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John’s head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
Matthew 14:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother.
  • KJV And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
  • NKJV And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
  • NASB And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
  • NLT and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

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

John's head is brought on a platter to the girl, who gives it to her mother. The cruel scheme reaches its grim conclusion.

Overview

The severed head of John is delivered as requested and handed to Herodias. The chilling detail completes the account of vengeful malice satisfied. Yet even in this dark episode, John's faithfulness unto death stands vindicated before God, while Herod and Herodias bear the guilt of their crime.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Rev 16:6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
  • Ezek 35:6therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you.
  • Jer 22:17“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
  • Gen 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
  • Ezek 19:2–3and say: ‘What was your mother? A lioness among the lions! She lay down among the young lions; she reared her cubs.
  • Ezek 16:3–4and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
  • Prov 29:10Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life.
  • Rev 17:6I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.
  • Prov 27:4Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 14:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 14:11 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.