The Name Revealed and the Fear It Stirred: Herod’s Misjudgment in Mark 6:14

Καὶ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης· φανερὸν γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔλεγεν ὅτι Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων ἐκ νεκρῶν ἠγέρθη, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐνεργοῦσιν αἱ δυνάμεις ἐν αὐτῷ.
(Mark 6:14)

Fame, Fear, and False Theology

Mark 6:14 marks a turning point in the narrative as Herod hears about Jesus and responds with confused superstition. Through a blend of imperfect narration, historical present, and causal reasoning, Mark’s Greek shows how misidentification can reveal the deep unease of a guilty conscience.

This article explores:

• The aorist verb ἤκουσεν and Herod’s reaction
• The explanatory clause φανερὸν γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ
• The imperfect ἔλεγεν and the psychological present
• The theological misunderstanding in Ἰωάννης… ἠγέρθη and ἐνεργοῦσιν αἱ δυνάμεις

ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης – Herod Heard

The verse opens with the aorist verb ἤκουσεν, from ἀκούω (“to hear”).

Grammatical Insight:

• ἤκουσεν – aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
• The subject: ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης, “King Herod”

The aorist marks a completed event: Herod hears of Jesus’ growing reputation. This moment initiates the narrative flashback that follows.

φανερὸν γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ – His Name Had Become Known

This clause explains why Herod hears—it’s a causal clause with emphatic placement of φανερὸν.

Structural Breakdown:

• φανερὸν – predicate adjective, “known,” “revealed,” placed first for emphasis
• ἐγένετο – aorist middle indicative of γίγνομαι, “became”
• τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ – subject phrase, “his name” (i.e., Jesus)

The phrase suggests growing fame. Jesus’ identity had become visible, spoken of, and widely recognized—yet ironically still misunderstood.

καὶ ἔλεγεν – He Kept Saying

The verb ἔλεγεν (imperfect) introduces Herod’s superstitious interpretation.

Grammatical Note:

• ἔλεγεν – imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular of λέγω, “he was saying”

The imperfect tense reveals continuous or repeated thought. This wasn’t a passing comment—it reflects Herod’s ongoing belief, rooted in fear: Jesus must be John, risen from the dead.

ὅτι Ἰωάννης… ἠγέρθη – The Misidentification

Herod believes Jesus is none other than the resurrected John the Baptist.

Clause Details:

• Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων – “John the baptizer,” with a present participle suggesting his identity as remembered by Herod
• ἐκ νεκρῶν – “from the dead,” expressing the source of resurrection
• ἠγέρθη – aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular from ἐγείρω, “he was raised”

This is bad theology, but sincere fear. Herod projects his guilt for John’s death into an eschatological misreading of Jesus’ power.

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐνεργοῦσιν αἱ δυνάμεις ἐν αὐτῷ – Misattributed Miracles

This clause offers Herod’s rationale: miracles prove resurrection.

Verbal Construction:

• διὰ τοῦτο – “therefore,” “on account of this”
• ἐνεργοῦσιν – present active indicative, 3rd plural from ἐνεργέω, “they are active / working”
• αἱ δυνάμεις – “powers,” i.e., miraculous deeds
• ἐν αὐτῷ – “in him,” referring to Jesus

Herod’s logic: resurrection explains power. But the miracles of Jesus are not due to resurrected John—they are the signs of the Messianic Son of God.

The Greek Anatomy of Superstition

Reputation, Revelation, and Response

Mark’s Greek constructs a theological portrait of confusion: Herod hears, sees power, and misinterprets both. His response is not faith, but fear. The imperfects and aorists narrate a man haunted by his past, and grammar lays bare his false theology.

For Mark, the point is not that Jesus was confused with John—it’s that even kings must respond to the name that becomes known. What Herod misunderstood, the reader must not. The miracles do not testify to resurrection from guilt—but to the presence of God in Christ.

The question remains: When the name of Jesus becomes φανερὸν (known), will it awaken faith—or fear?