Herodias
Wife of Herod and Enemy of the Baptist
Wife of Herod Antipas whose grudge against John the Baptist cost him his head.
Mark 6 and Matthew 14 record Herodias, the unlawful wife of Herod Antipas, who took her from his brother Philip. John the Baptist rebuked the marriage and was bound for it.
Her Story
Herodias had a quarrel against John and would have killed him, but could not, for Herod feared him as a just and holy man. On Herod's birthday her daughter danced before the company; Herod swore to give her whatsoever she would ask. Instructed by her mother, she asked the head of John the Baptist in a charger. The king was sorry, but for his oath's sake commanded it given. The disciples took the body and laid it in a tomb.
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Unlawful wife of Herod (Mark 6:17-18)
- 2Held a grudge against John for rebuking her marriage
- 3Used her daughter to obtain John's beheading (6:21-28)
Key KJV Scriptures
Why It Matters
Where the word of God convicts, the unrepentant heart seeks the messenger's silence. Herodias is the dark mirror of every conscience that hates reproof.
Application for Today
Receive correction. The voice you silence in another may be God's last appeal to your own soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Herodias afterward?
Josephus records that Herod and Herodias were eventually banished to Gaul under the emperor Caligula — a quiet end for those who silenced the Baptist.
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