Section 6:14–29

King Herod killed John the Baptizer

Here Mark interrupted his story of how Jesus sent his disciples to preach, expel demons, and heal people. The story about Jesus and his disciples starts again in 6:30. In Section 6:14–29, Mark inserted a different story. He told what King Herod thought about Jesus and why he thought these things. He told the story of how Herod killed John the Baptizer, and how Herod thought that Jesus must be John, alive again.

Here is another possible heading for this section:

The death of John the Baptist

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 14:1–12; Luke 9:7–9 (see also Luke 3:19–20).

Paragraph 6:14–16

This paragraph gives background information about the thoughts that different people had about Jesus. First, Mark showed how the information was connected to what he was telling about Jesus and his disciples. Then he told some of the wrong ideas that people had about who Jesus was, and who Herod thought Jesus was.

6:14a

Now King Herod heard about this: The Berean Standard Bible uses Now as a way to introduce background information about a new person in the story. It is not used in its usual sense of “at this time.” Many languages need to introduce the beginning of a new story with a particular word or expression. For example:

Then people told Herod…

Several other English versions do not use a conjunction here to connect this section with the preceding one. They simply start this new section with Herod’s name. Translate in a way that is natural in your language.

This is the first time that King Herod is mentioned by name in Mark. You should use a way that is natural in your language to introduce background information about a new character. For example:

There was a certain king whose name was Herod. He heard…

King Herod: King Herod was the government leader of the Jewish district of Galilee. If you use footnotes in your translation, you may want to add a footnote that gives more information about Herod. For example:

This Herod was Herod Antipas. He was one of the sons of Herod the Great, who ruled at the time that Jesus was born. His correct title was “tetrarch,” but in the minds of the people to whom Mark wrote, his rank/status was like that of a king.

King: The word King normally refers to a ruler over an independent country. Herod Antipas was only a ruler over a fourth of Palestine, and therefore he was not truly a king. But he acted like a king, and the people considered him a king because he was an important and powerful ruler.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

ruler (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
chief leader

heard about this: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heard about this is literally “heard.” The Greek text does not have the direct object this with the verb heard. Most English versions supply an object that refers to the things Jesus and his disciples were doing in the preceding section. For example:

heard about Jesus (God’s Word)
-or-
had heard about him (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
heard about all this (Good News Bible)

6:14b

In 6:14b–6:15b Mark gives background information. The story about what Herod did resumes at 6:16. Indicate this in the way that is natural in your language.

for: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason that Herod had heard about Jesus. The reason that Herod heard about Jesus was because Jesus had become well known. Another way to translate this is with the word “because.” For example, the Good News Bible says:

because Jesus’ reputation had spread everywhere

Jesus’ name had become well known: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus’ name had become well known is an idiom. It means that many people had heard about Jesus and were talking about him. Because the news about his teaching and miracles had spread, his reputation had now become well known.

Here are some other ways you could translate this expression:

because he was now well known (New Century Version)
-or-
people everywhere were talking about him (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

General Comment on 6:14a–b

In this verse, 6:14b expresses the reason for the result in 6:14a. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these clauses. For example:

14bJesus’ name had become well known. 14aThat is the reason why Herod heard about him.
-or-
14bJesus became so well-known that 14aHerod the ruler heard about him. (Contemporary English Version)

6:14c–15b

Although many people knew about Jesus, they did not understand who he really was. This passage tells the various wrong ideas that people had about who Jesus was. Some thought he was someone from Jewish history who had now come back to earth. Others thought that he was John the Baptist. These people thought that Jesus was able to do miracles because God had brought him back from the dead or from heaven.

6:14c

and people were saying: (There is a textual issue here: (1) Some Greek manuscripts have Some were saying. This refers to the people. For example, the Good News Bible says: “Some people were saying” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version). (2) Some Greek manuscripts have he said. This refers to Herod. For example, the King James Version says: “and he said” (King James Version). It is recommended that you follow option (1) as most English versions do. This fits the context better.) The form of the verb were saying shows that people said these things, and other people kept repeating them. People did not just say them one time.

6:14d

John the Baptist has risen from the dead!: Mark leaves it implicit that these people were talking about Jesus when they said this. If you need to make this information explicit, you can say:

This must be John the Baptist come back to life again. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
that Jesus was John the Baptist who had been raised from the dead

John the Baptist: John had baptized people who repented of their sins. As a result, he became known as “John the Baptist” or “John the Baptizer.”

Some languages have a verbal expression for John the Baptist. For example, “John the Baptizer” or “John who baptizes people.” If you use an expression like that, be sure that it does not imply that John was baptizing people at the time of this story. For example, you could say:

John who had baptized people
-or-
John who had been baptizing people

See also the notes on 1:4a.

the Baptist: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Baptist is used as a title for John in 1:4a. (A similar form of this title is used in Matthew and Luke. Matthew and Luke use the noun form in Greek (“the Baptist/Baptizer”). Mark usually uses the participle form (“the Baptizing One”).) Use an appropriate form of your term for “baptize” for this title.

The verb “baptize” means to purify people with a special ritual that uses water. (In some verses, the verbs “wash” and “clean” are used to translate the Greek verb “baptize.” Luke 11:38 says, “But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash (baptize) before the meal.” (The Greek verb here is baptizo, but English versions translate it as “wash.” The context refers to a ritual washing, not merely a removal of dirt.). Mark 7:4 and Matthew 23:25 both speak of washing/cleaning cups and other utensils. The verb in Mark is baptizo while the verb in Matthew is katharizo (clean). Again, a ritual cleansing is involved. Mark 7:4 says, “And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing (baptizing) of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.” Matthew 23:25 says, “You clean (katharizo) the outside of the cup and dish.” However, the above references do not indicate that “wash/cleanse” is the only meaning of the rite of baptism as practiced by John and by the early Christians. And certainly Jesus’ baptism of people with the Holy Spirit signified more than purification.) In this context the ritual involved a purification from sin, not a removal of dirt. It was an initiation that marked the beginning of a person’s life as one of God’s pure people.

Here are some other ways to translate “baptize”:

• Use a descriptive term. For example:

ritually wash
-or-
initiate people in/with water

• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already used in your culture. You may need to indicate that here it has a special connection with God. For example:

purify people with God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
wash people in initiation water for God

• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches.

See baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

Here are some other ways to translate the title John the Baptist:

John who baptized people
-or-
John who cleansed people for God
-or-
John the Ritual Purifier
-or-
John who initiated people with God’s washing

has risen from the dead!: The phrase has risen from the dead is passive in Greek and reads more literally “has been raised from the dead.” In some languages it may be necessary to use an active verb, as the Berean Standard Bible does. If this is true in your language, you could follow the example of the Berean Standard Bible or follow the one of the examples below and say:

John the Baptizer has come back to life
-or-
God raised John the Baptizer from the dead

from the dead!: The phrase from the dead means that John had been dead but was now alive again. It could also be expressed as “from death.”

General Comment on 6:14c–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate 6:14c–d as indirect speech. For example:

Some people were saying that Jesus was John the Baptizer who had been raised from the dead.

General Comment on 6:14c–d

Mark told about John the Baptizer in 1:4–14, but he did not talk about John’s death. In 6:17–29 Mark told the story of John’s death in order to give the background for what he said here. Since your readers may not realize that John had died, you may need to make that information explicit. Here are several ways to do so:

• Use a footnote. For example:

King Herod had killed John (see Mark 6:17–29), and some people thought that John had later been raised from the dead.

• Start 6:14c–d this way:

John the Baptizer had died, and some people said…

• Make the information explicit within 6:14c–d, for example:

Some of them said that after John the Baptizer died, God raised him to life again.

6:14e

That is why miraculous powers are at work in him: The word That here refers to 5:14d (“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead”). 5:14d is the reason for the result stated in this verse part, miraculous powers are at work in him. Some people thought that Jesus had miraculous powers because he was a prophet who had died and whom God had now resurrected. See the General Comment on 5:14d–e for some ways to express this relationship between 14d and 14e.

miraculous powers are at work in him: The clause miraculous powers are at work in him means that Jesus had the “power to perform miracles” (Good News Bible). The people knew Jesus had this power, and so they described him as someone in whom these amazing powers were at work.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

that is why he was showing such miraculous powers (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
That is why he can work these miracles. (New Century Version)

General Comment on 6:14d–e

Here are some other ways to express the relationship between 14d (the reason) and 14e (the result):

“Because John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, miraculous powers are at work in him.”
-or-
“John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and so miraculous powers are at work in him.”

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order and put the result first:

“Miraculous powers are at work in this man because he is John the Baptizer and has been raised from the dead.”

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