Mark 6:18

6:14-29 Herod feared John while he lived, and feared him still more when he was dead. Herod did many of those things which John in his preaching taught him; but it is not enough to do many things, we must have respect to all the commandments. Herod respected John, till he touched him in his Herodias. Thus many love good preaching, if it keep far away from their beloved sin. But it is better that sinners persecute ministers now for faithfulness, than curse them eternally for unfaithfulness. The ways of God are unsearchable; but we may be sure he never can be at a loss to repay his servants for what they endure or lose for his sake. Death could not come so as to surprise this holy man; and the triumph of the wicked was short.

For John had said unto Herod,.... He had been personally with him, and had plainly and freely told him of his sin, and faithfully reproved him for it; alleging what he had done was contrary to the law of God: it is not lawful, for thee to have thy brother's wife: See Gill on Matthew 14:4.

18 . For John had said ] Herod was probably on his way to meet his father-in-law, when he first encountered the Baptist, who, in the presence of the Galilean king, proved himself no “reed shaken by the wind” ( Luke 7:24 ), but boldly denounced the royal crimes ( Luke 3:19 ), and declared the marriage unlawful. For this outspoken faithfulness he was flung into prison, probably in the castle of Machærus or “the Black Fortress,” which Herod’s father had built in one of the most abrupt wâdys to the east of the Dead Sea, to overawe the wild Arab tribes of the neighbourhood. Though originally in the possession of Aretas, Herod had probably seized the fortress after the departure of his first wife to her father’s stronghold at Petra (Jos. Ant . xviii. 5. 2).

Verses 18, 19. - For John said unto Herod. The Greek tense ( ἔλεγε ) implies more than the simple expression, "he said;" it implies a repeated warning. We learn from St. Matthew ( Matthew 14:5 ) that Herod would have killed John before, but he feared the people. Here St. Mark says that Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him; and she could not; for Herod feared John . There is no contradiction between the two evangelists. The case appears to have been this: that at first Herod desired to put John to death, because John had reproved him on account of Herodias. But by degrees John gained an influence over Herod by the force of his character, and by his holy life and teaching. Mark 6:18

18. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife—Noble fidelity! It was not lawful because Herod's wife and Herodias' husband were both living; and further, because the parties were within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity (see Le 20:21); Herodias being the daughter of Aristobulus, the brother of both Herod and Philip [Josephus, Antiquities, 18.5,4].

So Mark 16:18 , "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (see also Matthew 9:18 ; Matthew 19:13, 15 ; Mark 5:23 ; Mark 6:5 ; Mark 7:32 ; Mark 8:23, 25 ; Luke 4:40 ; Luke 13:13 ; Acts 9:12 ). It is also spoken of as an accompaniment of prayer in confirmation, ordination, etc. It has been remarked as curious that the two actions of taking up serpents and healing the sick by the laying on of hands should be in such close juxtaposition both here and in Mark 16:18 . It suggests the thought whether Luke had seen the passage in St. Mark; or whether the writer of Mark 16:18 had seen Acts 28:8 . Or is the coincidence accidental, arising out of the facts? Acts 28:8

Verses 2-6. - SECTION IX. PRAYER AND SOCIAL CONVERSE. There are added some brief exhortations of a more general tenor, the contents of which are summed up in the heading given to this section. Verse 2. - Continue steadfast in prayer, being watchful (or, wakeful ) therein, with thanksgiving ( Ephesians 6:18 ; Romans 12:12 ; Philippians 4:6 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18 ; 1 Timothy 2:1 ; Luke 11:5-10 ; Luke 18:1-8 ; Luke 21:36 ; Acts 1:14 ; Acts 20:31 ; 1 Corinthians 16:13 ; 1 Peter 5:8 ; Matthew 26:41 ; Mark 14:38 ). "Steadfast continuance" in prayer is specially illustrated in our Lord's sayings on the subject in St. Luke (comp. Acts 1:14 , where the same peculiar verb is used). In Philippians 4:6 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18 ; 1 Timothy 2 :l, again "thanksgiving" is associated with "prayer." Wakefulness in prayer is enjoined by Christ in Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38 : compare the synonymous ἀγρυπνέω , to be sleepless , used in Ephesians 6:1, 2 ; Mark 13:33 ; Luke 21:36 ; Hebrews 13:17 . "To be awake" is to be alive in the fullest sense, to have all the powers of perception and action in readiness. The activity of the soul in prayer is to be both energetic and incessant. "With [literally in , ἐν , not μετὰ , as in Ephesians 6:18 ] thanksgiving gives the pervading element or influence, in or under which the prayers of the Colossians were to be offered (comp. Colossians 1:12 ; Colossians 2:7 ; Colossians 3:15, 17 ). Colossians 4:2

[Reformed Biblical] MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 14 Verses 14-20. See this account of the death of John the Baptist fully explained in Matthew 14:1-12. {g} "King Herod" Matthew 14:1; Luke 9:7 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 15 Verse 15. No Barnes text on this verse. {h} "said" Matthew 16:14; Mr 8:28 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 16 Verse 16. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 17 Verse 17. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 18 Verse 18. No Barnes text on this verse. {i} "lawful" Leviticus 18:16 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 19 Verse 19. No Barnes text on this verse. "had a quarrel" or, "an inward grudge" ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 6 - Verse 20 Verse 20. He did many things. But he did not do the thing which was demanded of him—to break off from his sins. He attempted to make a compromise with his conscience. He still loved his sins, and did other things which he supposed might be accepted, in the place of putting away, as he ought, the wife of his brother—the polluted and adulterous woman with whom he lived. Perhaps he treated John kindly, or spoke well of him, or aided him in his wants; and attempted in this way to silence his rebukes, and destroy his faithfulness. This was probably before John was imprisoned.

[Reformed Biblical] upied room. {f} "Master saith" John 11:28; 13:13 {g} "shall eat" Revelation 3:20 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 15 ## Verse 15. A large upper room . The word used here denotes the upper room devoted to purposes of prayer, repose, and often of eating. See Barnes "Matthew 9:2" . Furnished and prepared . Literally, spread and ready. Spread with a carpet, or with couches, such as were used in eating. See Barnes "Matthew 23:6" . ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 16 Verse 16. No notes from Barnes on this verse. {h} "found as" John 16:4 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 17 ## Verses 17-31. See Barnes "Matthew 26:20" and Matthew 26:21-35. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 18 Verse 18. No notes from Barnes on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 19 Verse 19. No notes from Barnes on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 20 Verse 20. No notes from Barnes on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 21 Verse 21. No notes from Barnes on this verse. {k} "good were it" Matthew 18:6,7 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 14 - Verse 22 Verse 22. No notes from Barnes on this verse. {l} "as they did eat" Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:19; 1 Colossians 11:23 {m} "Take, eat" John 6:48-58 ## THE GOSPEL A