Introduction
On May 10, 2024, while in that half-awake, half-sleep state when God often speaks to me, I heard the Lord say, “Seven Women of Sin in the New Testament”, indicating that I should write about these women and their outcomes. At the time, I did not even know that there were seven women who could be specifically identified as sinful in the New Testament, but as I began my study, I discovered exactly that number. Four of the sinful women ultimately had a good outcome, while the outcome of three of them was not so good. Let us learn from all of them.
Part I The Incestuous and Adulterous Mother-Daughter Duo of Death: Herodius and Salome Matt. 14:1-11; Mark 6:17-28; Luke 3:19-20
The first two women of this series are Herodias and Salome, a mother-daughter duo of death. Their story is based on the synoptic gospels, Wikipedia, Josephus the historian, Notes from the Matthew Henry Commentary, and Dake’s Annotated Bible. In Matthew 14:1-11 we find this presentation:
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless, for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Mark 6:17-28 presents their story in this way:
17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
26 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.
27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
Luke 3:19-20 tells their story in this way:
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus IV and Berenice, c15 BC-AD 39. She was the full sister of Herod V (King of Chalkis), Herod Agrippa (King of Judea), Aristobulus Minor, and Mariamne III (wife of Crown Prince Antiper). Her grandfather, Herod the Great, executed her father, Aristobulus IV, along with her uncle Alexander, then engaged her to Herod II, her half-uncle.
Antipater II, Herod the Great’s eldest son, was opposed to this marriage and plotted to poison his father, but was executed by his father, leaving Herod II, also known as Herod Phillip, as first in line. However, Herod the Great discovered that Mariamne, his wife and the mother of Herod II, knew about the plot to poison Herod the Great and did nothing to stop it. He divorced her and dropped Herod II from the line of succession just days before his death.
One daughter, Salome, was born to the marriage of Herodias and Herod II or Herod Phillip. Herodias divorced Herod Phillip and then married Herod Antipas, his half-brother. This Herod is best known for his role in the events that led to the execution of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.
Herodias hated John the Baptist for his bold and public opposition to her marriage to Herod Antipas and would have murdered him if she had the power to do so. However, her husband feared the multitude concerning John, (not God, the people), because they saw John as a prophet, a just and a holy man. He had John placed into prison where he lay for about a year and a half, but he did not have him killed until Herodias contrived her diabolical plan.
Herodias’s daughter, Jewish Princess Salome, danced at her stepfather the King’s birthday supper for him, his lords, high captains, and chief estates. She is thought to be about 12 years of age at the time of her infamous dance. The King and ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas, was so pleased with her performance, which was thought to be probably sensual, that he offered her whatever she wanted, even to half his kingdom. The daughter asked her mother what she should ask for, and Herodias saw her chance to kill John the Baptist. She instructed her daughter to ask for John’s head on a platter, which she did. Dake’s Annotated Commentary Note m, pg. 27, describes this act in this way:
What wickedness! This incestuous, bloody, adulterous, depraved mother! She was determined to rid herself and her husband of this troubler of conscience. Jerome says she was so wicked that after gloating over the head of John, she drew out his tongue and pierced it with a needle.
The Outcome of the Sins of Herodias and Salome. Having given his word to Salome, Herod Antipas felt that he had no choice but to honor what he said. With regret, he delivered John the Baptist’s head on a platter to Salome. The King’s decision to fulfill the request of Herodias through her daughter Salome caused John the Baptist to lose his life, Herodias to be guilty of murder by proxy, and Salome to also have her soul placed at risk for Hell for her role in the death of this great Man of God. Like mother-like daughter. Herodias and Salome will be forever remembered as the mother-daughter duo of death, responsible, along with Herod Antipas, for the death of, as Jesus Himself described him, the Greatest Prophet that ever lived, John the Baptist.