Mark 6:25

μετὰ σπουδῆς. Almost superfluous after εὐθύς, but it emphasizes her intense eagerness. She is as keen as her mother for vengeance, and Antipas might change his mind. Superfluous additions are frequent in Mk. See on Mark 1:32. We have μετὰ σπουδῆς Luke 1:39; but neither ἐν σπουδῇ (in this sense), nor ἐπὶ σπουδῆς, nor κατὰ σπουδήν is found in N.T. Syr-Sin. omits μετὰ σπουδῆς here.

Θέλω ἵνα. Cf. Mark 10:35, and (without ἵνα) Mark 10:36; Mark 10:51, etc.

ἐξαυτῆς. Sc. τῆς ὥρας. This again emphasizes the passion with which she presses home her ghastly request,—matre vili filia vilior. A.V. has “by and by,” which is now misleading. Formerly, it meant “instantly.” and that is what Salome demands; now it means “not instantly.” Except in Acts, ἐξαυτῆς is rare in N.T., and it does not occur in LXX.

ἐπὶ πίνακι. She makes clear that the head is to be off. Vulg. here has discus, a rare word in the sense of “dish,” but in Luke 11:39 it has catinus. Other words for dish are παροψίς (Matthew 23:25-26) and τρύβλιον (Matthew 26:23), where Vulg. has parapsis for both, but catinus for τρύβλιον (Mark 14:20). The distinction between dishes and plates was probably not yet made. Hom. Od. i. 141.

τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ. Only here and Mark 8:28 does Mk use this term; elsewhere ὁ βαπτίζων. See on Mark 1:4.