◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / 2 Samuel 6:1-5 12b-19 (David dances before the ark of God); Psalm 24 (The King of glory shall come in); Ephesians 1:3-14 (Chosen to live in praise of God); Mark 6:14-29 (The death of John the Baptist) (New English Translation)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

2 Samuel 6:1-5

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 David again assembled^[a] all the best^[b] men in Israel, 30,000 in number. ²David and all the men who were with him traveled^[c] to^[d] Baalah^[e] in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name^[f] of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. ³They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. ⁴They brought^[g] it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, ⁵while David and all Israel^[h] were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing^[i] and playing various stringed instruments,^[j] tambourines, rattles,^[k] and cymbals.

2 Samuel 6:12-19

¹²King David was told,^[a] “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. ¹³Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David^[b] sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. ¹⁴Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.^[c] ¹⁵David and all Israel^[d] were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.^[e]

¹⁶As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.^[f] ¹⁷They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place^[g] in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹⁹He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel,^[h] both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake,^[i] and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.^[j]

Psalm 24

Psalm 24^[a]

A psalm of David.

24 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
²For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established^[b] it upon the ocean currents.^[c]
³Who is allowed to ascend^[d] the mountain of the Lord?^[e]
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
⁴The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure,^[f]
who does not lie,^[g]
or make promises with no intention of keeping them.^[h]
⁵Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord,^[i]
and vindicated by the God who delivers them.^[j]
⁶Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him.^[k] (Selah)
⁷Look up,^[l] you gates.
Rise up,^[m] you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king^[n] will enter.^[o]
⁸Who is this majestic king?^[p]
The Lord who is strong and mighty.
The Lord who is mighty in battle.
⁹Look up, you gates.
Rise up, you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king will enter.
¹⁰Who is this majestic king?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies.^[q]
He is the majestic king. (Selah)

Footnotes

Psalm 24:1 sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.
Psalm 24:2 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
Psalm 24:2 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
Psalm 24:3 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
Psalm 24:3 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “the innocent of hands and the pure of heart.” The “hands” allude to one’s actions, the “heart” to one’s thought life and motives.
Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “who does not lift up for emptiness my life.” The first person pronoun on נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my life”) makes little sense here; many medieval Hebrew mss support the ancient versions in reading a third person pronoun “his.” The idiom “lift the life” here means to “long for” or “desire strongly.” In this context (note the reference to an oath in the following line) “emptiness” probably refers to speech (see Ps 12:2).
Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “and does not swear an oath deceitfully.”
Psalm 24:5 tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the Lord.” The singular subject is representative here, as v. 6 makes clear. The referent (godly people like the individual in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The imperfect verbal form is generalizing; such people are typically rewarded for their deeds.
Psalm 24:5 tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”
Psalm 24:6 tn Heb “this [is the] generation of the ones seeking him, the ones seeking your face, Jacob.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 27:8; 105:4).sn This verse presents a somewhat idealized view of Jacob’s descendants as devoted worshipers of the Lord.
Psalm 24:7 tn Heb “lift up your heads.” The gates of the Lord’s dwelling place are here personified. The idiom “lift up the head” often means “be confident, bold” (see Judg 8:28; Job 10:15; Ps 83:2; Zech 1:21).
Psalm 24:7 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”
Psalm 24:7 tn Or “king of glory.”
Psalm 24:7 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
Psalm 24:8 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.
Psalm 24:10 tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts,” a title which here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle.

Ephesians 1:3-14

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³Blessed^[a] is^[b] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed^[c] us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. ⁴For^[d] he chose us in Christ^[e] before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless^[f] before him^[g] in love.^[h] ⁵He did this by predestining^[i] us to adoption as his^[j] legal heirs^[k] through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure^[l] of his will— ⁶to the praise of the glory of his grace^[m] that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son.^[n] ⁷In him^[o] we have redemption through his blood,^[p] the forgiveness of our offenses,^[q] according to the riches of his grace ⁸that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. ⁹He did this when he revealed^[r] to us the mystery^[s] of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth^[t] in Christ,^[u] ¹⁰toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up^[v] all things in Christ—the things in heaven^[w] and the things on earth.^[x] ¹¹In Christ^[y] we too have been claimed as God’s own possession,^[z] since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope^[aa] on Christ,^[ab] would be to the praise of his glory. ¹³And when^[ac] you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ^[ad]—you were marked with the seal^[ae] of the promised Holy Spirit,^[af] ¹⁴who is the down payment^[ag] of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession,^[ah] to the praise of his glory.

Footnotes

Ephesians 1:3 sn Eph 1:3-14 comprises one long sentence in Greek, with three major sections. Each section ends with a note of praise for God (vv. 6, 12, 14), focusing on a different member of the Trinity. After an opening summary of all the saints’ spiritual blessings (v. 3), the first section (vv. 4-6) offers up praise that the Father has chosen us in eternity past; the second section (vv. 7-12) offers up praise that the Son has redeemed us in the historical past (i.e., at the cross); the third section (vv. 13-14) offers up praise that the Holy Spirit has sealed us in our personal past, at the point of conversion.
Ephesians 1:3 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (eulogētos), the author’s intention at this point in the epistle, and the literary genre of this material must all come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. As an adjective εὐλογητός can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb here and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb here and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response, which would favor the indicative. However, many scholars regard Eph 1:3-14 as a berakah psalm (cf. A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians [WBC], 10-11). Rooted in the OT and Jewish worship, berakah psalms were songs of praise in which the worshiper gave praise to God; this would favor the optative (although not all scholars are agreed on this genre classification here; see H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 153-59, for discussion and an alternate conclusion). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the indicative seems to fit all the factors better. The author seems to be pointing to who God is and what he has done for believers in this section; the indicative more naturally fits that emphasis. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.
Ephesians 1:3 tn Or “enriched,” “conferred blessing.”
Ephesians 1:4 tn Grk “just as.” Eph 1:3-14 are one long sentence in Greek that must be broken up in English translation. Verse 4 expresses the reason why God the Father is blessed (cf. BDAG 494 s.v. καθώς 3).
Ephesians 1:4 tn Grk “in him.”
Ephesians 1:4 sn The Greek word translated blameless (ἀμώμους, amōmous) is often translated “unblemished” when used of an acceptable sacrifice in the LXX. In the NT Christ our sacrifice is also said to be unblemished (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19). Since believers are in Christ, God views them positionally and will make them ultimately without blemish as well (Jude 24; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22).
Ephesians 1:4 tn Or “in his sight.”
Ephesians 1:4 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀγάπῃ (en agapē, “in love”) may modify one of three words or phrases: (1) “chose,” (2) “holy and unblemished,” both in v. 4, or (3) “by predestining” in v. 5. If it modifies “chose,” it refers to God’s motivation in that election, but this option is unlikely because of the placement of the prepositional phrase far away from the verb. The other two options are more likely. If it modifies “holy and unblemished,” it specifies that our holiness cannot be divorced from love. This view is in keeping with the author’s use of ἀγάπη to refer often to human love in Ephesians, but the placement of the prepositional phrase not immediately following the words it modifies would be slightly awkward. If it modifies “by predestining” (v. 5), again the motivation of God’s choice is love. This would fit the focus of the passage on God’s gracious actions toward believers. In Eph 3:17 the same prepositional phrase, ἐν ἀγάπῃ (en agapē, “in love”), occurs in the Greek text ahead of the participles it modifies, presumably for emphasis, and the same could be the case here.
Ephesians 1:5 tn Grk “by predestining.” Verse 5 begins with an aorist participle dependent on the main verb in v. 4 (“chose”). sn By predestining. The aorist participle may be translated either causally (“because he predestined,” “having predestined”) or instrumentally (“by predestining”). A causal nuance would suggest that God’s predestination of certain individuals prompted his choice of them. An instrumental nuance would suggest that the means by which God’s choice was accomplished was by predestination. The instrumental view is somewhat more likely in light of normal Greek syntax (i.e., an aorist participle following an aorist main verb is more likely to be instrumental than causal).
Ephesians 1:5 tn Grk “to himself” after “through Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 1:5 tn Grk “to adoption as sons.” The Greek term υἱοθεσία (huiothesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB, ESV), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as…legal heirs.”sn Adoption as his legal heirs is different from spiritual birth as children. All true believers have been born as children of God and will be adopted as legal heirs of God. The adoption is both a future reality, and in some sense, already true. To be “adopted as a son” means to have the full rights of a legal heir. Thus, although in the ancient world, only boys could be adopted as legal heirs, in God’s family all children—both male and female—are adopted in this way.
Ephesians 1:5 tn Or “good pleasure.”
Ephesians 1:6 tn Or “to the praise of his glorious grace.” Many translations translate δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ (doxēs tēs charitos autou, literally “of the glory of his grace”) with τῆς χάριτος as an attributed genitive (cf., e.g., NIV, NRSV, ESV). The translation above has retained a literal rendering in order to make clear the relationship of this phrase to the other two similar phrases in v. 12 and 14, which affect the way one divides the material in the passage.
Ephesians 1:6 tn Grk “the beloved.” The term ἠγαπημένῳ (ēgapēmenō) means “beloved,” but often bears connotations of “only beloved” in an exclusive sense. “His dearly loved Son” picks up this connotation.sn God’s grace can be poured out on believers only because of what Christ has done for them. Hence, he bestows his grace on us because we are in his dearly loved Son.
Ephesians 1:7 tn Grk “in whom” (the relative clause of v. 7 is subordinate to v. 6). The “him” refers to Christ.
Ephesians 1:7 sn In this context his blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, refers to the price paid for believers’ redemption, which is the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
Ephesians 1:7 tn Or “sins,” focusing on a violation of moral standards.
Ephesians 1:9 tn Or “He did this by revealing”; Grk “making known, revealing.” Verse 9 begins with a participle dependent on “lavished” in v. 8; the adverbial participle could be understood as temporal (“when he revealed”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “lavished,” or as means (“by revealing”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.
Ephesians 1:9 tn Or “secret.” In the NT μυστήριον (mustērion) refers to a divine secret previously undisclosed.
Ephesians 1:9 tn Or “purposed,” “publicly displayed.” Cf. Rom 3:25.
Ephesians 1:9 tn Grk “in him”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.sn In Christ. KJV has “in himself” as though the antecedent were God the Father. Although possible, the notion of the verb set forth (Greek προτίθημι, protithēmi) implies a plan that is carried out in history (cf. Rom 1:13; 3:25) and thus more likely refers to Christ.
Ephesians 1:10 tn The precise meaning of the infinitive ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι (anakephalaiōsasthai) in v. 10 is difficult to determine since it was used relatively infrequently in Greek literature and only twice in the NT (here and Rom 13:9). While there have been several suggestions, three deserve mention: (1) “To sum up.” In Rom 13:9, using the same term, the author there says that the law may be “summarized in one command, to love your neighbor as yourself.” The idea then in Eph 1:10 would be that all things in heaven and on earth can be summed up and made sense out of in relation to Christ. (2) “To renew.” If this is the nuance of the verb then all things in heaven and earth, after their plunge into sin and ruin, are renewed by the coming of Christ and his redemption. (3) “To head up.” In this translation the idea is that Christ, in the fullness of the times, has been exalted so as to be appointed as the ruler (i.e., “head”) over all things in heaven and earth (including the church). That this is perhaps the best understanding of the verb is evidenced by the repeated theme of Christ’s exaltation and reign in Ephesians and by the connection to the κεφαλή- (kephalē-) language of 1:22 (cf. Schlier, TDNT 3:682; L&N 63.8; M. Barth, Ephesians [AB 34], 1:89-92; contra A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians [WBC], 32-33).
Ephesians 1:10 tn Grk “in the heavens.”
Ephesians 1:10 sn And the things on earth. Verse 10 ends with “in him.” The redundancy keeps the focus on Christ at the expense of good Greek style. Verse 11 repeats the reference with a relative pronoun (“in whom”)—again, at the expense of good Greek style. Although the syntax is awkward, the theology is rich. This is not the first time that a NT writer was so overcome with awe for his Lord that he seems to have lost control of his pen. Indeed, it happened frequently enough that some have labeled their christologically motivated solecisms an “apostolic disease.”
Ephesians 1:11 tn Grk “in whom,” as a continuation of the previous verse.
Ephesians 1:11 tn Grk “we were appointed by lot.” The notion of the verb κληρόω (klēroō) in the OT was to “appoint a portion by lot” (the more frequent cognate verb κληρονομέω [klēronomeō] meant “obtain a portion, inherit”). In the passive, as here, the idea is that “we were appointed [as a portion] by lot” (BDAG 548 s.v. κληρόω 1). The words “God’s own” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this sense of the verb. An alternative interpretation is that believers receive a portion as an inheritance: “In Christ we too have been appointed a portion of the inheritance.” See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 226-27, for discussion on this interpretive issue.sn God’s own possession. Although God is not mentioned explicitly in the Greek text, it is clear from the context that he has chosen believers for himself. Just as with the nation Israel, the church is God’s chosen portion or possession (cf. Deut 32:8-9).
Ephesians 1:12 tn Or “who had already hoped.”
Ephesians 1:12 tn Or “the Messiah.”
Ephesians 1:13 tn Grk “in whom you also, when…” (continuing the sentence from v. 12).
Ephesians 1:13 tn Grk “in whom also having believed.” The relative pronoun “whom” has been replaced in the translation with its antecedent (“Christ”) to improve the clarity.
Ephesians 1:13 tn Or “you were sealed.”
Ephesians 1:13 tn Grk “the Holy Spirit of promise.” Here ἐπαγγελίας (epangelias, “of promise”) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
Ephesians 1:14 tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit.”sn Down payment. The Greek word ἀρραβών (arrabōn) denotes the first payment or first installment of money or goods which serves as a guarantee or pledge for the completion of the transaction. In the NT the term is used only figuratively of the Holy Spirit as the down payment of the blessings promised by God (it is used also in 2 Cor 1:22 and 5:5). In the “already—not yet” scheme of the NT the possession of the Spirit now by believers (“already”) can be viewed as a guarantee that God will give them the balance of the promised blessings in the future (“not yet”).
Ephesians 1:14 tn Grk “until the redemption of the possession.”

Mark 6:14-29

The Death of John the Baptist

¹⁴Now^[a] King Herod^[b] heard this, for Jesus’^[c] name had become known. Some^[d] were saying, “John the baptizer^[e] has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” ¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” ¹⁷For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod^[f] had married her. ¹⁸For John had repeatedly told^[g] Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”^[h] ¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But^[i] she could not ²⁰because Herod stood in awe of^[j] John and protected him, since he knew that John^[k] was a righteous and holy man. When Herod^[l] heard him, he was thoroughly baffled,^[m] and yet^[n] he liked to listen to John.^[o]

²¹But^[p] a suitable day^[q] came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. ²²When his daughter Herodias^[r] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” ²³He swore to her,^[s] “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^[t] ²⁴So^[u] she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother said,^[v] “The head of John the baptizer.”^[w] ²⁵Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request:^[x] “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” ²⁶Although it grieved the king deeply,^[y] he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. ²⁷So^[z] the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s^[aa] head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. ²⁸He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹When John’s^[ab] disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

Footnotes

Mark 6:14 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Mark 6:14 sn Herod was technically not a king, but a tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king. A tetrarch ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. In the NT, Herod, who ruled over Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
Mark 6:14 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 6:14 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Mark 6:14 tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).
Mark 6:17 tn Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.
Mark 6:18 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
Mark 6:18 sn It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. This was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
Mark 6:19 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Mark 6:20 tn Grk “was fearing,” “was respecting”; the imperfect tense connotes an ongoing fear or respect for John.
Mark 6:20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 6:20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 6:20 tc In place of ἠπόρει (ēporei, “he was baffled”) the majority of mss (A C D ƒ¹ 33 M lat sy) have ἐποίει (epoiei, “he did”; cf. KJV’s “he did many things.”) The best mss (א B L [W] Θ co) support the reading followed in the translation. The variation may be no more than a simple case of confusion of letters, since the two readings look very much alike. The verb ποιέω (poieō, “I do”) certainly occurs more frequently than ἀπορέω (aporeō, “I am at a loss”), so a scribe would be more likely to write a more familiar word. Further, even though the reading ἐποίει is the harder reading in terms of the sense, it is virtually nonsensical here, rendering it most likely an unintentional scribal error.tn Or “terribly disturbed,” “rather perplexed.” The verb ἀπορέω (aporeō) means “to be in perplexity, with the implication of serious anxiety” (L&N 32.9).
Mark 6:20 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “and yet” to indicate the concessive nature of the final clause.
Mark 6:20 tn Grk “him”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 6:21 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Mark 6:21 tn Grk “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.”
Mark 6:22 tc Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autou herōdiados), is supported by א B D L Δ 565; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (tēs thugatros autēs tēs herōdiados, “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ ƒ¹³ 33 M, but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by ƒ¹, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.
Mark 6:23 tc ‡ The witnesses here support several different readings: αὐτῇ πολλά (autē polla, “to her insistently”) is found in D Θ 565 700 it; πολλά is the reading of P^45vid 28; both words are lacking in L; and א A B C^2vid ƒ¹³ 33 M lat have just αὐτῇ. The best candidates for authenticity, on external grounds, are αὐτῇ πολλά and αὐτῇ. So the issue revolves around whether πολλά is part of the text. On the one hand, πολλά used adverbially is a distinctive Markanism (10 of the 16 NT instances are found in Mark; of the other Gospels, Matthew alone adds a single example [Matt 9:14]). It could be argued that such an unremarkable term would go unnoticed by the scribes, and consequently would not have been inserted in imitation of Mark’s style observed elsewhere. On the other hand, the largest cluster of instances of an adverbial πολλά are in Mark 5-6, with the most recent example coming just three verses earlier (Mark 5:23, 38, 43; 6:20). Scribes may well have imitated the usage so recently and so frequently seen. Further, the best Alexandrian witnesses, as well as good representatives of the Western and Byzantines texts, lack πολλά. On the whole, though a decision is difficult, it is probably best to read the text without πολλά. NA²⁸ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
Mark 6:23 sn The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”
Mark 6:24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
Mark 6:24 tn Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 6:24 tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark employs the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (though twice he does use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).
Mark 6:25 tn Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.
Mark 6:26 tn Grk “and being deeply grieved, the king did not want.”
Mark 6:27 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
Mark 6:27 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 6:29 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

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Psalm 24[a]

A psalm of David.

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Spiritual Blessings in Christ

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The Death of John the Baptist

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Psalm 24^[a]