Mark 6:17 Commentary and Bible Study

‘For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John.’ That is an expression which means he was violently arrested. Why violently arrested? John was a preacher. John never stole anything, never hurt anyone. He never murdered anybody, attacked anybody, robbed anyone. He was a man of holiness and purity, but he was mighty preacher. He lived as a poor man. People thought he was Elijah resurrected; that was his image, and yet he had to be arrested with great violence, and he was put in Herod's palace fortress at Machaerus, which is a formidable place with a desperately terrible dungeon, with no illumination. John was kept there, and treated despicably. ‘He laid hold upon John and bound him’, tied him as though he was going to be violent, in prison, his own dungeon. Why? For the sake of Herodias, his so-called wife. Herod Antipas’ brother Philip, another ruler, had a beautiful wife, and Herod Antipas lusted after her, and wanted her, and so he disposed of his own wife and sent her home to her father, who was another ruler, a king. Herodias and Philip were separated, and Herod Antipas married Herodias. Herod, who was rather fascinated by John, said, I want to hear him, and he sent for him, and John when he met him denounced his adulterous marriage. It wasn't just adulterous; it was also incestuous, because all these people were related to each other. It was a most diabolical affair, and John condemned it. Herod didn’t like that at all. But Herodias, his so-called wife, was incensed, and she hated John the Baptist with all her being, and she wanted to take his life. But now Herod is shaken. Even natural conviction can be very deep and disturbing. A person can be shaken. What have I done? And yet it may go nowhere.