When the daughter of Herodias came in and began to dance, she pleased Herod and those reclining at the table with him. And the king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
Here we see how sensual pleasure joins with the carelessness of power. The dance pleased Herod and his dinner guests so much that he made a foolish, lavish promise. This shows how dangerous it is to speak under the influence of passion. When prudence is darkened and desires begin to rule the heart, a person can promise things that may have heavy and tragic consequences. He gave the promise not only out of thoughtlessness, but also out of a desire to magnify his word before others and to be honored even more. This episode also reveals the emptiness and danger of worldly courts. Where people seek only pleasure, injustice and sin are often born. Herod’s words were not a sign of generosity, but an expression of the ungoverned state of his inner condition.