For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Parallel Translations
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For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
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Iohn sayd vnto Herode: It is not laufull for the to have thy brothers wyfe.
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For Iohn sayd vnto Herod, It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Mark 6:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Leviticus 18:16 “ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.
- Leviticus 20:21 “ ‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
- 1 Kings 22:14 Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak.”
- Ezekiel 3:18-19 When I tell the wicked, ‘You will surely die;’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; that wicked man will die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”
- Matthew 14:3-4 For Herod had arrested John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
- Acts 20:26-27 Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men, for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
- Acts 24:24-26 But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.” Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore also he sent for him more often and talked with him.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (7 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is…
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
Ver. 18. {See Trapp on "Mat 14:3"} {See Trapp on "Mat 14:4"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain For John had said unto Herod,.... He had been…
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 Mat 14:4.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 18. For John had said] Herod was probably on…
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” (Luk_7:24), but boldly denounced the royal crimes (Luk_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).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 18, 19. For John said unto Herod. The…
Vers. 18, 19. For John said unto Herod. The Greek tense (elege) implies more than the simple expression, "he said;" it implies a repeated warning. We learn from St. Matthew (Mat_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.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain For John had said unto Herod.
Mar_6:18
For John had said unto Herod.
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The difficulty of wise rebuke
It is difficult to rebuke well; i.e., at a right time, in a right spirit, and in a right manner. The Baptist rebuked Herod without making him angry; therefore he must have rebuked him with gravity, temper, sincerity, and an evident goodwill towards him. On the other hand, he spoke so firmly, sharply, and faithfully, that his rebuke cost him his life He reproved him under the prospect of suffering for his faithfulness; and we should never use a strong word, however true it be, without being willing to acquiesce in some penalty or other, should it so happen, as the seal of our earnestness. (J. H. Newman.)
Rebuke of sin considered indelicate
I have always noticed that people who live in the practice of vice think the servants of God ought not to allude to things so coarse. We are allowed to denounce the sins of the man-in-the-moon and the vices of savages in the middle of Africa; but as to the everyday vices of this city of London, if we put our finger upon them in Gods name, then straightway someone cries, It is indelicate to allude to these things. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 wanted to kill him, but she could not
wanted to kill him, but she could not
Herodias is the subject of this phrase and "she" is a metonym as she wants someone else to execute John. AT: "she wanted someone to kill him, but she could not have him killed" (See: Metonymy)
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for Herod feared John; he knew
These two clauses can be linked differently to show more clearly why Herod feared John. AT: "for Herod feared John because he knew" (See: Connecting Words)
he knew that he was a righteous
"Herod knew that John was a righteous"
Listening to him
"Listening to John"
translationWords
John (the Baptist)
Herod Antipas
lawful
Herodias
righteous
holy
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 6:18 Mark gives the moral-religious reason for the imprisonment…
6:18 Mark gives the moral-religious reason for the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. Josephus refers to the political reason (fear that John’s great popularity might start a revolution; Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.2). Similarly, the religious reasons for Jesus’ condemnation (Mark 14:63-64) became political when he was brought before Pontius Pilate (15:2; Luke 23:2-3). • It is against God’s law: Not only was the relationship adulterous (Lev 20:10), but it violated the further law against marrying a brother’s wife (Lev 18:16; 20:21).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.