The Meaning of Mark 6:26 Explained

Mark 6:26

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.

YLT: And the king -- made very sorrowful -- because of the oaths and of those reclining (at meat) with him, would not put her away,

Darby: And the king, while made very sorry, on account of the oaths and those lying at table with him would not break his word with her.

ASV: And the king was exceeding sorry; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat, he would not reject her.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Mark 6:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 6:21-29 - Martyrdom Of A Witness-Bearer
Better the dungeon with John than the palace with Herod, for conscience filled the palace with the ghost of the murdered Baptist! A woman brought Herod to that. How careful women should be of the influence they exert over men; how careful men should be of yielding to any but the noblest influence! This family was eaten with lust, usually coupled with cruelty. No vice ever dwells alone. John the Baptist had a brief and tortuous career; for a few months the central figure of the nation, and then hurled down into the darkness of the dungeon, like some extinguished torch. No wonder that his specter haunted the heart of Herod, who thought that in Jesus he had become reincarnate. The messenger may fall, but the message is taken up and passed on by a thousand lips. Notice the contrast between John's end and that of our Lord. In John's case the disciples who had hearkened to his every word dispersed. The head had fallen, and the members were scattered. None thought of proclaiming their departed leader as still the living head and center of the movement he had set on foot. But when our Lord died, His true influence over men began. Up to that time he had been the Jewish rabbi; thenceforward he became the Redeemer of the world. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 6

1  Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country
7  He gives the twelve power over unclean spirits
14  Various opinions of Jesus
16  John the Baptist is imprisoned, beheaded, and buried
30  The apostles return from preaching
34  The miracle of five loaves and two fishes
45  Jesus walks on the sea;
53  and heals all who touch him

Greek Commentary for Mark 6:26

He would not reject her [ουκ ητελησεν ατετησαι αυτην]
He was caught once again between his conscience and his environment. Like many since his day the environment stifled his conscience. [source]
Exceeding sorry []
Where Matthew has sorry. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 6:26

John 12:48 Rejecteth [ατετων]
Present active participle of ατετεω — atheteō late Koiné verb (from ατετος — athetos α — a privative, and τιτημι — tithēmi), to render null and void, only here in John, but see Mark 6:26; Mark 7:9. One that judgeth him Articular present active participle of κρινω — krinō See same idea in John 8:50; John 12:47. The same “That” very word of Christ which one rejects will confront him and accuse him to the Father “at the last day” There is no escaping it. And yet Jesus himself will bear witness for or against the one whose conduct has already revealed his attitude towards the message of God (Matthew 10:32; Luke 12:8.). [source]
1 Timothy 5:12 They have cast off their first faith [τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν]
Ἁθετεῖν is to set aside, do away with, reject or slight. See Mark 6:26; Luke 10:16; Hebrews 10:28. Often in lxx. Πίστιν is pledge: so frequently in Class. with give and receive. See, for instance, Plato, Phaedr. 256 D. In lxx, Galatians href="/desk/?q=ga+3:15&sr=1">Galatians 3:15, διαθήκην ἀθετεῖν torender a covenant void. In lxx with oath, 2 Chronicles 36:13. Psalm 14:4: “He that sweareth to his neighbor καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν. ” Psalm 88:34; 131:11; 1 Maccabees 6:62. The meaning here is, having broken their first pledge; and this may refer to a pledge to devote themselves, after they became widows, to the service of Christ and the church. The whole matter is obscure. [source]
Hebrews 7:18 A disannulling [ατετησις]
Late word from ατετεω — atheteō (alpha privative and τιτημι — tithēmi), to set aside (Mark 6:26), in N.T. only here and Hebrews 9:26. Common in the papyri in a legal sense of making void. Involved in μετατεσις — metathesis (change in Hebrews 7:12). Foregoing Present active participle of προαγω — proagō to go before (1 Timothy 1:18). Because of its weakness Neuter abstract adjective with article for quality as in Hebrews 7:7 with δια — dia and accusative case for reason. Unprofitableness Old compound (alpha privative and οπελος — ophelos) useless, and neuter singular like αστενες — asthenes In N.T. only here and Titus 3:9. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 6:26 mean?

And encompassingly sorrowful having been made the king on account of the oaths those reclining with [him] not was he willing to refuse her
Καὶ περίλυπος γενόμενος βασιλεὺς διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους τοὺς ἀνακειμένους οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἀθετῆσαι αὐτήν

περίλυπος  encompassingly  sorrowful 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: περίλυπος  
Sense: very sad, exceedingly sorrowful.
γενόμενος  having  been  made 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
βασιλεὺς  king 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
διὰ  on  account  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
ὅρκους  oaths 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅρκος  
Sense: that which has been pledged or promised with an oath.
τοὺς  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνακειμένους  reclining  with  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνάκειμαι  
Sense: to lie at a table, eat together, dine.
ἠθέλησεν  was  he  willing 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
ἀθετῆσαι  to  refuse 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀθετέω  
Sense: to do away with, to set aside, disregard.
αὐτήν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.

What are the major concepts related to Mark 6:26?

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