The Bible doesn’t reveal much about Herodias, the woman who sought to kill John the Baptist, but her tale is as old as time. Confronted with her sin, she had two choices: to repent and turn to God or ignore her sin and be destroyed by it. Not only did she choose to ignore it, but she also lashed out at the one calling out her transgression and silenced him. The challenge to her lifestyle and choices was gone once John was killed, but little did she know that the One true God she ignored held her eternal life in His hands.
Who Were Herodias and Her Husband, Herod Antipas?
Again, the Bible tells us little about Herod Antipas, but much of what is written relates to his questionable marriage to Herodias and the resulting clash with John the Baptist. We need some background information on these two dysfunctional people and their lineage to better understand them and their story.
The dynasty’s patriarch was King Herod, also known as Herod I or Herod the Great. Rome appointed him as king of Judea, a client state of the Roman Empire. As such, he was charged with keeping the peace and collecting taxes for Caesar. He descended from a family of Jewish converts, not from one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Herod the Great had a less-than-stellar reputation. When he first appears in the Bible, he has been visited by the Magi, who tell him that a king of the Jews is soon to be born. So Herod ordered the slaughter all boys under age two to ensure his reign would continue (Matthew 2:16).
Slaughtering children was not a one-off event for Herod. The whole extended family was of questionable morals and accomplishments. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says, “The history of the Herodian family is not lacking in elements of greatness, but whatever these elements were and in whomsoever found, they were in every case dimmed by the insufferable egotism which disfigured the family, root, and branch.”
It’s difficult to keep track of Herod’s family line because he had five wives, many children who were half-siblings to each other, and often people were called more than one name. But we know that Herod Antipas and Herod Archelaus were born to Herod the Great’s wife, Malthace.
Before Herod died, he murdered one of his sons by another wife—Aristobulus. He then married off the murdered son’s daughter, Herodias, to her half-uncle Phillip. After he died, the kingdom was divided between the remaining children: Antipas, Archelaus, their half-brother Phillip (mothered by Cleopatra—not the Egyptian one), and his daughter Salome (not the one involved in John the Baptist’s death).
At some point, Antipas and Herodias divorced their spouses and married each other. According to historian Josephus, Herodias “had a daughter, Salome; after whose birth Herodias took upon her to confound the laws of our country, and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive, and was married to Herod [Antipas], her husband’s brother.”
Why Did John the Baptist End Up in Herod’s Prison?
God appointed John the Baptist to preach repentance and prepare hearts for the coming Messiah, a once-for-all sacrifice for sins. John lived an unusual ascetic life in the wilderness and was extremely vocal in rebuking people regarding their sins.
John was especially disturbed that Antipas and Herodias had committed adultery in their respective divorces and subsequent remarriage. He repeatedly told Antipas, “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Matthew 14:4).
Was John’s concern simply that they had left their spouses and remarried one another? Or was the greater concern that Antipas “took” Herodias from his brother while he was still alive? It was lawful for a woman to marry her husband’s brother after his death, but Phillip was still alive–strike two (Deuteronomy 25:5). Last but not least, they were related by blood through Herod the Great—strike three. Herodias was his granddaughter, and Antipas was one of his sons by another wife than Herodias’ mother, but that still makes it a blood relation. No wonder John was so vocal.
Herod planned to kill John, “but he was afraid of the people because they considered him a prophet” (Matthew 14:5). Instead, he had him arrested, bound, and imprisoned.
From then on, Herodias “nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him” (Mark 6:17-19). But she could not convince Herod Antipas because he feared and protected John—he knew that John was holy and had something that Antipas didn’t, despite his wealth and power.
How Did Herodias Arrange for Herod to Kill John the Baptist?
Matthew and Mark’s books tell the story of a banquet held in honor of Herod Antipas’ birthday. Here Herodias took advantage of her anger and inability to eliminate the Baptizer.
She knew that Antipas had great affection for his stepdaughter Salome and suggested Salome dance for her stepfather. He was so taken with her– in one way or another—and said, “‘Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.’” And he promised her with an oath, ‘Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom’” (Mark 6:22-23).
This was Herodias’ chance. Salome asked her mother what she should ask of Antipas, and Herodias responded, “‘The head of John the Baptist,’ she answered” (Mark 6:24). Antipas was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn’t show fear in ordering John’s execution in front of his guests, and he couldn’t go back on the promise he made to Salome. So according to Herodias’ wishes, he was beheaded, and his head was brought to Antipas on a dinner platter.
The apple didn’t fall far from the Herodian family tree: she thought nothing of ordering a gruesome execution during a party.
“With what vigor and fearlessness the Baptist pressed his demand for righteousness is shown by his stern reproof of the sin of Herod and Herodias, which led to his imprisonment and finally to his death.” Though John sounded like he might have doubted God’s will in prison, his message to Antipas didn’t change from the dungeon: repent, for the kingdom of God is near.
Though Antipas would rule for 42 years, his end was not glamorous. Due to more family infighting and position-grabbing, some at the suggestion of his wife Herodias, he ended up in the crosshairs of Caligula (Caesar), who had him and Herodias exiled to Gaul in 39 AD. Nothing else can be found about their lives after this point.
What Can We Learn from the Story of Herodias?
One thing we can learn from the story of Herodias is that dysfunction breeds dysfunction, especially when there is no regard for human life.
She knew that her grandfather, Herod the Great, was so greedy and power-hungry that he slaughtered children and had her father murdered. Was she used to this behavior, or was she so shocked that she began to harden her heart toward everyone? She was forced to marry her half-uncle, likely tantamount to sexual abuse. But she gets out of the situation, divorcing Phillip and marrying Antipas. Did she love him so much, or was he the lesser of evils or more powerful?
We can also learn, “Be sure your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). When John the Baptist called Herodias and her husband adulterers, she thought she could ignore it. Then she thought she could get rid of the problem. Of course, she discovered that her power and fame were worthless once she died without a Savior.
Photo Credit: 1843 Herodias painting by Paul Delaroche via Wikimedia Commons
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
How Did the Apostle Paul Die?
Who are the Nicolaitans in Revelation?
Who Was Deborah in the Bible?
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
King Solomon's Story in the Bible
Who Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?
Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?
Who Was the Prodigal Son?
