And she came in immediately with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that you give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.
All Commentaries on Mark 6:25 Go To Mark 6
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
I will that forthwith thou give me in a dish the head of John the Bapist. You will say, John the Baptist was not, then, a martyr, because Herod slew him not because of his faith, nor because of his rebuking him for his adultery, but for the sake of pleasing this dancing girl, and fulfilling his promise. I answer by denying the conclusion. For, 1This girl asked the head of John at the instigation of her mother, who wished to cut off John for reproving her adultery. Herodias, therefore, was the virtual cause of John"s death, because she impelled Herod to behead him2nd Herod assented to her. Knowing the malignant disposition of his wife, he gave way to her, and killed John 3Herod himself desired to kill John , as Matthew says expressly ( Matthew 14:5); but he did not dare to do it through fear of the people, who made great count of John as a holy man. Lastly, many are of opinion that probably all was done collusively and of set purpose—namely, that Herod had suggested to Herodias that she should send her dancing daughter in to supper, and that she should ask for the head of John; that thus he might have from his promise a colourable pretext for killing him; and that this is the reason why Christ calls him a fox ( Luke 13:32). S. John , therefore, was a victim of chastity, because he died a martyr for it, like S. Paul, S. Matthew , S. Clement, and many others.
Moreover, S. Gregory Nazianzen assigns a loftier cause for the early death of John from the hidden counsel of God (Orat20). "Who," saith Hebrews , "was the precursor of Jesus? John , as a voice of speech, as a lantern of light; before Whom also he leapt forth in strength, and was sent forward to Hades by Herod, that there likewise he might preach Him who was shortly to come." The same Nazianzen (Orat39) teaches that S. John , by the spirit of prophecy, was aware of this his martyrdom. For he says, "I ought, 0 Christ, to be baptized by Thee; yes, and for Thee." For he had found out that he was to be baptized by martyrdom. For he knew what was to come; that as after Herod Pilate would reign, so Christ would follow him after life was over.
