Mark 6 · Verse 18

Mark 6:18

For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
Mark 6:18, King James Version

Mark 6:18 in other translations

BSBFor John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”
WEBFor John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
ASVFor John said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
YLTfor John said to Herod--‘It is not lawful to thee to have the wife of thy brother;'
DARBYFor John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have the wife of thy brother.
BBEFor John said to Herod, It is wrong for you to have your brother's wife.
WebsterFor John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

What does Mark 6:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife--Noble fidelity! It was not lawful because Herod's wife and Herodias' husband were both living; and further, because the parties were within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity (see Le 20:21); Herodias being the daughter of Aristobulus, the brother of both Herod and Philip [Josephus, Antiquities, 18.5,4].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 18.

(i) "lawful" Lev 18:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 6:14-29

Herod feared John while he lived, and feared him still more when he was dead. Herod did many of those things which John in his preaching taught him; but it is not enough to do many things, we must have respect to all the commandments. Herod respected John, till he touched him in his Herodias. Thus many love good preaching, if it keep far away from their beloved sin. But it is better that sinners persecute ministers…

Read the full comment on Mark 6:14-29 →

Mark 6:18 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἔλεγενelegenWere sayingG3004
γὰρgarforG1063
ὁho<the>G3588
ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491
τῷtō<the>G3588
ἩρῴδῃHērōdēto HerodG2264
ὅτιhotithatG3754
οὐκoukNotG3756
ἔξεστίνexestinit is lawfulG1832
σοιsoifor youG4771
ἔχεινecheinto haveG2192
τὴνtēntheG3588
γυναῖκαgunaikawifeG1135
τοῦtouof theG3588
ἀδελφοῦadelphoubrotherG80
σου.souof you.G4771

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 6:18

  • 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.

  • Ezekiel 3:18-19

    When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

  • 1 Kings 22:14

    And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.

  • Matthew 14:3-4

    For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

  • Acts 24:24-26

    And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

  • Acts 20:26-27

    Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
It is.
Le 18:16; 20:21; 1Ki 22:14; Eze 3:18,19; Mt 14:3,4; Ac 20:26,27
Ac 24:24-26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 6:17

    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.

  • Mark 6:18

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

  • Mark 6:19

    Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Read all of Mark 6

Mark 6:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque Juan decía á Herodes: No te es lícito tener la mujer de tu hermano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car Jean disait à Hérode: Il ne t’est pas permis d’avoir la femme de ton frère.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn Johannes hatte dem Herodes gesagt: Es ist dir nicht erlaubt, das Weib deines Bruders zu haben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dicebat enim Joannes Herodi: Non licet tibi habere uxorem fratris tui.