Mark 6:18
New International Version
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

New Living Translation
John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.”

English Standard Version
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Berean Standard Bible
For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”

Berean Literal Bible
For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

King James Bible
For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

New King James Version
Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

New American Standard Bible
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

NASB 1995
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

NASB 1977
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Legacy Standard Bible
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Amplified Bible
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful [under Mosaic Law] for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Christian Standard Bible
John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”

American Standard Version
For John said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

English Revised Version
For John said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
John had been telling Herod, "It's not right for you to be married to your brother's wife."

Good News Translation
John the Baptist kept telling Herod, "It isn't right for you to marry your brother's wife!"

International Standard Version
John had been telling Herod, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Majority Standard Bible
For John had been telling Herod, ?It is not lawful for you to have your brother?s wife!?

NET Bible
For John had repeatedly told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

New Heart English Bible
For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Webster's Bible Translation
For John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Weymouth New Testament
For John had repeatedly told Herod, "You have no right to be living with your brother's wife."

World English Bible
For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother”;

Berean Literal Bible
For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Young's Literal Translation
for John said to Herod -- 'It is not lawful to thee to have the wife of thy brother;'

Smith's Literal Translation
For John said to Herod, That it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For John was saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

New American Bible
John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

New Revised Standard Version
For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to marry your brother’s wife.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For Yohannan had said to Herodus, “It is not lawful for you to take the wife of your brother.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.

Godbey New Testament
For John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have the wife of thy brother.

Haweis New Testament
For John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother?s wife.

Mace New Testament
upon which John told him, "it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Weymouth New Testament
For John had repeatedly told Herod, "You have no right to be living with your brother's wife."

Worrell New Testament
For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Worsley New Testament
For John had said to Herod, it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Beheading of John
17For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. 18For John had been telling Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” 19So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable,…

Cross References
Matthew 14:3-4
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, / because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

Luke 3:19-20
But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, / Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

Leviticus 18:16
You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.

Leviticus 20:21
If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.

Matthew 5:32
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 19:9
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

1 Corinthians 5:1
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Malachi 2:14-16
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. / Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. / “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.


Treasury of Scripture

For John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.

It is.

Leviticus 18:16
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.

Leviticus 20:21
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

1 Kings 22:14
And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.

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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.














For John had been telling Herod
This phrase introduces us to the boldness and prophetic courage of John the Baptist. The Greek verb used here, "ἔλεγεν" (elegen), is in the imperfect tense, indicating a continuous or repeated action. John persistently confronted Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, about his unlawful marriage. This reflects John's unwavering commitment to truth and righteousness, even in the face of powerful opposition. Historically, Herod Antipas was known for his moral and political complexities, and John's confrontation highlights the prophetic role of calling leaders to account.

It is not lawful
The phrase "οὐκ ἔξεστιν" (ouk exestin) translates to "it is not lawful," emphasizing the legal and moral dimensions of John's rebuke. This statement is rooted in the Jewish Law, specifically Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21, which prohibit a man from marrying his brother's wife. John's declaration underscores the importance of adhering to God's commandments, regardless of one's status or power. It serves as a reminder that divine law supersedes human authority and that moral integrity is paramount.

for you to have your brother’s wife
This phrase directly addresses the sin of Herod Antipas, who had taken Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, as his own. The Greek word "ἔχειν" (echein), meaning "to have," implies possession and an ongoing relationship, highlighting the continuous nature of the sin. Herodias's marriage to Herod Antipas was not only a violation of Jewish law but also a scandalous act that defied social and familial norms of the time. This situation illustrates the broader theme of the corrupting influence of power and the moral decay that can accompany it. John's fearless denunciation of this union serves as a powerful example of standing firm in one's convictions and the call to uphold God's standards in all aspects of life.

Verses 18, 19. - For John said unto Herod. The Greek tense (ἔλεγε) implies more than the simple expression, "he said;" it implies a repeated warning. We learn from St. Matthew (Matthew 14:5) that Herod would have killed John before, but he feared the people. Here St. Mark says that Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him; and she could not; for Herod feared John. There is no contradiction between the two evangelists. The case appears to have been this: that at first Herod desired to put John to death, because John had reproved him on account of Herodias. But by degrees John gained an influence over Herod by the force of his character, and by his holy life and teaching.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

John
Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2491: Of Hebrew origin; Joannes, the name of four Israelites.

had been telling
ἔλεγεν (elegen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

Herod,
Ἡρῴδῃ (Hērōdē)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2264: Compound of heros and eidos; heroic; Herod, the name of four Jewish kings.

“It is not lawful
ἔξεστίν (exestin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1832: It is permitted, lawful, possible.

for you
σοι (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

to have
ἔχειν (echein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

brother’s
ἀδελφοῦ (adelphou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

wife!”
γυναῖκα (gynaika)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.


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