And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.
Parallel translations
- WEB The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.
- KJV And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
- BSB The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.
- NASB And although the king was very sorry, because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.
- NLT Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Herod was deeply grieved but, fearing loss of face before his guests, would not refuse. It warns that fear of man can override conscience and lead to grave evil.
Overview
Herod knew the request was wicked and felt genuine sorrow, yet he valued his reputation and his rash oaths above an innocent man's life. The fear of man proves a snare (Proverbs 29:25), driving him to do what he knew was wrong. His sorrow without repentance only deepened his guilt.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Matt 27:3–5Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
- Matt 14:9The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
- Matt 27:24–25So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 6:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.