Mark 6:21 Commentary and Bible Study

But now things change. Now we are going to read about how natural convictions collapsed. ‘And when a convenient day was come.’ Again, perhaps we can adjust the translation a little to help. It is perfectly good as it stands, but the Greek says, ‘when a good day had come’. The modern translations perhaps are a little better on this: when a day of opportunity came, a good day. A good day for what? A good day for Satan. A good day to flush out of the mind of Herod Antipas any notion of God, to take it out of his mind any movement of conscience, and capture him back into the pathway of sin, and self-love. ‘When a good day was come’ – a good day for Satan, a good day for Herodias, a day of opportunity for her to get back at John, and to have him eradicated for his censure of her conduct, and her adultery, and her incest with Herod Antipas. ‘When a convenient day was, that Herod on his birthday’ – this was going to be the day of opportunity – ‘made a supper to his lords’ – his officers of state, his ‘high captains’, his generals, and his ‘chief estates of Galilee’, the wealthiest men. But they are all men; that is the culture. Every one of them is a man. This is going to be an all-male banquet, and it was the opportunity for Herodias. She was going to create a great symphony of seduction to capture the heart and the mind of Herod Antipas entirely to her will.