And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. Herod's sorrow — a genuine but insufficient response — is overridden by the public obligation of the oath and the presence of his guests. The public commitment made in a moment of pleased gratification becomes the instrument of an unjust execution. The king who was sorry but who commanded it communicates the moral cowardice of political power: knowing something is wrong but doing it anyway to avoid personal embarrassment.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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