Mark 6:26

26 And [although he] was deeply grieved, the king, because of his oaths and {dinner guests}, did not want to refuse her.

Mark 6:26 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 6:26

And the king was exceeding sorry
(See Gill on Matthew 14:9)

yet for his oath's sake, [and] for their sakes which sat with him;
as Matthew adds, "at meat", ( Matthew 14:9 ) ; for it seems as if supper was not over, when all this was transacting.

He would not reject her;
deny her her request, or send her away without granting it which could not be without grieving her, and treating her with contempt, and defrauding her of the promise; all which ideas are expressed by some versions.

Mark 6:26 In-Context

24 And she went out [and] said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king [and] asked, saying, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately."

26 And [although he] was deeply grieved, the king, because of his oaths and {dinner guests}, did not want to refuse her.

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner [and] ordered [him] to bring his head. And he went [and] beheaded him in the prison.

28 And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

Footnotes

• [a] *Here "[although]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("was") which is understood as concessive
• [b] Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [c] Literally "those who were reclining at table"