Herod's (Antipas) having his birthday dinner for the nobility- (courtiers – sg) the senior offices of the army, and for the first men of Galilee (hoi prowtoi- Z &G leading men). I wonder who this last group included- Saducees? Or were they not Jews at all. I wonder what the proportion of Jews to non Jews was in Palestine at the time... The Romans like to govern- but not without input from the locals in many places- the Sanhedrin here in Palestine. It must have been a bit atypical- the Jews were a singular people. But the Sanhedrin was down south in Jerusalem.
Can't imagine too many particularly pious people at a party like this.
There all reclining at table and the daughter comes into dance and pleases them all with her dancing. Then comes the silly offer- ( who knows what was going through Herod's head). But the offer is accompanied with a strong oath- so that when it comes back and its not actually something that Herod thinks is a good idea at all- He doesn't have the courage to do the right thing and break his oaths- but is bound on an increasingly evil course by his public stupidity- the greater crime in his eyes was not to lose face.
Who you let influence you... Whoever the daughter is here- she was not choosing at all well- her mother was a snake.
How long was Herod deeply grieved for? The shame of the night before- I suppose some people repent- others live with guilt- and others give themselves to it so that the shame is eventually drowned out.
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