Mark 6:23

THE MESSAGE

Just a Carpenter He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?" But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter—Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child." Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching. Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions: "Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. "And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave. "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way." Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits. King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. He said, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that's why he's able to work miracles!" Others said, "No, it's Elijah." Others said, "He's a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets." But Herod wouldn't budge: "It's John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he's back, alive." Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias's daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me anything. I'll give you anything you want." Carried away, he kept on, "I swear, I'll split my kingdom with you if you say so!"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

King James Version (1611)
And he sware vnto her, Whatsoeuer thou shalt aske of me, I will giue it thee, vnto the halfe of my kingdome.

King James Version
And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

English Standard Version
And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

New American Standard Bible
And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom."

New Century Version
He promised her, "Anything you ask for I will give to you—up to half of my kingdom."

Amplified Bible
And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom."

Legacy Standard Bible
And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom."

Berean Standard Bible
And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!"

Contemporary English Version
I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it."

Complete Jewish Bible
and he made a vow to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

Darby Translation
And he swore to her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask me I will give thee, to half of my kingdom.

Easy-to-Read Version
He promised her, "Anything you ask for I will give to you—even half of my kingdom."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sware vnto her, Whatsoeuer thou shalt aske of me, I will giue it thee, euen vnto the halfe of my kingdome.

George Lamsa Translation
And he swore to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give you, as much as half of my kingdom.

Good News Translation
With many vows he said to her, "I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!"

Lexham English Bible
And he swore to her, "Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!"

Literal Translation
And he swore to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give to you, up to half of my kingdom.

American Standard Version
And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

Bible in Basic English
And he took an oath, saying to her, Whatever is your desire I will give it to you, even half of my kingdom.

Hebrew Names Version
He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

International Standard Version
He swore with an oath to her, "I'll give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom."Esther 5:3,6; 7:2;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And he sware to her, Whatever thou shalt ask (of) me, I will give thee, unto the dividing of my kingdom.

Murdock Translation
And he swore to her: Whatever thou shalt ask, I will give thee, even to the half of my kingdom.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sware vnto her: Whatsoeuer thou shalt aske of me, I wyll geue it thee, euen vnto the one halfe of my kingdome.

English Revised Version
And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

World English Bible
He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he sware to her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask me, I will give thee, to the half my kingdom.

Weymouth's New Testament
He even swore to her, "Whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he swore to hir, That what euer thou axe, Y schal yyue to thee, thouy it be half my kyngdom.

Update Bible Version
And he emphatically swore to her, Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give it you, to the half of my kingdom.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he swore to her, Whatever thou shalt ask of me, I will give [it] thee, to the half of my kingdom.

New English Translation
He swore to her, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

New King James Version
He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

New Living Translation
He even vowed, "I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!"

New Life Bible
Then he made a promise to her, "Whatever you ask for, I will give it to you. I will give you even half of my nation."

New Revised Standard
And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and he took an oath to her - Whatsoever thou shalt ask me, I will give thee, unto half my kingdom.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he swore to her: Whatsoever thou shalt ask I will give thee, though it be the half of my kingdom.

Revised Standard Version
And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he sware vnto hyr whatsoever thou shalt axe of me I will geve it ye even vnto ye one halfe of my kyngdome.

Young's Literal Translation
and he sware to her -- `Whatever thou mayest ask me, I will give to thee -- unto the half of my kingdom.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sware vnto her: What soeuer thou shalt axe of me, I wil geue it the, euen vnto ye one half of my kyngdome.

Mace New Testament (1729)
nay, he ratified his promise with an oath, "I will give you whatever you require, said he, tho' it be even the half of my kingdom."

Simplified Cowboy Version
—even up to half of his kingdom!

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. He said, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that's why he's able to work miracles!" ¹⁵ Others said, "No, it's Elijah." Others said, "He's a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets." ¹⁶ But Herod wouldn't budge: "It's John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he's back, alive." ¹⁷Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. ²¹But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias's daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me anything. I'll give you anything you want." Carried away, he kept on, "I swear, I'll split my kingdom with you if you say so!" She went back to her mother and said, "What should I ask for?" "Ask for the head of John the Baptizer." Excited, she ran back to the king and said, "I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!" That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John's disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial. The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat. So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them. When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper." Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them." They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?" But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory." That didn't take long. "Five," they said, "plus two fish." Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper. As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray. Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits. Jesus was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid." As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn't understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts. They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat—that's all. And whoever touched him became well. ²³Just a Carpenter He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?" But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter—Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child." Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching. Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions: "Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. "And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave. "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way." Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits. King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. He said, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that's why he's able to work miracles!" Others said, "No, it's Elijah." Others said, "He's a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets." But Herod wouldn't budge: "It's John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he's back, alive." Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias's daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me anything. I'll give you anything you want." Carried away, he kept on, "I swear, I'll split my kingdom with you if you say so!" ²⁴ She went back to her mother and said, "What should I ask for?" "Ask for the head of John the Baptizer." ²⁵ Excited, she ran back to the king and said, "I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!" ²⁶That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John's disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he: 1 Samuel 28:10, 2 Kings 6:31, Matthew 5:34-37, Matthew 14:7

Whatsoever: Esther 5:3, Esther 5:6, Esther 7:2, Proverbs 6:2, Matthew 4:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 25:33 - Swear Leviticus 5:4 - to do evil Deuteronomy 23:23 - hast vowed Judges 21:1 - There 1 Kings 13:8 - If Proverbs 18:7 - his lips Ecclesiastes 5:2 - not rash Acts 23:12 - bound Acts 25:3 - desired

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he sware unto her,.... He added an oath to what he had before said, the more to confirm it, and to encourage her in her request, and which he repeated in stronger language:

whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom; :-.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. Unto the half of my kingdom. — A noble price for a dance! This extravagance in favour of female dancers has the fullest scope in the east, even to the present day. M. Anquetil du Perron, in the preliminary discourse to his Zend Avesta, p. 344 and 345, gives a particular account of the dancers at Surat. This account cannot be transcribed in a comment on the Gospel of God, however illustrative it might be of the conduct of Herodias and her daughter Salome: it is too abominable for a place here. He observes, that the rich vie with each other in the presents they make to the dancing girls of money and jewels; and that persons of opulence have even ruined themselves by the presents they made to those victims of debauch. He mentions a remarkable case, which may throw light on this passage: "That the dancer Laal-koner gained such a complete ascendancy over the Mogul Emperor Maaz-eddin, that he made her joint governess of the empire with himself."