King James Version

What Does Mark 6:14 Mean?

Mark 6:14 in the King James Version says “And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dea...” — study this verse from Mark chapter 6 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.”

Mark 6:14 · KJV

Context

12

And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

13

And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

14

And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

15

Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

16

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. The narrative shifts to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, whose guilty conscience interprets Jesus' ministry through lens of his own sin. 'King Herod heard of him' (Ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης, Ēkousen ho basileus Hērōdēs)—technically Herod Antipas was tetrarch, not king, but popularly called king. Jesus' fame 'spread abroad' (φανερὸν γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, phaneron gar egeneto to onoma autou)—literally 'His name became manifest'—due to the disciples' widespread mission and Jesus' own miracles.

Herod's guilty response: 'John the Baptist was risen from the dead' (Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν, Iōannēs ho baptizōn egēgertai ek nekrōn) reveals his tormented conscience. Having murdered John (vv. 17-29), Herod feared supernatural retribution—John returned from death to haunt him. The phrase 'mighty works show forth themselves in him' (αἱ δυνάμεις ἐνεργοῦσιν ἐν αὐτῷ, hai dynameis energousin en autō) attributed Jesus' miracles to John's resurrection power. This shows how guilt distorts perception—Herod couldn't properly evaluate Jesus because his conscience accused him over John's murder. Sin creates spiritual blindness preventing proper understanding of Christ.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Herod Antipas (4 BC-AD 39) ruled Galilee and Perea under Roman oversight. Son of Herod the Great (who slaughtered Bethlehem infants), he inherited his father's political cunning and moral corruption. Josephus (Antiquities 18.5.2) confirms Herod imprisoned and executed John the Baptist, corroborating Mark's account. The execution occurred at Machaerus fortress east of Dead Sea. Herod's superstitious fear of John's resurrection reflected common beliefs about ghosts and supernatural retribution—not orthodox Jewish resurrection theology but popular superstition. The belief that murdered persons' spirits could return to haunt killers was widespread in ancient Mediterranean world. Herod's interpretation of Jesus as resurrected John shows how completely he misunderstood both men's identities and missions. This confusion persisted among others (Mark 8:28), illustrating how political guilt and spiritual blindness prevented proper recognition of Christ. Later, when Jesus stood trial before Herod (Luke 23:8-12), Herod treated Him as curiosity, not Savior—moral compromise creates spiritual insensitivity.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Herod's guilty conscience distorting his perception of Jesus warn about sin's power to blind us to spiritual truth?
  2. What does Herod's superstitious fear rather than genuine repentance teach about ineffective guilt that doesn't lead to salvation?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 28 words
καὶ1 of 28

“And”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

ἤκουσεν2 of 28

“heard”

G191

to hear (in various senses)

ὁ3 of 28
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

βασιλεὺς4 of 28

“king”

G935

a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively)

Ἡρῴδης5 of 28

“Herod”

G2264

heroic; herod, the name of four jewish kings

φανερὸν6 of 28

“spread abroad”

G5318

shining, i.e., apparent (literally or figuratively); neuter (as adverb) publicly, externally

γὰρ7 of 28

“of him (for”

G1063

properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)

ἐγένετο8 of 28

“was”

G1096

to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)

τὸ9 of 28
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

ὄνομα10 of 28

“name”

G3686

a "name" (literally or figuratively) (authority, character)

αὐτῷ11 of 28

“him”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

καὶ12 of 28

“And”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

ἔλεγεν13 of 28

“he said”

G3004

properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an

ὅτι14 of 28

“That”

G3754

demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because

Ἰωάννης15 of 28

“John”

G2491

joannes (i.e., jochanan), the name of four israelites

ὁ16 of 28
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

βαπτίζων17 of 28

“the Baptist”

G907

to immerse, submerge; to make whelmed (i.e., fully wet); used only (in the new testament) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordi

ἐκ18 of 28

“from”

G1537

a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct

νεκρῶν19 of 28

“the dead”

G3498

dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun)

ἠγέρθη,20 of 28

“was risen”

G1453

to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e., rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from

καὶ21 of 28

“And”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

διὰ22 of 28

“therefore”

G1223

through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)

τοῦτο23 of 28
G5124

that thing

ἐνεργοῦσιν24 of 28

“do shew forth themselves”

G1754

to be active, efficient

αἱ25 of 28
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

δυνάμεις26 of 28

“mighty works”

G1411

force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself)

ἐν27 of 28

“in”

G1722

"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc

αὐτῷ28 of 28

“him”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Mark. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Mark 6:14 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Mark 6:14 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Luke 9:7-9Mark 6:14-29Mark 8:28Luke 23:7-12Luke 13:31Matthew 14:1-12

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