HARBORING  A  GRUDGE

TRANSLATING MARK 6:19

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Harboring a Grudge.”

Our New American Bible - the NAB - the one we use here for everyday Mass - translates Mark 6:19 - from the Greek - this way: “Herodias harbored  a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.”

“Harboring a grudge.” Now that’s a picturesque English translation of the Greek - Mark 6: 19.

The Jerusalem Bible translates it this way, “As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to….”

Another translation: “And Herodias set herself against him and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to do so.”

Another translation: “But Herodias  held it against him, and wished to kill him, and was not able.”

The New English Bible, NEB: ‘Thus Herodias nursed a grudge against him and would willingly have killed him, but she could not.”

The King James Bible,  “Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not.”

The Phillips translation: “Herodias herself was furious with him for this and wanted to have him executed, but she could not do it.”

The Living Bible, which paraphrases the translation,  put it this way, "Herodias wanted  John killed in revenge, but without Herod’s approval was powerless.”

The Good News Bible: “So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod.”

The New  Revised Standard Version - NRSV - “And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not….”

So “harboring a grudge” seems to be a good translation.

The Greek word used - “eneichen” - from the Greek verb “enecho” - is the only place in the Gospels - that this verb is used. Looking at all these translations, I would think “harboring a grudge” or “having a grudge” or “possessing a grudge” or “to have it in for someone” are good English translations.

NEXT - A POETIC WAY OF POSSESSING THIS TEXT

I don’t have a dog. I don’t want to have a dog. I couldn’t stand having the responsibility of having to take a dog outside for you know what - at different times of the day. Ugh.  I have enough things I am not doing that I’m supposed to be doing.

I see people with their dog - holding that leash - walking along near trees, lawns and bushes.

I picture every person on this planet - having at least one grudge - on a leash.  In other words, every person has  a dog name “Grudge” on a leash.

It’s a pit bull or a Doberman or a bulldog that barks….

We feed it, We pet it. We keep it in the dog house in our mind.

It could be what a parent or a teacher said to us 35 years ago. It could be a moment when we were dropped, dumped, fired from a job or a lover or a spouse or a child. It could be a resentment, a regret, a should have, a could have….

We all know our pet peeves - our major mistake or hurt or inner barker or growler.

And like Herodias - something is holding us back - our Herod - a voice that gives a treat to that grudge - that we might be a bit wrong about the fairness of our b [a five letter word we can’t use in the pulpit. Isn’t that another name for a dog?]

But sometimes we let that leash go and our grudge chops another person’s head off.

CONCLUSION

I hope now we know a bit more about Mark 6:19.