Herodias and Salome

Biblical Account

The story of Herodias and her daughter appears in Mark 6:14-29 and Matthew 14:1-12. Luke 3:19-20 mentions Herodias only briefly by name.

Herod Antipas, the tetrarch (a ruler over part of a territory divided by Rome) who governed Galilee, took as his wife Herodias, who had been the wife of his brother Philip. John the Baptist rebuked him, saying, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Mark 6:18), and Herod had John imprisoned. According to Mark, Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just man (Mark 6:19-20).

At Herod's birthday banquet, the daughter of Herodias danced and pleased Herod and his guests. Herod swore to give her whatever she asked, even to half of his kingdom, and the girl, after consulting her mother, asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod was grieved, but because of his oath and his guests he could not refuse, and he had John executed. John's disciples took up his body and buried it.

Significance within Scripture

The Gospels relate this event in connection with the scene in which Herod, hearing reports about Jesus, fears that John has risen from the dead. Mark places the episode between the sending out of the twelve disciples and their return. Many interpreters read it as foreshadowing the suffering that awaits those who proclaim the kingdom of God, and ultimately the death of Jesus. John's rebuke is understood to rest on the prohibition in Leviticus 18:16 against taking a brother's wife. Another widely known interpretation compares John to Elijah and Herod and Herodias to Ahab and Jezebel, who persecuted Elijah.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The daughter's name: The Bible refers to the daughter only as "the daughter of Herodias" or "the damsel." The name "Salome" comes from the Antiquities of the Jews by the first-century Jewish historian Josephus.
• The first husband: Josephus identifies Herodias's first husband as a different member of the Herodian family rather than Philip the tetrarch, and he reports that Salome later married Philip the tetrarch. Scholars differ in how they reconcile this with the "Philip" of the Gospels.
• Motive for the execution: Josephus writes that Herod put John to death out of concern that John's influence might lead to an uprising. He also reports that Herodias later went into exile with Herod.
• Later embellishments: The image of Salome as a sensual woman, including the so-called "Dance of the Seven Veils," is not found in the Bible. It was popularized by modern works of art such as Oscar Wilde's play Salome and Richard Strauss's opera. The biblical text does not describe the nature of the dance and calls the daughter a "damsel" (a young girl).

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, this passage is commonly treated with a focus on John the Baptist's courageous rebuke and martyrdom. Related themes include Herod's rash oath, his acting against his conscience to save face, and the sin that springs from resentment. John's example of confronting the wrongdoing of those in power is also sometimes cited in discussions of the relationship between the church and politics.