Vows Can Kill People

March 16

Herod was a family name. It’s easy to be confused regarding the Herods because sometimes they were referred to simply as Herod. Herod the Great, Antipas’ father, was the one who had every two-year-old boy killed when the Magi asked about Jesus’ birth as the King of the Jews. (Matthew 2:16) I guess fruit doesn’t fall very far from the tree!

Herod Antipas was an evil man, just like his father. Antipas married the wife of his half-brother Herod-Philip. John the Baptizer confronted Antipas about his illegal marriage, so Antipas put John in prison. His wife, Herodias, despised John because of his accusations, and that became a turning point in this story.

Mark 6 tells us that Antipas was entertaining guests at a banquet one evening, and his step-daughter performed a dance for his guests. The guests consisted of his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. Antipas was so impressed by his daughter-in-law’s dance performance that he promised under oath to give her anything she wished, up to half of his kingdom. She immediately went to her mother and asked what her request should be. Seeing the opportunity, Herodias, her mother, took her revenge against John and told her daughter to ask for John’s head on a platter. Herodias’ husband granted her request because he’d made a vow before his distinguished guests. To not grant her the request would make him look weak. So, Herod issued the execution decree. Within a few moments, John’s head was delivered to Herodias’ daughter on a platter.

Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, “Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.” Antipas preferred to keep his vow, even though he respected John and protected him—until he didn’t.

Herod’s foolish vow reminds us of yet another foolish one in Judges 10:30–31. The judge Jephthah made a vow that if God would grant him victory over the Ammonites, then he would offer Him a burnt sacrifice of whatever/whoever came out of his house. When he arrived home, his only child—a daughter—came out to greet him. He didn’t even consider asking for God’s forgiveness. Shockingly, he made good on his vow.

Of course, human sacrifices were prohibited by God, and surely the Lord would have excused Jephthah’s rash vow. (Leviticus 20:1–5) And, if Antipas was an honorable man, he would have limited his promise or renounced his vow. But, alas, Antipas was not an honorable man.

Application

Even though we are under the New Covenant, God has not changed His mind. He still takes vows seriously but, under the New Covenant, He has provided a covering for foolish vows and every sin we commit.

Praise be to God!

Have you made any foolish vows? Do you need to seek God’s forgiveness for one?

© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman