Mark 6:14

Herod Antipas was not really a king, "king" being a popular designation rather than an official title in his case. He was the tetrarch who was born in 20 B.C. and ruled over Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39, when he was banished to Gaul. Perea lay east of the Jordan River and south of the Decapolis. Its northern border was about half way between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, and its southern border was about half way between the north and south ends of the Dead Sea. The territory of Ammon lay to its east. Mark probably called Antipas a king because that is how the people in his territory spoke of him popularly. [Note: Taylor, p. 308.] It was natural for Mark, who was writing for Romans, to use this title since the Roman government used it to describe all eastern rulers. [Note: Bruce, 1:380.]

The antecedent of "it" (NASB) or "this" (NIV) seems to be the ministry of Jesus’ disciples (Mark 6:7-13). Their ministry focused on the identity of Jesus, which is the subject of this pericope. Interestingly, Jesus sent them on this mission even though their own understanding of His identity was still partial. He wanted them to share what they knew then even though they would understand more later.

Matthew recorded that Herod had heard the report concerning Jesus (Matthew 14:1), and Luke wrote that he heard of all that happened (Luke 9:7). These are complementary, not mutually exclusive descriptions. Herod heard about the ministry that Jesus was carrying on.

People were explaining Jesus’ miraculous powers in several different ways. Mark mentioned three. Some said John the Baptist had risen from the dead, and he was the person doing these miracles. John had not performed miracles before his death (John 10:41), so this view may have arisen from misinformation.

"John was a forerunner of Jesus in his birth, ministry, and death. Also the way people identified John the Baptist was as varied as the way they identified Jesus." [Note: Bailey, p. 77.]