}
(\kai sunagontai hoi apostoloi pros ton I•soun\). Vivid
historical present. {All things whatsoever they had done and
whatsoever they had taught} (\panta hosa epoi•san kai hosa
edidaxan\). Not past perfect in the Greek, just the aorist
indicative, constative aorist that summed it all up, the story of
this their first tour without Jesus. And Jesus listened to it all
(Lu 9:10). He was deeply concerned in the outcome.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MR6.RWP.html (8 of 13) [28/08/2004 09:03:45 a.m.]