A.T. Robertson Commentary Mark 6:24

"And she went out, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptizer." — Mark 6:24 (ASV)

What shall I ask? (Τ αιτησωμαι; ). The fact that she went and spoke to her mother proves that she had not been told beforehand what to ask. Matthew 14:8 does not necessarily mean that, but he simply condenses the account. The girl's question implies by the middle voice that she is thinking of something for herself. She was no doubt unprepared for her mother's ghastly reply.