Mk 6:27

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the king.

Matt 14:10; Matt 14:11

an executioner. or, one of his guard.

[Spekoulator ,] in Latin, speculator, from speculor, to look about, spy, properly denotes a sentinel; and as these sentinels kept guard at the palaces of kings, and the residences of Roman governors, so they were employed in other offices besides guarding, and usually performed that of executioners.

As, however, we learn from Josephus, that Herod was at this very time engaged in war with Aretas, king of Arabia, in consequence of Herod's having divorced his daughter in order to marry Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; and as this event occurred at an entertainment given at the castle of Machaerus, while his army was on its march against his father-in-law; we are furnished with an additional reason why a speculator, or sentinel, should have been employed as an executioner; and are thus enabled to discover such a latent and undesigned coincidence as clearly evinces the truth of the evangelical narrative.